How to Update Your Birth Certificate

If you want to change your name on your original birth certificate from the state of Louisiana, you must send a certified copy of your court order certifying name change to the Louisiana Vital Records Registry along with an "Application to Amend a Certificate of Birth" and the appropriate fee. 

• The process to make changes to a birth certificate varies depending on the type of legal change needed and how recently the record was filed. 
• Amendments to vital records are governed by LA statutes and administrative codes. The Vital Records Registry must work within these laws when making amendments to records. 
• Each situation is different and every application must be reviewed by a specialist with Vital Records to determine whether it is acceptable. 
• If the application is determined to not be acceptable, you will be contacted with additional instructions, which will increase the processing time. 

How to Submit Your Birth Certificate Amendment Request

By Mail: Please submit a completed application form and specify the correction(s) desired to the birth certificate. You may download the Application to Amend for mail requests.

• To request a name update to your birth certificate, you should submit: 

  • A certified copy of the court order certifying name change. 

  • A copy of your original birth certificate. 

  • A copy of your driver's license or ID. 

  • A check or money order for applicable fees (payable to LA Vital Records)

    • Unless requesting a hospital correction within 90 days of the birth certificate file date, the non-refundable fee for correcting or amending a birth certificate is $27.50, which includes one certified copy of the amended birth certificate. Additional certified copies can be purchased at the time of the amendment for $9.00 each. If you cannot provide the original (incorrect) birth certificate, an additional $15.00 search fee must be included.

• Mail the request and application to Louisiana Vital Records. 

Send application to: 

Louisiana Vital Records 

PO Box 60630 

New Orleans, LA 70160

• Requests are processed in approximately 6-8 weeks from the date of receipt. 

Online: You may use a major credit card to place internet orders through VitalChek Network, an authorized service provider. Online Amendment processing can be faster and more convenient as you scan and upload required documents into the VitalChek system. This results in significantly shorter processing times for most cases.

You can contact Vital Records Amendments department by calling the number listed below:

Telephone: (504) 593-5122