Birth & Death Certificates

The Deputy Registrar/Vital Statistics Office at the Department of Health processes certificates for all births and deaths that occur in Buncombe County.

Most births occur at the Campus of Mission Hospitals, which is presently the only hospital in the county providing delivery care. A child’s Birth Certificate is registered by the hospital if the child is born there. It is the responsibility of the parent to apply for a birth certificate when a home birth/delivery has occurred in Buncombe County.

The Deputy Registrar is responsible for obtaining and preserving documents of all births and deaths in Buncombe County. This evidence protects the legal rights of individuals and provides a sound statistical basis for health and social planning. These records (except fetal death reports) are filed permanently in the NC Division of Public Health Vital Records, Raleigh, NC, and are certified or verified when requested.

Services include:

• Help with preparing home birth certificates.
  • Instructions for Registering a Home Birth
  • Home Birth Registration Form
  • Affidavit of Pregnancy
• Help with preparing death certificates
• Help with preparing paperwork needed for children born out of wedlock. This document is referred to as an “Affidavit of Parentage” (DHHS 1660).
• Please view our Birth Certificate Registration Brochure below for important information for soon to be parents.
  • English
  • Spanish

How to get an appointment at Vital Records?

For Birth Records questions, Home Birth Registrations and Affidavit of Parentages call (828) 250-5214; please call ahead to assure you have the correct paperwork and to make a scheduled appointment.

For Death Certificate processing no appointment is necessary, but calling ahead is recommended (828) 250-5213. The location of this office is at 199 College St., Asheville, NC 28801

What to bring with you

Driver's license or other picture identification and Social Security Card.

How are services paid for?

There is no charge for Vital Record's services.

Certified copies of Birth & Death Certificates can be obtained through:

Buncombe County Register of Deeds
(828) 250-4300

There is a $10 fee for certified copies. The Register of Deeds accepts Visa/MasterCard, cash, personal checks, or money orders.

Certificates from other counties or states must be requested from the place of birth.