Here are some online 20th Century-era (or earlier) birth indexes. The indexes or databases marked "fee-based" are part of an Ancestry subscription. Indexes or databases listed below at FamilySearch are free (with registration).
Alabama
Alabama: County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 (free) at FamilySearch; coverage varies by county; not all counties are included
Arizona
Arizona Birth Certificates and Index, 1855-1947 (free) from the Arizona Department of Health Services
Arizona Birth Certificates and Indexes, 1855-1930 (free) at FamilySearch
Arkansas
Arkansas Birth Certificates, 1914-1922 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes images of the birth certificates
California
California Birth Index, 1905-1995 (free) at FamilySearch
California Birth Records Index, 1905-1995 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Delaware
Delaware State Birth Records, 1861-1922 (free) at FamilySearch; includes scanned copies of the birth records that can be downloaded
Hawaii
Hawaii, Birth Certificates and Indexes, 1841-1944 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Idaho
Idaho Birth Index, 1861-1921, and Stillbirth Index, 1905-1971 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes images of the birth certificates from July 1911-1919; includes some images before 1911.
Idaho Birth Certificates and Indexes, 1861-1922 (free) At the Internet Archive/from Reclaim the Records. Birth certificates are not searchable by name, but indexes in Excel format are available to download.
Idaho Birth Index, 1861-1911 (free) at FamilySearch
Illinois
Illinois: Cook County Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1949 (free) at FamilySearch
Illinois: Cook County Birth Registers Index, 1871-1915 (free) at FamilySearch
Cook County, Illinois Birth Index, 1916-1935 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Indiana
Indiana Birth Certificates, 1907-1940 (at Ancestry/fee-based) index and digitized images of the birth certificates
Iowa
Iowa, Births (series) 1880-1904, 1921-1944 and Delayed Births (series), 1856-1940 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes digitized images of the birth certificates or ledgers
Iowa, Birth and Stillbirth Records, 1921-1947 (free) includes digitized copies of the birth certificates; at FamilySearch
Iowa Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939 (free) includes digitized copies of the birth certificates; at FamilySearch
Iowa: County Births, 1880-1935 (free) not complete; index only; at FamilySearch
Iowa State Birth Records Indexes, July 1904-June 1906 (index is free) also has birth indexes from 1909-June 1921 for 44 counties; copies of the records can be ordered for a fee; from the State Historical Society of Iowa
Kentucky
Kentucky Birth Index, 1911-1999 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes some pre-1911 records
Kentucky, Birth Records, 1847-1911 (at Ancestry/fee-based) coverage varies by county; includes digitized images of the birth registers
Louisiana
Louisiana Birth Records Search, 1819-1921 (index is free) copies of the records can be ordered for a fee; does not include all births from this period
Louisiana: New Orleans Birth Records Index, 1790-1915 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Louisiana, Orleans Parish, Birth Records, 1819-1906 (free) at FamilySearch
Louisiana: Orleans Parish Vital Records, 1900-1914, 1955-1964 (free) at FamilySearch; includes indexes and text-based results for births from 1900-1914 (with some as far back as 1885), marriages for 1960, and deaths from 1955-1964; digital images of the records can be viewed at some LDS Family History Centers
Maine
Maine Birth Records, 1892-1922
(at Ancestry/fee-based) also has some entries prior to 1892
Maryland
Maryland Birth Certificates, 1898-1913 (free) digital copies at the Internet Archive; from Reclaim the Records
Maryland Birth Indexes, 1898-1951 (free) digital copies at the Internet Archive; from Reclaim the Records
Baltimore Maryland Birth Certificates, 1875-1922 (free) digital copies at the Internet Archive; from Reclaim the Records
Baltimore Maryland Birth Indexes, 1875-1972 (free) digital copies at the Internet Archive; from Reclaim the Records
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Birth Index, 1860-1970 (at Ancestry/fee-based) shows year of birth, but not the date; parents names not given; early years may not be complete; some years may be missing
Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920 (free) at FamilySearch; includes state birth, marriage and death certificates, 1916-1920; and amendments to and delayed registrations, 1841-1920
Massachusetts, Births, 1636-1924 (free) at FamilySearch; "Index to selected birth records." Includes some images.
