Nottoway County Birth Records Search

Nottoway County birth records are official state documents maintained by the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records in Richmond. The county was established in 1789 in south-central Virginia, with the town of Nottoway as its county seat. Nottoway County sits between the Appomattox and Meherrin rivers in the Virginia Piedmont. Certified birth certificates for births in Nottoway County are available from the state by mail, online, or in person. The Piedmont Health District and the county courthouse in Nottoway provide local assistance with applications and historical birth record research.

Nottoway County Circuit Court Clerk

The Nottoway County Circuit Court Clerk maintains marriage licenses, land records, probate records, and court files from 1789. The clerk does not issue certified birth certificates. For births from June 14, 1912 to the present, contact the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records in Richmond. The courthouse holds historical birth and death registers from the 1853-1896 period on microfilm, which are the primary official source for Nottoway County births from that era.

Nottoway County was formed from Amelia County in 1789. For births before 1789 in what is now Nottoway County, Amelia County records at the Library of Virginia are the starting point. The county takes its name from the Nottoway people, a Native American group who lived in this region of Virginia. Deed books, will books, and court order books from 1789 are held at the courthouse in Nottoway, and the Library of Virginia holds Nottoway County records on microfilm.

Nottoway County sits in Virginia's southern Piedmont, historically an agricultural region tied to tobacco culture. The county's 19th-century birth registers reflect a predominantly rural population. Some Nottoway County families, particularly African American families, are documented in the Virginia Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866, available through FamilySearch. The Nottoway County Public Library in Crewe holds local history materials that can supplement courthouse research.

The Nottoway County courthouse in Nottoway holds land, marriage, probate, and court records from 1789 that researchers use alongside birth registers for genealogical research in this south-central Virginia county.

The Nottoway County courthouse provides access to records from 1789, with deed books, will books, and court order books that support birth register research in this southern Virginia Piedmont county.

Piedmont Health District Birth Records

The Piedmont Health District serves Nottoway County along with Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Prince Edward counties in south-central Virginia. The district provides birth certificate application forms and guidance on the state submission process. It does not issue certified birth certificates. Applications go to the Office of Vital Records in Richmond.

The Piedmont Health District also provides immunizations, maternal health programs, and other public health services. For Nottoway County residents who need a paper application form or guidance on the birth certificate process, the health district office is the local resource.

Nottoway County Birth Records History

Nottoway County was established in 1789. Virginia's statewide birth registration law took effect in 1853. Birth registers from 1853 to 1896 are on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Virginia ended registration in 1896, creating a gap until June 14, 1912. Church records from the Baptist, Methodist, and Episcopal congregations that served the county are the main alternatives for both the pre-registration period and the gap years.

Nottoway County's antebellum records reflect a plantation-heavy region. The Virginia Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866, on FamilySearch covers Nottoway County entries and is a key resource for researchers tracing African American families in this part of Virginia. After emancipation, birth registration compliance improved, but registration remained inconsistent in rural areas through the remainder of the 19th century.

Because the county was formed from Amelia, births that occurred before 1789 in present-day Nottoway County require a search of Amelia County records. The Library of Virginia holds Amelia County deed books and court order books going back to 1735. FamilySearch provides free online access to Virginia Birth Registers, 1853-1911, and Virginia Birth Records, 1912-2015, both including Nottoway County entries.

Fees and How to Request a Nottoway County Birth Certificate

All certified birth certificates for Nottoway County births are issued by the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records. The fee is $12 per copy under Virginia Code Title 32.1. Online orders can be placed through the state system or through VitalChek. Mail applications go to P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, Virginia 23218-1000. Walk-in service is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Birth records are restricted for 100 years and require valid photo identification from eligible family members.

Nearby Counties

Nottoway County is in south-central Virginia's Piedmont region, bordered by several surrounding counties.