[header] How to order a birth certificate [title] Find the correct office. [step] Each state has a vital records office that maintains copies of birth and death certificates. You should find the office for the state where you were born. 
If you were born in north dakota but now live in california, then you need to contact north dakota, which has maintained a copy of your birth certificate. [substeps] To find the correct office, type the state and then " vital records " into your favorite web browser.