How to obtain a copy of a baptism certificate

There are many reasons why you might need a baptism certificate other than you want it for your own records. In some cases, baptism certificates are lost. This is especially true if parents move around a lot. If your parents have passed on, you may not have any knowledge of where you were baptised or when. Learn how to obtain a copy of a baptism certificate whether you know where the baptism took place or not.

Find out the name of the church where the baptism was held. Your parents should be able to tell you this information.

Contact the church where the baptism took place and ask to speak to the office secretary. This person will have access to baptism records for the church.

Give the secretary your name, birthday and your parent's names. This will help her find your baptism certificate.

Ask family members if they remember where you were baptised and if they remember your godparent's names. You can also look in a baby book for this information. Gather as much information as you can. This includes where your parents were married, what church they were married at and where you were born and lived as a baby.

Contact the godparents if you have their name. They should be able to tell you where the baptism took place so you can contact the church.

Contact the church where the marriage of your parents took place. The church might just be the same church you were baptised in if your parents remained in the area and you were born and lived in this area for some time.

Contact churches in your faith in the area where you were born or where you lived as a child to see if any of the churches have a baptism record for you.

Contact the branch of military your parent was in if you were a child of a military person. There is a lot of red tape to go through, but a military church official may have baptised you.