NJHUNTER-L Archives

From: "SML" <>
Subject: NJ birth, death, marriage certificate fees
Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 20:34:34 -0500
In-Reply-To: <001401c6037d$650bb820$74a29643@custombuilt>

This is a printer friendly version of an article from the Courier-Post


N.J. fees to soar
State charges for birth, death and marriage certificates will go from $4
to $25 on Jan. 1

By WILFORD S. SHAMLIN
Courier-Post Staff




The state will increase its fee for birth, marriage and death records by
more than six times the current amount starting Jan. 1, and the extra
revenue will pay the cost of beefing up security measures intended to
prevent identity theft and assist counterterrorism efforts.

The fee hike applies only to vital-statistics records obtained from the
state and does not apply to documents obtained from municipal offices,
which set their own rates.

Birth, marriage and death records are issued in the municipality where
the event took place but the state, in most cases, will now charge
substantially more for the same service.

Starting in 2006, the state Department of Health and Senior Services
will charge $25 for the first document. The current rate is $4. Any
applications faxed or postmarked by Saturday will be processed at the
lower rate.

New Jersey's application fee had been lower than that of three nearby
states but will now fall between them.

New York State Department of Health charges $30 for each record. But the
Pennsylvania State Department of Health charges $10 for a birth
certificate and $9 for a death certificate. Marriage license fees are
set by each county. Delaware charges $10 for the documents.

A $12 fee charged by Cherry Hill was the highest in a random sampling of
rates charged by municipalities in the tri-county area.

That could explain why state officials aren't seeing a last-minute rush
ahead of the looming deadline.

"It's a modest increase, a reasonable fee for the service that's
provided," said Nathan Rudy, spokesman for the state Department of
Health and Senior Services.

People are more likely to deal with the state department in Trenton if
it's more convenient than going through a municipal office, Rudy said.

Margaret Hampton of Woodbury said she was surprised that the fee would
jump from $4 to $25.

"That's a lot of money," she said.

However, she took comfort in knowing that the extra money would go
toward measures aimed at crime prevention.

Hampton is unlikely to go through the state, anyway. It was about a year
ago that she applied in Swedesboro for a new copy of her birth
certificate after misplacing the old one during her move to Woodbury.

She needed an official copy with the raised seal as a form of
identification in order to renew her driver's license.

The new security measures are the result of federal and state
requirements that make it harder to obtain personal information
fraudulently.

Some criminals have taken over identities of dead people by using their
vital statistics records to obtain a driver's license or Social Security
number illegally, Rudy said.

The new security changes mean that confidential information about a
person would be kept in the hands of people legally entitled to such
records, a spouse, sibling, parent or legal guardian, he said.

The state will make computer upgrades, authenticate any presented
documents and centralize computer records in compliance with the
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, a federal law
designed to protect against identity theft and aid counterterrorism
efforts.

New state provisions require a standardized format for all vital
statistics records issued within the state, use of security paper for
verified copies and an authentication process for anyone seeking such
records.

The new state fee was set after determining the cost of increased
security measures and was approved by the commissioner.

In Washington Township, Gloucester County's largest municipality, it's
$15 for the first record and $5 for any additional copies. Deptford
charges $5 flat.

The city of Camden charges $6 for the first document and $4 for
additional copies.

In Burlington County, Evesham charges $10 flat. Its neighbor Medford
charges $10 for the first document but reduces the rate to $2 for any
additional copies.

Reach Wilford S. Shamlin at (856) 251-3346 or

Published: December 28. 2005 3:00AM

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