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Free Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records for a Federal Claim

Veterans and their families obtain marriage, divorce, birth and death documents without charge where the copies are for establishing a disability or death claim. The published fee schedule quotes $25 for a birth or death certificate and says nothing about the exemption, so it has to be asked for.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

What it's worth: $25 a birth or death certificate, $10 a marriage record, $5 each extra copy — waived for a claim

The Department of Public Health’s published fee schedule is $25.00 for a birth certificate, $25.00 for a death certificate, $10.00 for a marriage certificate, $10.00 for a fetal death certificate, and $5.00 for each additional copy.
Those are the fees the exemption removes. A claim that needs a marriage certificate, two birth certificates and a death certificate is a real sum, not a token.
The Department of Veterans Service states the documents are obtained without charge for disability or death claims; the fee page itself carries no mention of the exemption, so the waiver has to be raised by the applicant.

Who is entitled to it

Veterans are named in the provision in their own right.
Families are named alongside the veteran.
Your home is in Georgia.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

1Ask for the exemption by name and in writing. The fee schedule the counter works from does not mention it, so an oral request at a window is the likeliest way to end up paying.
2Say what the record is for. The exemption is tied to establishing a disability or death claim, so name the claim rather than simply asking for a free copy.
3Take the service documentation with you: the DD-214, and where the claim is a survivor’s, the death certificate request should say so.
4Consider going through a Department of Veterans Service field office or an accredited service organisation. The provision names veterans’ organisations and the Department of Veterans Affairs among those who may request the records, which can be a smoother route than asking at a counter.
5Ask for the copies you will actually need. Additional copies are $5.00 each at the ordinary rate, and a claim often needs several.
6If you are told the fee is non-refundable, that is the general rule for paid requests — which is another reason to raise the exemption before paying rather than after.
7Note which office holds the record: depending on the county, the registrar may sit at the county health department or in the probate judge’s office.

Form: A written request identifying the claim the record is for
File with: The State Office of Vital Records, or your county vital records office
Documents you will need: dd214
No renewal: Once granted it does not need renewing.

CorrectionThe vital records fee page and the veterans department describe two different worlds. The fee page quotes $25 to everyone; the veterans department says the same records are free for a disability or death claim. Both were read this session, and the applicant has to bridge the gap by asking.

Worth knowingThe exemption is purpose-tested, not status-tested. It is not a general discount for veterans on certificates — it attaches to copies used to establish a claim.

Known gapO.C.G.A. § 38-1-1 is the authority and no official Georgia host served us its text this session. The scope of who may request, and what happens where the county official is on a fee basis, is recorded as a candidate rather than published here.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.