Massachusetts, Delayed and Corrected Vital Records, 1753-1900 (free) at FamilySearch
Massachusetts Birth Index, 1841-1910 (index is free) from the Massachusetts Archives; gives year of birth only (plus volume and page number); copies of birth records may be ordered by mail for a fee; also has indexes for marriages and deaths
Michigan
Michigan Births, 1867-1902 (free) at FamilySearch; includes scanned images of the birth registers
Michigan: County Births, 1867-1917 (free) at FamilySearch; includes scanned images of county birth records from 53 of Michigan's 83 counties; coverage varies by county
Minnesota
Minnesota Birth Index, 1900-1934 (index is free) copies of the records can be ordered for a fee
Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2000 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Missouri
Missouri Birth Registers, 1847-1999 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes digitized copies of the birth registers from c. 1847-early 1910; not complete; 1911-1919 is not included; coverage varies by county
Missouri Birth Index, 1910-2022 (free) from Reclaim the Records
Montana
Montana Birth Records, 1897-1919 and Birth Index 1897-1988 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes scanned copies of the birth certificates or records, 1897-1919 (coverage varies by county); for 1920-1988, names of parents are given for most of the entries
Montana Birth Index, 1870-1986 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Nebraska
Nebraska, Birth Ledgers, 1904-1911 and Birth Index, 1912-1994 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Nevada
Nevada Birth Index, 1975-2012 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Birth Records, 1631-1920 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
New Hampshire Birth Certificates, 1901-1915 (free) at FamilySearch
New Jersey
New Jersey, Geographic Birth Index and Delayed Births Index, 1901-1929 (free) from FamilySearch/Reclaim the Records
New Jersey Birth Index, 1670-1980 (free) at FamilySearch; not complete, but has 1.1 million entries
New Jersey Birth Index, 1901-1903 (Reclaim the Records) (free) at FamilySearch
New Jersey, Birth Index, 1848-1878, 1901-1929 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
New York City
New York City Historical Vital Records Project, 1855-1949 (free) currently 75% complete; includes birth certificates, marriage records, and death certificates; from the New York City Municipal Archives; coverage varies by type of record and borough. Includes Digitized Birth Records for the Bronx: 1872-1873, 1876, 1888-1891, 1895-1909; Kings County (Brooklyn): 1866-1909; Manhattan: 1855, 1857-1861, 1863-1865, 1866-1909; Queens: 1866, 1876, 1883, 1886, 1888-1909; and Richmond (Staten Island): 1898-1909. (Not yet complete for these years).
New York City Birth Records Index, 1878-1909 (free) coverage varies by borough
Manhattan Birth Index Cards, 1866-1897 (free) at FamilySearch
New York City Birth Index, 1910-1965 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
New York State
New York State Birth Index, 1881-1942 (at Ancestry/fee-based) does not include New York City (see just above for NYC)
New York, Birth Indexes Outside of New York City, 1881-1942 (free) from FamilySearch and Reclaim the Records
New York State Birth Index (Outside of New York City), 1881-1942 (free) from Reclaim the Records; scanned documents for each year; does not have a searchable name index
Also see: New York Vital Records and Genealogy Indexes on the Internet
North Carolina
North Carolina Birth Index 1913-2000 (at Ancestry/fee-based) coverage varies slightly by county; also includes some pre-1913 births
North Carolina, Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records Unit, County Birth Records, 1913-1922 (free) at FamilySearch
Ohio
Ohio Birth Records Index, 1908-1998 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Vital Records Index: Births (index is free) for births occurring more than 20 years ago; earliest entry is for 1865; coverage before 1950 may be spotty; copies of the records can be ordered for a fee if eligibility requirements are met
Oregon
Oregon, State Births, 1842-1922 (at Ancestry/fee-based) not complete; coverage varies by county; most appear to be for 1842-1902, and 1916-1917; includes digitized copies of some birth certificates and delayed birth certificates
Oregon Birth Index, 1860-1952 (free) at FamilySearch; not complete; most are from 1868-1898
Oregon Historical Records Index (free) indexes some births, c.late 1800s-1918; coverage varies by county; also indexes other genealogy records
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Birth Certificates, 1906-1914 (at Ancestry/fee-based) index and digitized copies of the birth certificates
Pennsylvania Birth Indexes, 1906-1917 (indexes are free) copies of the records can be ordered for a fee
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906 (free) at FamilySearch
Pennsylvania Delayed Birth Records, 1941-1976 (free) at FamilySearch
