Corrections to Certificates
The Office of Vital Records makes corrections to birth and death certificates in the case of many different situations. This includes adding a father or fixing an error.
If fixing an error within the first year of birth, the correction will be free. After a year the fee is $41.
Legal action processing time for corrections to birth/death certificates:
- 10-12 weeks for certificate changes
- Currently working on orders received on 7/19/2024
Corrections to Certificates:
For any questions, please contact Micah Hall at 406-444-9039.
Surrogacy and Court Ordered Name Changes and Open Sealed Files
For any questions, please contact Vicky Root at 406-444-4226.
Corrections FAQ
The processing fee to make a correction to a certificate is $25 and to receive a copy of the certified certificate after the correction is made is $16, so the cost is $41 total. We recommend paying the full $41 up front so that when the correction is made, you automatically receive a copy of the corrected certificate, as you will not be notified when it is ready to order.
A court order will need to be done. Please send the certified court order to our office, along with the fee of $41 and a photocopy of your photo ID.
An Affidavit of Correction must be completed and sent to our office. Please include the fee of $41 as well as a photocopy of your photo ID and 2 supporting documents showing your correct name, date of birth and place of birth. If you need assistance identifying what documents will be accepted, please reach out Micah at 406-444-9039 or Micah.Hall@mt.gov
A Paternity Acknowledgment must be completed and sent to our office along with the fee of $41 and a photocopy of the photo ID for the father being added.
A court order will be required to add the father in this case. Please send the certified court order to our office, along with the fee of $41 and a photocopy of your photo ID.
An Affidavit of Correction will need to be completed and sent to our office along with supporting documents, the fee of $41 and a photocopy of your ID.
An affidavit of correction will need to be completed and sent to our office, along with paperwork from the hospital proving the correct date of birth.
The sex on a birth certificate can only be changed in the case of error. In these situations, we will need a letter from the doctor stating there is an error on the doctor’s letterhead to fix this. Please include a photocopy of your photo ID. If this error is being fixed within the first year of birth, this correction is free. After a year, the fee of $41 for the correction will need to be included.
An Affidavit of Correction will need to be completed and sent to our office along with supporting documents, the fee of $41 and a photocopy of your ID.
Our office requires the original certified copy of the court order and any affidavit with a notary so we can keep all of these for our records, so please make sure you make copies for your own personal records. Our office prefers that any other paperwork or supporting documents being sent are copies and not the original, such as driver’s license, marriage certificates, etc.