This database provides easy reference to contact information for state vital records offices. In the United States, state agencies and offices are some of the best sources of vital records. Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records, for example, are often kept on a state level and made available in accordance with state privacy laws.

In addition to family history, many people seek copies of these documents for social security and job applications, passports, proof of identity, and other legal purposes. A company called VitalChek has an expedited system in every state office facilitate access to these records. Heavy volume, however, has led many states to only offer the expedited service for records of living individuals. These states will only accept written requests for genealogical materials.

This database provides the following information:

current contact information for all state vital records offices, the kinds of records available from each state, the cost of obtaining each record type.

If records are not available on a state level, the state offices can often direct researchers to the appropriate city or county resource.