Name of the Organization : Arkansas Department of Health
Type of Facility : Changing Birth and Death Certificates
State : Arkansas
Country : United States of America
Changing Birth and Death Certificates :
** The Vital Records law allows Arkansas Vital Records to amend certificates with appropriate documentation.
Related : Arkansas Department of Health Apply For Birth Certificate : www.statusin.org/24253.html
** For each action Vital Records must use a specific procedure which is mandated by that law.
** Therefore, each case must be reviewed by our staff to determine what documents or actions will be required to make the requested amendment.
What changes require a court order?
** There are some actions that require a court order before the certificate can be changed.
Examples of some of these are :
** The creation of a new birth certificate after a child has been adopted
** Adding a natural father to a birth certificate if the mother was married to another man
** Changing the father on a birth certificate
** Changes of surname
** Change of sex on the birth certificate
** Surrogate motherhood
** If a court order is required, normally an attorney is needed for this type of action.
What is the purpose of the Putative Father Registry?
** Arkansas Vital Records maintains the Putative Father Registry.
** The purpose of the registry is to allow an unmarried father of a born or unborn child to register his name so he will be notified before the child is placed for adoption.
** The father does not have to be listed on the birth certificate to register.
** Registration is free and registry searches are $5.00.
How much does it cost to have a record changed?
** Changes to documents, with or without a court order, are $15.00.
** If you are requesting a copy of an amended Birth Certificate please include an additional $12.00.
** If you are requesting a copy of an amended Death Certificate please include an additional $10.00.
** We accept cash, checks, money orders made out to Arkansas Department of Health, and and all major credit cards, including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®. Do not send cash in the mail.
What types of death documents are issued?
** Vital Records issues a certified copy of the original death certificate in paper form.
How much do death records cost?
** The cost of a certified death certificate is $10.00 for the first copy and $8.00 for each additional copy of the same record that is ordered at the same time.
** If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $10.00 for a search fee.
** You will receive a refund of any amount paid over the required $10.00 search fee.
** If you used the “Express Service” with a credit card, both the Express Service fee and the search fee of $10.00 are not refundable.
** You will receive a credit of any credit card fees paid in excess of the combined search and Express Service fee.
** We accept cash, checks, money orders made out to Arkansas Department of Health, and and all major credit cards, including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®.
** Please do not send cash in the mail.