The process to make changes to a birth or death certificate vary depending on the type of legal change needed and how recently the record was filed. You may want to call before coming to our office and find out what documentation will be required.

Corrections and amendments to vital record are governed by Arizona Revised Statutes and Administrative Codes. The Office of Vital Registration must work within these laws when making amendments and corrections. The governing Statutes are 36-323 and 36-337, and the Administrative Codes are Title 9, Chapter 19, Sections 112.01 through 120.

Walk-in customers are served in the order they arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. We are located at 3221 N. 16th St., Ste 100 in Phoenix, AZ 85016.

Corrections and Amendments cost $23.00, which includes one certified copy of the corrected certificate. We accept cash and traveler’s checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders made payable to Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration. All forms of checks and money orders must be for the same amount and if the person writing the check isn’t the same person applying/requesting a correction, the person requesting/providing the check must also provide a state identification or drivers license.

If there is an error on a marriage or divorce record, the error must be corrected by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county that registered the event.

The most common types of corrections include:

• Adding a father to a birth certificate when none is already listed (Paternity)
• Claim of Paternity (Putative Father Registry)
• Changing the identity of the father when a father is already named on the birth certificate
• Naming the child when the child has not been named on the birth certificate
• Changing the name of the child when the child is already named on the birth certificate
• One of the parent’s name listed on the birth certificate is an alias
• Minor errors
• Correction to Death Certificate