Had a problem with Georgia’s Office of Vital Records?
The state’s Office of Vital Records, which handles birth, death and marriage records, has acknowledged problems regarding people who couldn’t get through on the phone.
There have been numerous problems with busy signals, long waits and calls terminated after ringing for a long time.
The head of the agency was fired recently for “gross mismanagement.”
Have you had a problem with the vital records agency?
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22 comments Add your comment
Vaniti
May 14th, 2009
3:55 pm
Yes, this department is the most un-organized dept I have ever tried to do business with. I am still waiting for a correction on my daughters birth certificate and she was born July 2008
AD2008
May 14th, 2009
4:00 pm
I went to Vital Records last Fall and had no problem obtaining my daughter’s birth certificate and she was born April 2008. As a matter of fact, I thought that I was going to be in the office for a long time but I walked in, filled out the appropriate form, paid, and walked right on out-with the birth certificate in my hand!
Jason
May 14th, 2009
4:50 pm
I have requested death certificates while conducting genealogy research and it took FOREVER to receive them! I have also NEVER had the pleasure of speaking to anyone from this office due to the constant busy telephone signals. I’m not sure what the scoop is with the guy that was fired, but I’d like to know who’s in charge of answering the phones? I also requested a change to an error on a birth certificate of an ancestor and never received a response and that was over TWO YEARS AGO. I’m beginning to wonder if the phones aren’t being answered and requests are being ignored or delayed then what is that agency doing 40 hours per week?
jdawg
May 14th, 2009
5:18 pm
I guess after 6 weeks for a birth certificate and a call to my rep, and then two phone calls from DHR and another from vital records, they did reply…I knew this was just matter of time before the change would be made….finally a good outcome….they need to know how to “finish the drill” jdawg
Georgian Hills Mom
May 14th, 2009
5:20 pm
My husband and I went to the Vital Records office near DeKalb Airport about 3 weeks. We needed to change the name on our son’s birth certificate (remove my maiden name). We were in and out in less than an hour with a corrected, newly printed birth certificate. Great experience!
SA
May 14th, 2009
5:41 pm
I have had the unfortunate opportunities to have MANY unpleasant trips to the vital records office. Anyone who has ever spoken to us at the window was always rude and would send us away with no insturctions on how to get anywhere with our request. I am not kidding that it took us 5 trips there before we finally got the change made on the birth certificate. Anytime I hear of anyone having to make a trip there I really feel sorry for them!!!!!!!!!!!! And you can FORGET getting through on the phone to get any information!!!!!!!!
dlk
May 14th, 2009
6:22 pm
I have had to deal with them quite a bit and on several occasions I’ve had typos on birth certificates that must be sent back and corrected. I’ve waited on hold for long, long periods of time to only be cutoff after half an hour or so. Very frustrating. Many of the mistakes on certificates are just careless and just adds more cost and time to the process. Hope they are going to straighten it out soon!
jennifer
May 14th, 2009
6:38 pm
I was requesting a birth certificate for adoption paperwork. The website said it would take 4-6 weeks. At 6 weeks I still had not received my birth certificates. I called and was told 6-8 weeks. At 8 weeks I called and was told 8-10 weeks. I called my State Representative. 24 hours later, I was told I could go and pick it up that they would be expecting me. I got it, but it was wrong and I had to wait for them to reissue me a new one after I had to call my State Representative again to help out because they were refusing to give me a new one. Very, very frustrating. I used vital check the next time I needed a birth certificate and received it within 3 days. I did have to $12.50 to have it mailed to me while other states only charged $5 which I didn’t understand.
Dead_Records
May 15th, 2009
1:30 am
How about 12 YEARS to get my daughter’s birth certificate?
Yes, she was 12 years old before Georgia’s Office of Vital Records issued her birth certificate.
It only took the local judge’s clerk throwing up her hands in disgust and my calling my state senator to FINALLY get the birth certificate.
Ever tried to go back 12 years to take your legitimate deductions on tax returns because your child didn’t have a SSN, because she didn’t have a birth certificate?
I have NEVER had to deal with a more brain dead group of people in my life.
tricia
May 17th, 2009
3:48 am
dept of human resources needs a total overhaul between being disconnected after being on hold for 30 min and no child support enforcement at all i am forced to hire a yankee business to hunt down my deadbeat ex because the state of ga cant seem to get anything done correctly! where is the govt when you need them or our representatives!HELP US PEASANTS SONNY BOY
JAMES VANDIVER
May 18th, 2009
11:40 pm
I HAVE TRIED FOR 2 YEARS TO GET THEM TO HONOR A COBB COUNTY COURT ORDER TO PLACE MY NAME ON MY SON BIRTH CERTICATE AND CHANGE HIS LAST NAME. YES I SENT THE MONEY TOO. JUST A BIG RUN AROUND. I GESS IT IS CONTEMP TIME.
