SHERIDAN (WNE) — Extra costs and frustrating delays can be avoided by only ordering official Wyoming birth, death and other certificates directly from the Wyoming Department of Health, according to department officials.

“We frequently receive complaints from people who have used companies that misrepresent themselves as a way to easily get birth certificates and other official documents,” said Guy Beaudoin, deputy state registrar with WDH Vital Statistics Services. 

Beaudoin said his office has been receiving many orders recently from a company that charges high fees to its customers and then forwards third-party checks, which Vital Statistics Services can’t accept. 

Beaudoin outlined a typical scenario: “Someone born in Wyoming needs their birth certificate to get a driver’s license or a passport. They do an online search and happen upon a paid listing for a private service promising to get the needed document quickly and easily. The customer pays a fee much higher than what our office charges and then may never get the needed document or only after a substantial delay,” he said.

“These companies collect information from customers, have them sign releases and then simply forward completed applications to our office for processing,” Beaudoin said. “It’s an added expensive step that doesn’t help anyone get what they need any more quickly.”

The department advises people looking for certificates to make sure they click on the link to the WDH’s official site.

“You can usually see the WDH logo included with the search engine results and can see an online address that includes ‘health.wyo.gov,’” Beaudoin said. 

To order certificates by mail, visit the official WDH web site at https://health.wyo.gov/admin/vitalstatistics/certificates/. There is an online ordering portal available, downloadable request forms and instructions to use either method. People may also call 307-777-7591 for help and to order.