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Request a Copy of a Panama Canal Zone Record

Request copies of birth and death records from the Panama Canal Zone that were issued between 1904 and 1979.

The Panama Canal Commission kept the birth records of people 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.

You can request a copy of these records if you are:

  • The individual listed on the document
  • A legal guardian of the person listed on the document
  • An authorized government agency
  • A person who has written permission from the individual listed on the document

People born in the former Panama Canal Zone did not automatically get U.S. citizenship at birth. U.S. passport applicants must prove their claim to U.S. citizenship by submitting a Panama Canal Zone birth certificate as well as evidence of their parents' U.S. citizenship.

You can give permission to a family member or friend who has known you for at least 5 years. We need:

  • Your signed, written permission 

    • For example: "I, [write your name], give permission to [write your friend or family member's name] to request my Panama Canal Zone Record on my behalf."

  • A photocopy of your valid photo ID

  • A notarized statement from the person who is requesting your records

  • A photocopy of the front and back of the valid photo ID of the person making the request

An apostille certifies your document so countries in the 1961 Hague Convention will recognize it. 

You don’t need to pay for an apostille if you return a Panama Canal Zone record issued within the last 5 years. If we issued your document more than 5 years ago, you must submit a request for a new Panama Canal Zone record.

If you need an apostille on your record, you must submit a:

  • Notarized, completed Form DS-5542

  • Photocopy of a valid photo ID such as state-issued driver's license, passport, or military 

  • Check or money order. The cost is $50 if you need a new copy of your Panama Canal Zone record.

    • Make it payable to the "U.S. Department of State."
    • Include a complete mailing address on the check.
    • Make it payable in U.S. dollars through a U.S. bank.

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

Request a status check

Use our web form to request a status check if you have already submitted Form DS-5542. If you are changing your mailing address, dial 202-485-8300 instead of submitting the form.

Request a status check
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Last Updated: June 18, 2026

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