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Birth Records, 1853-1922 (free) includes digitized copies of the birth registers or certificates; from the Rhode Island State Digital Archives
Rhode Island Birth Index, 1636-1930 (at Ancestry/fee-based) coverage may vary by county
Rhode Island, State Births Index, 1819, 1852-1900 (free) at FamilySearch
South Carolina
South Carolina Birth Certificates, 1915-1922 (free) digitized birth certificates for 1915-1921
South Carolina Births, 1915-1920 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes digitized copies of the birth certificates
South Carolina, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1766-1900 (free) at FamilySearch
South Carolina, Charleston County, Charleston, Birth Registers, 1901-1926 (free) at FamilySearch
South Carolina, Delayed Birth Records, 1766-1900 and City of Charleston, South Carolina, Birth Records, 1877-1901 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
South Dakota
South Dakota Birth Index (free) for births over 100 years ago
South Dakota Department of Health Index to Births, 1843-1914; and Marriages, 1950-2016 (free) at FamilySearch
Tennessee
Tennessee Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 (free) at FamilySearch
Tennessee Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Tennessee City Birth Records, 1881-1915 (at Ancestry/fee-based) for Chattanooga, Knoxville and Nashville; coverage varies by city
Tennessee: Nashville City Birth Index, 1881-1913; and Davidson County Birth Index, 1908-1912 (free)
Tennessee: Shelby County (Memphis) Birth Records Index, 1874-1917 (partial) (free)
Texas
Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Texas Birth Certificates and Index, 1903-1935 (free) at FamilySearch; includes scanned copies of the birth certificates that can be downloaded
Utah
Utah Birth Certificates, 1903-1911 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes scanned copies of the birth certificates
Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics Birth certificates, 1905-1918 indexed to 1911 (free) from the Utah Division of Archives and Records
Utah Birth Certificates, 1903-1914 (free) at FamilySearch
Utah Birth Registers, 1892-1944 (at Ancestry/fee-based) does not include Millard County or the city of Ogden; coverage varies by county; for most counties the coverage ends in 1905
Salt Lake County Archives: Birth Records, 1890-1915 (indexed)
Salt Lake County, Utah, Births, 1890-1911 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Vermont
Vermont Birth Records, 1909-2008 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes digitized images of the records; coverage varies by county
Vermont Births and Deaths Index, 1909-recent (index is free; no online images) from the Vermont Department of Health; copies of the the birth and death certificates can be ordered online for a fee (with restrictions)
Virginia
Virginia Birth Records Index, 1912-Jan. 2015, and Delayed Birth Records, 1854-1911 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes scanned copies of the birth certificates from 1912-1920, plus some for earlier years; records prior to 1912 are delayed birth records recorded later
Virginia, Birth Registers, 1853-1911 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
Virginia Birth Certificates, 1912-1913 (free) at FamilySearch
Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896 (free) at FamilySearch
Washington
Washington State Birth Index, 1907-1919 (at Ancestry/fee-based) coverage may vary by county
Washington Birth Records, 1870-1935 (at Ancestry/fee-based) coverage varies by county; may not include all counties
Washington Birth Records, 1869-1950 (free) at FamilySearch; not complete; coverage varies by place; some listings are for delayed birth records
Washington: County Birth Registers, 1873-1965 (free) at FamilySearch; not complete; coverage varies by county; may not include all counties; includes images of the birth registers
West Virginia
West Virginia Birth Records and Index, c.1850s-c.1921 (free) includes scanned copies of the birth records; coverage varies by county; some counties may not be included
West Virginia Birth Index, 1853-1930 (free) at FamilySearch; coverage varies by county
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Birth Index, 1820-1907 (at Ancestry/fee-based) most entries begin with 1880; coverage varies by county
Wisconsin Birth Records Index, 1812-1921 (at Ancestry/fee-based) most entries begin with 1880; coverage varies by county
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Births, 1839-1911 (at Ancestry/fee-based) includes digitized images of the birth records
General
U.S., Carded Birth Records in Military Hospitals, 1884-1916 (at Ancestry/fee-based)
For Death Certificates see: Online Death Certificates and Records - USA
For Death Indexes see: Online Death Indexes and Records - USA
Return to: People Searching: Finding Living and Recently Deceased People in the USA
Compiled by Joe Beine. May not be reproduced without permission.