Governor Terry McAuliffe announced a major milestone in the partnership of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Division of Vital Records to offer birth certificate service at DMV. Customers have purchased more than 100,000 Virginia birth certificates at DMV offices since March 1, 2014. At just over the one-year mark, the partnership has proven to be a success.
“This convenient service is a clear example of government working better for Virginia families,” said Governor McAuliffe. “One year after this program began, customers have obtained 100,000 Virginia birth certificates from their local DMV offices. That number shows the service is working, and that Virginians are benefitting from it in impressive numbers.”
All 75 DMV customer service centers and five mobile DMV offices now provide Virginia birth certificates. The process for obtaining a birth certificate at DMV is the same as doing so directly through the Division of Vital Records. Customers complete an application, submit the required documentation, and pay a fee to the agency. The fee for a birth certificate at DMV is $14. Successful applicants leave DMV with birth certificates in hand. Those limited transactions that DMV is unable to process are forwarded to the Division of Vital Records for review and further action.
“The Governor talks often about building a new Virginia economy, and that includes strengthening communities and giving people easy access to services that improve quality of life,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne. “DMV and VDH have done that by partnering to bring birth certificate service directly to communities all across Virginia.”
“Since we began offering birth certificates, we have had customers tell us they have saved time, money, and stress by using this service,” said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb. “More than the numbers, that tells us we have succeeded. DMV is proud of this partnership with VDH and thrilled to be able to offer this service to our fellow Virginians.”
“This VDH-DMV initiative has proved to be a valuable partnership, assuring secure access to important documents,” said Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel. “We are pleased that Virginians are using this convenient option to obtain their personal records.”
“The Division of Vital Records receives more than 30,000 calls and 9,000 visits each month from individuals seeking personal documents, including birth certificates,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Marissa J. Levine. “This speaks to the vital nature of these documents and underscores the priority of this successful partnership – offering convenient access without compromising confidentiality.”
The DMV/VDH partnership was authorized by legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2013. The original bill, SB 1039, was sponsored by Virginia Senator Steve Newman (R- 23rd).
“I applaud DMV and VDH for their work to ensure that all Virginians have convenient access to critical government services, no matter where in the Commonwealth they live,” said Senator Newman. “This partnership is a great example of two agencies working together in an innovative fashion for the benefit of our citizens. It is becoming clear that SB 1039 will become a model within the Commonwealth and to other states on how to bring state customer services closer to our constituents.”
The partnership will expand in summer 2015, when DMV will begin offering Virginia death, marriage, and divorce records. All original records will continue to be stored securely by the Division of Vital Records.
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