March 29, 2024

Iowa birth certificate exchange offered for small certificates issued 1993-2009

The Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Health Statistics is taking steps to exchange any newborn birth certificate issued from May 1993 to October 2009, where the birth certificate is a small wallet-size card. The newborn birth certificate wallet cards issued during this time period did not contain enough vital record information to be used for identification purposes, essentially making them useless documents for the purpose they are intended to be used for.

The newborn birth certificate wallet cards were issued from May 1993 to October 2009 after the birth of a child in Iowa. The birth certificate wallet card was printed as a perforated attachment to a larger document. The newborn birth certificate wallet card measures 2 5/8 inches by 4 inches. The entire document that parents received measures 3 ½ inches by 8 inches.

The newborn birth cards may be exchanged by mail or in person with the Bureau of Health Statistics, 321 E. 12th St., Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319.

The following steps must be taken to expedite the exchange of the newborn birth certificate wallet cards:

• Download the application for certified copy of Iowa vital record from www.idph.iowa.gov/health-statistics/request-record;

• Open application for copy of birth certificate link and print document;

• Complete the application, including notarized signature; and

• Return application, copy of driver’s license and original newborn birth certificate wallet card in person or by mail.

Due to the number of certificates to be replaced, it is expected to take four to six weeks to receive the replacement birth certificate via mail. In-person requests will be completed in a timely manner and in the order they are received.