RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is warning Virginians about scam sites that are charging a fee for vital records application forms, a free service.
Dr. M. Norman Oliver, the State Health Commissioner, says the VDH Office of Vital Records has received complaints from customers who have mistakenly ordered and paid for vital records application forms from third party websites.
Officials say trend appears to be a nationwide problem.
“The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records and the DMV are always available to provide low or no cost resources to all Virginians. Use of an unauthorized, outside entity is costly and completely unnecessary,” said Dr. M. Norman Oliver, State Health Commissioner. “When Googling information, please make sure to only use official VDH and DMV websites.”
“Although the forms are free, there are fees for searches. Please ensure that any required payment goes directly to the Office of Vital Records,” said a VDH spokesperson.
Official information and application forms are available at any Vital Records office in Virginia and the VDH website. The DMV is also an official resource for vital records information.
For more information about how to acquire a certified Virginia vital record, click here.
