La Paz County Birth Records

La Paz County Office of Vital Records operates in Parker at 1112 Joshua Avenue, Suite 206. This office primarily handles death certificates and offers limited birth certificate services. The county may refer some birth record requests to the state office in Phoenix. La Paz County works a four day week, with the office open Monday through Thursday from 7am to 6pm. All offices are closed on Fridays. Payment options are limited to checks and money orders only. No credit or debit cards are accepted. Call 928-669-1100 before you visit to confirm that the office can help with your specific birth certificate request and to ask what documents you need to bring with you.

La Paz County Vital Records Office

The La Paz County Office of Vital Records sits at 1112 Joshua Avenue, Suite 206, in Parker, Arizona 85344. The office phone number is 928-669-1100. You can fax documents to 928-669-5638. Email inquiries go to support@co.la-paz.az.us. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 7am to 6pm. It closes on Fridays as part of a four day work week. This schedule is the same as Greenlee County and Apache County, though La Paz County has longer daily hours than those counties.

La Paz County was created in 1983 from the northern part of Yuma County. It is one of Arizona's newer counties. The vital records office focuses mainly on death certificates. Birth certificate services are limited. The office may refer some birth record requests to the Arizona Department of Health Services state office in Phoenix. Before you visit or mail a request, call 928-669-1100 to ask if the Parker office can handle your specific birth certificate need. Staff can tell you whether to apply locally or go directly to the state.

Visit the county vital records page at lapaz.gov/662/Vital-Records for contact info and basic instructions. The main health department page is at lapaz.gov/644/Health-Department. Both pages have forms and phone numbers you can use to get more information about birth certificates in La Paz County.

The county vital records page explains the limited services available and provides contact details for the Parker office.

Limited Birth Certificate Services

La Paz County primarily issues death certificates. Birth certificate services are limited. The office may handle some birth record requests but refers others to the state. This is different from most Arizona counties, which can issue any Arizona birth certificate through the statewide database. If you need a birth certificate and live in La Paz County, call ahead to ask if the Parker office can help you or if you need to contact the state office in Phoenix.

For birth records that the county cannot provide, you can apply through the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records. The state office is at 150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85007. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. The state phone number is 602-364-1300. You can also use VitalChek online at www.vitalchek.com to order Arizona birth certificates if the La Paz County office cannot help you.

Note: Always call La Paz County first at 928-669-1100 before going to the state office, as the county may be able to assist with your request.

Checks and Money Orders Only

La Paz County does not accept credit or debit cards for vital records. You can only pay by check or money order. This makes La Paz County one of the few Arizona counties that does not take card payments. If you visit the Parker office in person, bring a check or money order for $20 per birth certificate. Make checks payable to La Paz County. Staff cannot process credit card or debit card payments at the counter or by phone.

For mail requests, include a check or money order with your application. Do not send cash by mail. The county cannot secure cash sent through the mail and will not replace it if lost. Make your check or money order payable to La Paz County for the correct amount. Each birth certificate costs $20. If you need two copies, send payment for $40. Include your phone number with your request so staff can contact you if they have questions or if they need to refer you to the state office.

Four Day Work Week Schedule

La Paz County offices work Monday through Thursday only. All county offices close on Fridays. The vital records office is open from 7am to 6pm on each open day. This gives you an eleven hour window to visit each day the office is open. The long hours help make up for the Friday closure. If you work a standard Monday through Friday schedule, you may be able to visit before work, during lunch, or after work on one of the four open days.

The four day schedule affects mail processing times. If the county receives your application late on Thursday, staff may not process it until Monday. This can add a few extra days to your wait compared to counties that work five day weeks. Plan ahead if you need a birth certificate by a certain date. Apply at least two to three weeks in advance to allow time for mailing, processing, and return delivery. Call the office at 928-669-1100 to ask about current processing times before you mail a request.

