Oregonians are going to have to pay more to get copies of their vital records next year.
If you want a copy of a birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate, the cost will increase 25 percent — from $20 to $25.
Oregon’s registrar for vital records, Jennifer Woodward, said the extra money is needed to cover increased costs.
“The vital records systems costs have gone up over time, but our revenue has declined," she said. "The last time we did an increase was in 2003, so it’s been quite a while since we’ve done one.”
But the $25 fee is not the final cost of getting vital records.
There’s also a vendor authentication fee to make sure the person ordering the certificate is entitled to it because they’re confidential.
There can also be a mailing fee and a credit card fee. And another fee for using the phone or the Internet when ordering.
But the most expensive way of doing it is to go through a third-party website. One site has a $50 online processing fee, plus an $11 "Oregon Agency Merchant Fee" — whatever that is.