JAMES VANDIVER
May 18th, 2009
11:46 pm
DHR NEED TO BE BROKEN UP . THEY TOOK MY TAXES THE LAST 2 YEARS AND STILL FIGHT TO GET THEM EVEN WHEN YOU SHOW THEM DFAS RECRDS OF CONLIANCE.
DHR Employee
May 22nd, 2009
6:53 pm
It is amazing that former Vital Records Director was able to retain his job after allowing the release of confidential information of Georgia citizens by permitting employees to place portions of birth certificates in regular trash bins outside and easily accessible to the public. Presumably, DHR Commissioner Walker didn’t feel this was enough of a problem to fire Mr. Wheat at that time. Perhaps, this entire problem could have been avoided if she actually managed her department rather than abdicating any responsibility for anything that goes wrong. Walker is inept and should be removed.
Trying to be Fair
May 24th, 2009
11:58 pm
Should one Director, in place for only a few years, be blamed for years and years worth of inadequate funding, support, technology, and institutional commitment? Especially after the Office had just received a state award for improvement in Customer Service? More will have to change than firing one individual.
The Coupon Diva
May 26th, 2009
7:06 pm
I agree trying to be fair. The vital records office is way behind on technology. When I worked there they was still using microfilm for older records. That was in 07 !!!!!!!!!! They just now got a system that prints them out at the desk to make the process to just get a copy alot faster. If they would bring back the position that was taken out when the last director before Mr. Wheat took it downtown (people in VR know what I am talking about) back that would help with the legal unit which is ALWAYS behind cause even though vital records brings in the money they dont want to fund enough people in the legal unit to hurry and make the changes that come through the mail.
Mr. Wheat didnt deserve what he got he was definitly a improvement but without the funding and more help its always going to be like that. Hope people think about this when it comes time to vote.
The Coupon Diva
May 26th, 2009
7:10 pm
DHR Employee – you have no idea what the heck you are talking about.
I was there when that happened and that had nothing to do with MR. Wheat AT ALL- he wasn’t even there yet. That was the fault of the temp director that no longer works for the state after that incident. Employees where told to under her command not to shred the information after the employee who did the shredding died.
Please know facts before you talk.
The Coupon Diva
May 26th, 2009
7:14 pm
Dead Records- if you had your child in a hospital then that is the fault of the hospital not vital records that your child never had a brith certficate. If you knew that your child didnt have a birth certificate back than with your child under a year you could have easily got it done. It amazes me that people sit on there butts till its almost too late before they do something about there childrens birth certificate and then want to get mad cause then need a million and one things to get it done. Not having a birth certificate is something major not something you handle through the mail.
The Coupon Diva
May 26th, 2009
7:21 pm
Mr. Vandriver- If your cout order does not show your childs name EXACTLY as it is on the court order. Then they can not process it. Also it must be a certified copy with the raised seal of that said court order. Hope that helps
The Coupon Diva
May 26th, 2009
7:24 pm
Correction if the court order does not show how the childs name is spelled EXACTLY on the birth certificate and then what the name should be changed to then they can not process it. THIS IS ALMOST ALWAYS WHY the court order cant be accepted.
Wes
July 3rd, 2009
10:10 am
My daughter is over 1 year old, and she still has no birth certificate. I’ve been trying for the past year to get one, but to no avail. She has now lost health insurance due to these inept fools. There is absolutely no reason to back the vital records office. Once you do get through and ask to speak to a supervisor, you’re then speaking to one of the most offensive people in Atlanta. I’ve wasted $30 so far trying to get these fat cats off their fat butts.
My Two Cents
July 3rd, 2009
7:00 pm
The experiences I had with Vital records was always involved a long wait. One time I foolishly allowed them to mail copies which I never received. I called and called …could never get through. I finally had to go back again and wait for them to personally hand me my docs. The office in DeKalb County had people standing around in an hot and stuffy room and more people waiting in the hallway to come into the room. However, when I finally made it to the service window after standing in line what seemed to be a lifetime I could feel the wonderful air conditioning on the other side of the window. As always in government environments it was obvious there was too much talking and not enough work being done to serve the clients waiting. I promised myself I would never be in a position to have to use that facility if I could possibly help it.
kidsoplenty
August 5th, 2009
4:10 pm
I have found that it is best to go in person. Over the phone is an impossibility. I have to say however, that when we went to get my child’s b.c. we did have a long wait in the office. Only about an hour….which is a lot better than months or years.