How to Request Birth Certificates

You can request birth certificates in person or by mail in La Paz County, but the office may refer some requests to the state. For in person visits, go to 1112 Joshua Avenue, Suite 206, in Parker. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 7am to 6pm. Bring a valid photo ID such as a driver license or state ID card. If you are requesting someone else's birth certificate, bring documents that prove your relationship to that person. Fill out form VS-11 at the office or download it ahead of time from the Arizona Department of Health Services website.

Staff will review your application and documents. They will tell you if the Parker office can process your request or if you need to apply through the state office in Phoenix. If the county can help you, they will process the request and provide a certified birth certificate. If the county cannot help, they will explain how to contact the state office and what steps to take next. This referral process is unique to La Paz County among Arizona counties.

Mail requests work the same way. Download form VS-11 and fill it out completely. Sign the form. Include a copy of your photo ID. Do not send your original ID card. Add a check or money order for $20 per copy. Make payment payable to La Paz County. Mail everything to 1112 Joshua Ave., Suite 206, Parker, AZ 85344. Staff will review your request and either process it or contact you to refer you to the state office. Include a phone number on your application so staff can reach you easily.

Birth Certificate Costs

Birth certificates cost $20 in La Paz County for services the county provides. This matches the standard Arizona state fee. Death certificates also cost $20. Death certificate corrections cost $35, which is higher than the standard $30 fee for birth amendments in other counties. If the La Paz County office refers your birth certificate request to the state, you will pay the state fee directly to the state office or through VitalChek. The $20 county fee only applies if the Parker office processes your request.

Newest Arizona County

La Paz County was created in 1983 from the northern part of Yuma County. It is one of the newest counties in Arizona. The county includes Parker, Quartzsite, and surrounding areas along the Colorado River. Before 1983, all vital records for this area were handled by Yuma County. The creation of La Paz County split some vital records functions between the two counties. This history may explain why La Paz County primarily focuses on death certificates and has limited birth certificate services compared to other Arizona counties.

If you lived in the La Paz County area before 1983, your birth would have been recorded in Yuma County. The La Paz County office may still refer you to Yuma County or the state office for some older records. Call ahead if you need a birth certificate from before 1983 for someone born in what is now La Paz County. Staff can tell you which office to contact for the best service.

Who Can Request Birth Records

Arizona law limits who can get birth certificates. You must be an eligible requester under state statute. The person named on the birth certificate can get their own record if they are 18 or older or an emancipated minor. Parents listed on the certificate can request copies at any time. A spouse can get a copy if they show a marriage certificate. Grandparents, adult children, and adult siblings may request copies if they prove their family relationship to the registrant.

Legal guardians and conservators need a court order showing their authority. Attorneys can request records if they represent an eligible party and provide proof. Government agencies can get copies for official purposes. Some youth age 16 and 17 can request their own birth certificate if they are in DCS custody or homeless. All requesters must show valid photo ID. You also need documents that prove your relationship to the person on the birth certificate unless you are requesting your own record. These rules apply whether you apply through La Paz County or the state office.

Arizona State Office Alternative

If La Paz County refers your birth certificate request to the state, you have several options. You can visit the state office in Phoenix at 150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 120. The state office does not provide same day walk in service, so mail or online ordering may be better choices. For mail, send form VS-11 with a copy of your ID and payment to P.O. Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. State mail processing takes four to five weeks.

Online ordering through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com is faster than state mail service. VitalChek is available 24 hours a day. You pay by credit or debit card. Service fees and shipping charges apply on top of the $20 state fee. Most online orders are processed and mailed within one week. This is much faster than the four to five week mail processing time at the state office.

The county health department website provides general contact information and links to vital records and other county health services.

Other Arizona Counties

La Paz County borders Yuma County to the south and Mohave County to the north. If you live near a county line, you might find it easier to visit a vital records office in a neighboring county. Both Yuma County and Mohave County can issue birth certificates for any Arizona birth. Yuma County offers same day service with an extra $10 expedited fee. Mohave County processes requests in up to two weeks with no same day option. Check the hours and services for each county before you travel.

Visit our pages for Yuma County and Mohave County to learn about their vital records services. You can view all 15 Arizona counties on our counties page.