Yavapai County Birth Records

Yavapai County Community Health Services provides birth certificate services as a mail order only facility in Prescott at 1090 Commerce Drive. Applications are not processed at the counter. Staff do not provide walk in service. You must submit your request by mail or use one of three drop boxes located in Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Cottonwood. Processing takes seven to ten business days. You can pick up your certificate at the office or have it mailed to you. Most flexible payment options in Arizona. Call 928-771-3125 for information about how to submit your request or to check on the status of an application you already sent.

Mail Order Only Facility

Yavapai County vital records operates as a mail order only facility. This is different from most Arizona counties. Applications are not processed at the counter. You cannot walk into the office and request a birth certificate. Staff will not help you if you just show up. You must submit your request by mail or through a drop box. Then you wait seven to ten business days for processing. This system helps the county manage their workload efficiently.

The office is at 1090 Commerce Drive in Prescott. Mail goes to YCCHS, Attn Vital Records, 1090 Commerce Dr, Prescott, AZ 86305. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm, but these are administrative hours. Staff do not provide counter service during these hours. Call 928-771-3125 if you have questions about how to submit a request or what documents you need. You can also email web.Health@yavapai.us with questions.

Note: Do not visit the office expecting counter service as applications are processed by mail order only.

Drop Boxes at Three Locations

Yavapai County has drop boxes at three locations across the county. This makes it easier to submit requests without having to mail them. The three drop box sites are in Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Cottonwood. The Prescott drop box is at 1090 Commerce Drive. The Prescott Valley drop box is at 3212 North Windsong Drive. The Cottonwood drop box is at 10 South Sixth Street.

Fill out your application form at home. Include copies of your ID and relationship documents. Add payment. Put everything in an envelope and drop it in one of the three boxes. Staff check the drop boxes regularly during business hours. Your request will be processed in seven to ten business days. The county will call you when your birth certificate is ready for pickup at the Prescott office, or they will mail it to you if you requested that option. Make sure you write a phone number on your form so staff can reach you.

Seven to Ten Business Day Processing

All birth certificate requests in Yavapai County take seven to ten business days to process. This applies whether you mail your request or use a drop box. There is no same day service. Staff process requests in the order they are received. They verify each application, check your eligibility, and confirm the birth record exists in the state database. Once approved, they print and certify the birth certificate.

The county will call you when your certificate is ready. You can then pick it up at the Prescott office at 1090 Commerce Drive during business hours Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm. Or you can ask staff to mail it to you when you submit your application. If you choose mail delivery, factor in a few extra days for the certificate to reach you by mail after processing is complete.

How to Request Birth Certificates

You must submit birth certificate requests by mail or drop box in Yavapai County. There is no walk in counter service. Download form VS-11 from the Arizona Department of Health Services website or the Yavapai County website at www.yavapaihealth.com/vital-records. Fill out the form completely. Sign it. Include a copy of your photo ID. Do not send your original ID card.

Add payment. Yavapai County accepts credit and debit cards with a 1.5 to 2.39 percent processing fee, cash (drop box only, not by mail), checks, and money orders. This is the most flexible set of payment options among Arizona counties. For mail, include a check, money order, or credit card information. For drop box, you can use cash, check, money order, or include credit card details. Do not mail cash.

Mail your request to YCCHS, Attn Vital Records, 1090 Commerce Dr, Prescott, AZ 86305. Or use one of the three drop boxes in Prescott, Prescott Valley, or Cottonwood. Staff will process your request in seven to ten business days and call you when it is ready.

Most Flexible Payment Options

Yavapai County accepts the widest range of payment methods among Arizona counties. You can pay by credit card or debit card with a processing fee of 1.5 to 2.39 percent of the total. You can pay by cash if you use a drop box. You can pay by check or money order. This flexibility makes it easier for residents to submit requests even if they do not have a specific form of payment.

For drop box submissions, cash is an option since you are physically putting your envelope in a secure box at a county facility. For mail, do not send cash as it cannot be secured. Credit card payments have a small fee but are convenient if you do not have a check or money order. Make checks and money orders payable to Yavapai County for the correct amount. Each birth certificate costs $20. Amendments cost $30.

Birth Certificate Costs

Certified birth certificates cost $20 each in Yavapai County. This matches the standard Arizona state fee. Each additional copy also costs $20. Amendments or corrections cost $30. Non-certified copies for genealogy research cost $20 but cannot be used for legal purposes. If you pay by credit or debit card, a processing fee of 1.5 to 2.39 percent applies on top of the base fee.

Who Can Request Birth Records

Arizona law restricts 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. Include copies of these documents with your mail or drop box request.

Any Arizona Birth Certificate Available

Yavapai County connects to the statewide Arizona vital records database. This central system holds all birth records for the state from July 1909 to now. County staff can look up and print a birth certificate for any Arizona birth. You do not have to mail your request to the county where you were born. If you were born in Phoenix but live in Prescott, you can submit your request to the Yavapai County office. This statewide access makes vital records more convenient for everyone in Arizona.

All Arizona birth certificates have the same format and security features no matter which county issues them. Each certificate includes a raised seal and the registrar's signature. These features make the document official for use anywhere in the United States or abroad. Schools, employers, passport offices, and government agencies accept birth certificates from any Arizona county as valid proof of birth and identity.

The county vital records website explains the mail order only system and lists the three drop box locations across Yavapai County.

Service for Prescott Valley Residents

Yavapai County includes Prescott, Prescott Valley, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Sedona, and other communities. Prescott Valley is one of the qualifying cities with a population over 50,000. Residents can use the drop box at 3212 North Windsong Drive in Prescott Valley. This saves a trip to Prescott to mail a request or use the drop box there. All requests are processed at the Prescott office regardless of which drop box you use.

Visit our page for Prescott Valley to learn more about birth certificate services for that city.

VitalChek Online Ordering

Arizona offers online ordering for birth certificates through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com. VitalChek is the state's official online vendor. The service is available 24 hours a day. You pay by credit or debit card. VitalChek charges service fees on top of the $20 state fee. Shipping costs extra. Expedited delivery is available for a higher price.

Online orders require you to upload a photo ID. The system checks your identity and verifies you are eligible to get the record. If approved, your order goes to a county or state office for processing. The birth certificate is mailed to your address. Standard delivery takes about one week. This may be faster than the seven to ten business day processing time at Yavapai County, though VitalChek fees make it more expensive. Online ordering is convenient if you want to avoid mailing or using a drop box.

Other Arizona Counties

Yavapai County borders Mohave County and Coconino County to the north, Gila County to the east, Maricopa County to the south, and La Paz County to the west. If you live near a county line, you might find it easier to visit a vital records office in a neighboring county that offers walk in service. Yavapai County does not provide counter service. Coconino County and Maricopa County both have walk in options with same day service. Check the hours and services for each county before you decide where to apply.

Visit our pages for Coconino County, Maricopa County, and Gila County to learn about their vital records services. You can view all 15 Arizona counties on our counties page.