Legal statutes permit the Arkansas Department of Health to amend certificates with appropriate documentation. For each action, the Arkansas Department of Health must use a specific procedure that is mandated by law. Therefore, each case must be reviewed by our staff individually to determine what documents or actions will be required to make the requested amendment.

Changes Requiring a Court Order

There are some actions that require a court order before the certificate can be changed. Examples of some of these are:

• The creation of a new birth certificate after a child has been adopted
• Adding a natural father to a birth certificate if the mother was married to another man
• Changing the father on a birth certificate
• Changes of surname
• Surrogate motherhood

If a court order is required, normally an attorney is needed for this type of action.

Cost of Amendments

The legal fee for amending a birth or death certificate, with or without a court order, is $15.00. This is in addition to the certificate fee for any replacement certificates that are requested. Birth certificates cost $12.00 for the first copy and $10.00 each for additional copies ordered at the same time. Death certificates cost $10.00 for the first copy and $8.00 for additional copies ordered at the same time. However, if any incorrect certificates are returned to the Arkansas Department of Health within one year of their issuance, they may be replaced without charging a certificate fee. The Arkansas Department of Health accepts cash, checks, money orders made out to Arkansas Department of Health, and all major credit cards, including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®. Please do not send cash in the mail.

Contact Information

Please refer any questions regarding amendments to birth and death records to the Arkansas Department of Health at 501-682-1214 or [email protected]. 

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, with the exception of state holidays, when the office is closed.

Please refer any questions regarding amendments to marriage and divorce records first to the County or Circuit Clerk’s office where the record was initially recorded.