Birth records may be obtained for any number of other reasons as well.  They are vital for receiving other documents, like a driver license or a passport.  Some employers ask for birth records when you apply for a job.  Make sure you have it handy if you or your kids are thinking about joining of branches of the US Armed Forces.  Never use a copy, unless you are specifically told you can do so.  Otherwise, you always need the raised seal original, or replicated original,  And, of course,  birth records are a great resource when performing genealogy searches.

Local Vital Records Office vs. Online Services
Regardless of where you get your birth record, it will cost you money to do so. Your first stop may be your state or local vital records office. Although this may be your best option, particularly if you are in the same city or state of your birth, retrieving your birth records from a reputable website may be slightly more convenient.

Many times, the vital records office of a state or local government is overburdened with a high number of requests for vital records. As a result, it may take some time to receive an original, raised seal copy of your birth record. The fees for obtaining a birth record is often less through your vital records office than online, but the convenience of receiving the birth record in a shorter length of time is often well worth the extra cost.

Why Birth Records are Not Free

Birth records, regardless of who obtains them, must be pulled from a state or local vital records office, and these offices always charge a small administrative fee to do so. Therefore, a company that says they can provide a free copy of your birth record is misrepresenting the truth.  In fact, you will often find that they charge a number of related fees that end up costing you more than simply ordering the birth records on your own.

However, there are many websites, such as Archives.com, that take the proper channels to produce results. Often times, it is these websites that can help you locate loved ones or ancestors that may be incredibly difficult to do if you performed a search through your local vital records office.

Best of all, these websites allow you to obtain all of the information you need in one comprehensive location. They can even provide you with links to other genealogy websites to retrieve all of the information necessary to complete a thorough, comprehensive search.

Finally,  Archives.com, through small fees and reasonably priced memberships, allow you to save searches and records, review past records and searches and maintain a personal collection for convenient viewing at any time. Searching birth records and performing genealogy searches has never been easier!