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Homepage for Replacing and Certifying Documents > Requesting a Life Event Record as a U.S. Citizen > How to Request a Copy of a Panama Canal Zone Record
We issue copies of birth and death records from the Panama Canal Zone that were issued between 1904 and 1979.
You can request a copy of these records if you are:
The Panama Canal Commission kept the birth records of persons born in the Panama Canal Zone between 1904 and 1979. In December 1999, the Commission gave the records to the U.S. Department of State.
People born in the former Panama Canal Zone did not automatically get U.S. citizenship at birth. In addition to a Panama Canal Zone birth certificate, U.S. passport applicants must submit evidence of their parents U.S. citizenship to prove their claim to U.S. citizenship.
To request a copy, follow these steps:
1. Fill out a notarized, completed Form DS-5542
2. Get a photocopy of the front and back of your valid photo ID. Examples include:
If you don't have any of these IDs, please see Passport Vital Records IDs.
3. Get a check or money order. The cost is $50 for each record you request.
4. Mail Form DS-5542, a photocopy of the ID, and payment to:
U.S. Department of State
Passport Vital Records Section
44132 Mercure Cir.
PO Box 1213
Sterling, VA 20166-1213
We can only provide official copies of records on file with the U.S. Department of State.
Processing Times
Shipping
We will send your vital record to you. If you live in the United States, you can select First Class Mail or 1-2 Day Delivery:
If you live outside the United States, we will send your vital record to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The embassy or consulate will coordinate with you to pick up or deliver your record.
Yes, you can give permission to a family member or friend who has known you for at least five years. We need:
An apostille certifies a document so countries in the 1961 Hague Convention will recognize it.
If you have a Panama Canal Zone record issued within the last five years, you don't need to pay for the apostille. If we issued your document more than five years ago, you must submit a request for a new Panama Canal Zone record.
If you need an apostille on your Panama Canal Zone record, you must submit a:
Mail your notarized Form DS-5542, photocopy of your ID, and payment to:
U.S. Department of State
Passport Vital Records
44132 Mercure Circle
PO Box 1213
Sterling, VA 20166-1213