topic Re: Government records rant in Community Chat

Government records rant

CAcableGirl2 — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 01:37:09 GMT

How long would you think it would take for a state clerk to locate a birth certificate and send you a copy? 2 weeks? maybe 3 at the most?

I paid for and ordered on-line on February 7th, and as of today March 14, it says it is still "pending verification". And, it says on-line that the average processing time is 29 business days, not including delivery time.

How can it possibly take someone over 5 weeks to look up a record of a birth - and this is from a small state, so they can't have that many to pour over. I have a non-certified copy, so I was able to fill out the request EXACTLY as it appears on the record - so there is no confusion on what it includes.

Just so frustrated that it takes that amount of time, when of course my online payment was processed within a day.

Re: Government records rant

Kachina624 — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 01:41:40 GMT

You're lucky if you have the option of a state employee searching for your document. Most states now use a third party agency that charges an exorbitant fee for the service, which is the only way you can do it.

Re: Government records rant

January121 — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 01:46:16 GMT

WOW ..... IN THIS DAY & AGE IT SHOULD BE OVERNIGHT!!!!! ...... IF WALLMART CAN DO IT ANYONE CAN!!!!!

Re: Government records rant

lovesrecess — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:04:46 GMT

But it’s the government.....

Re: Government records rant

FLtricia — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:05:05 GMT

That time frame seems excessive. I recently had to obtain copy of marriage certificate from 50 years ago. I filled out form, sent check for $11.00, and within 10 days I was holding certified copy. I am grateful as I couldn't renew driver's license without it.

I received this from New York, which is a pretty populous state.

Hopefully your info will arrive shortly. Maybe they are like QVC, leaving your request in "processing" only to have it arrive at your home (LOL).

Re: Government records rant

sunshine45 — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:11:25 GMT

in maryland, if you order via mail, it takes 3-4 weeks unless you request and pay for expedited service.

we also have a footnote on our processing times.....

"****Due to an overwhelming demand for certificates, we have had to temporarily increase our processing times."

i am sure that due to the new drivers license regulations that more people than ever are requesting certified birth certificates.

Re: Government records rant

haddon9 — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:35:53 GMT

@FLtricia wrote:
That time frame seems excessive. I recently had to obtain copy of marriage certificate from 50 years ago. I filled out form, sent check for $11.00, and within 10 days I was holding certified copy. I am grateful as I couldn't renew driver's license without it.
I received this from New York, which is a pretty populous state.
Hopefully your info will arrive shortly. Maybe they are like QVC, leaving your request in "processing" only to have it arrive at your home (LOL).

I also needed to get a copy of my marriage certificate recently. I'm in PA and used to live in NJ. It's only 20 minutes for me to the capital of Trenton, NJ, so I went there in person. I filled out a form, showed my ID gave them a check (in NJ it's $25.00) and got my certificate with raised seal in less than 10 minutes.

Re: Government records rant

sunshine45 — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:40:06 GMT

@haddon9 wrote:
@FLtricia wrote:
That time frame seems excessive. I recently had to obtain copy of marriage certificate from 50 years ago. I filled out form, sent check for $11.00, and within 10 days I was holding certified copy. I am grateful as I couldn't renew driver's license without it.
I received this from New York, which is a pretty populous state.
Hopefully your info will arrive shortly. Maybe they are like QVC, leaving your request in "processing" only to have it arrive at your home (LOL).
I also needed to get a copy of my marriage certificate recently. I'm in PA and used to live in NJ. It's only 20 minutes for me to the capital of Trenton, NJ, so I went there in person. I filled out a form, showed my ID gave them a check (in NJ it's $25.00) and got my certificate with raised seal in less than 10 minutes.

i think there is a difference between getting a certified copy of a birth certificate versus getting a certified copy of a marriage certificate. i know in maryland you can go to the county courthouse where you were married and get copies of marriage or divorce certificates. birth certificates have to come from vital records and cannot be obtained at the courthouse.

Re: Government records rant

Carmie — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:43:54 GMT

Once someone works on it, it should only take a minute or two. Everything is on a computer base.

Babies are born everyday so BC's are requested on a continual basis. Add to that requests for a duplicate, I could see how it takes a while to get one.

If you live in a state where real ID's are being implicated, the state is probably overwhelmed with requests for birth certificates and that adds to the backlog.

The last one I ordered online for a family member came in about a month later.

Re: Government records rant

GCR18 — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:47:04 GMT

I had to get a certified copcopy of my birth certificate. I waited until I was able to travel home. I figured it would be a big ordeal. Had it in 5 minutes. Can you call?

Re: Government records rant

patbz — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:49:43 GMT

Sometimes getting a copy of a birth certificate is a big deal. My older son (my husband's son from first marriage) was born in Korea while my husband was stationed there (therefore he had an embassy issued birth certificate). Many years later he needed a copy of this document (which only is allowed one extra copy per lifetime). I had to get my Congressman involved and this copy literally took months to obtain.

Re: Government records rant

chrystaltree — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 03:01:10 GMT

Where I live, you print the application off from the website and go into one of the VS offices with a check or money order. They go in the back and 10 minutes later, they come back with a certified copy. You do have the option filling out the application while you are in the office. All the records are in a data base now.

Re: Government records rant

software — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 03:36:34 GMT

Are you in your state of birth?

In Alabama, you go to any local Health Department and it gets printed out while you wait, short wait. Takes you longer to park.

If you are ordering from another state to your birth state, I'm sure it takes time.

DH ordered his from CA while in AL, what a mess, took about a month but most of the employees had be furloughed due to budget shortages or only working parttime.

I had to order one out of state when the laws changed after 9/11 when the original, certified birth certificate issued 61 years ago was invalid. This was about 5 years ago

From AL to CT took about 2 weeks.

Re: Government records rant

Sooner — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 03:49:51 GMT

So how much taxes do you want to pay for birth record searches? It is very expensive to get lots of back records online, most states are working with understaffed offices and extremely tight storage space.

It's not about how quick you want something, it's about how much more tax would you like to get it there? Or pay a private company, which isn't going to be cheap.

Re: Government records rant

CalminHeart — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 09:37:22 GMT

Imagine how many people have submitted requests for birth certificates, death certificates, and all kinds of records. And governments aren't staffing like they used to.

I requested a birth certificate a few years ago and it took over 2 months.

Re: Government records rant

Peaches McPhee — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 11:59:41 GMT

I'm curious if older birth certificates are computerized. Did someone computerize all the old certificates from a century ago? I picture someone having to look through old boxes .

Re: Government records rant

mimomof4 — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 12:05:52 GMT

I have order both Certified Birth Certificates and Marriage licenses from the State of Michigan multiple times. I don't think it took 4 weeks either time to get the documents.

When you paid online, did your state require you to go through some verification questions to prove identity? Mine did.

Re: Government records rant

CelticCrafter — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 14:14:49 GMT

Did you try to do an actual follow up with anyone - not just an on-line status check?