Among all the details you should know about your birth, the time we were born hardly ever comes up. After all, whenever you apply for new IDs or jobs, only the date and place of birth are asked of you. Usually, the only instance that the time of birth becomes relevant is if there is a funny anecdote or significant event tied to it. Maybe you have a twin born just a few minutes earlier. Or perhaps the birth took so long your mom remembers exactly what time it finally finished. Maybe you were even born at the exact time that a volcano erupted or the moon mission was launched.
However, those instances are pretty rare. Many of us wonder about our time of birth because of astrology. Knowing what time you were born is a must if you want a more accurate horoscope or natal chart.
How To Find Out What Time You Were Born?
If you want to know exactly what time you were born, here are 6 ways you can try.
Check Online State Birth Records or Archives
With all of us firmly living in the digital age, it is only natural to go online to try and find out our time of birth. Additionally, with many places still enforcing social distancing measures, this serves as a safe and socially distant way to retrieve our birth records.
Using free online services like FamilySearch.org or Archives.com may help in your search. However, some online services require signing up for a free trial or paying for premium features.
Official entities that processed your birth documents are the most reliable sources you can check. For those living in the U.S., you can check your state or county’s a vital records web page. If you don’t know your state’s vital records website, you can visit the CDC webpage and go from there.
Take note that most online state vital records websites do not provide soft or digital copies of birth certificates. You may have to order a physical copy to be sent to your address.
Request a Copy of Your Birth Certificate
One of the best places to answer the question “When was I born?” is your birth certificate. Ordering a copy of your official birth record can be done either online or in person. Aside from the official state vital records websites, there are also third-party sites like VitalCheck.com, where you can order your birth certificate.
Regardless of which method, ordering a copy of your birth certificate isn’t free. Requesting a copy of your birth certificate from your state vital records office costs anywhere between $15 and $25 per piece. Some states may have lower or higher fees.
For example, the cost per copy is only $9 in Florida and $10 for a non-certified copy in Maine. However, an official birth certificate copy costs $26 in Minnesota and $34 in Michigan, even more for a rush order. If you choose to use an authorized third-party service, expect around the same price or slightly higher.
Additionally, note that the time of birth is often only included in copies of the official birth certificate or the entire, long-form birth certificate. If you can choose between short-form and long-form birth certificates, go for the long-form one.
Use Ancestry or Family Tree Services
Websites that offer family tree or genealogy services may help as well. Some websites you may try include FamilyTreeNow.com, the historical records section in FamilySearch.com, and Findmypast.com. Again, these third-party services may require you to create an account or pay for the complete services.
Consider, though, that this might be more of a long shot than the previous two options. Note that most ancestry sites would only include your birth record information in their database if someone else has included your data in a genealogy report.
Additionally, if another person submitted your birth data, chances are that this would only include your birth date and general location.
Contact the Hospital Where You Were Born
If exhausting your online resources still doesn’t turn up any results, you can try searching offline. Some local counties may have your birth records on file but not online. You can try calling the local records office or visiting them.
Contacting the hospital where you were born and requesting their birth records may be the best option. You can either visit the hospital or contact the institution via phone or email.
Even if the hospital still has your birth records on file, digging them up may take a while. This is especially true if your records haven’t been digitized. Moreover, be prepared to prove your identity as hospitals won’t provide sensitive information without cause.
If you were baptized in a church, you may also try to contact them. The church may keep baptismal records that include the time of birth. If you were adopted or were in the foster system, you may also try calling or visiting the orphanage where you stayed or request your records from the foster system where you were entered.
Ask Your Parents or Other Family Members
The people present during your birth may still remember what time you were born. After all, who else would know this information about you other than your family?
If you keep in contact with your family, calling them to ask about your time of birth should be your first option. It can help save you time and money from ordering a copy of your birth certificate. You can also ask your parents if they have a copy of your birth certificate or hospital birth record.
Additionally, your parents may have their own unofficial written records stored somewhere. Your mom might have an old journal or diary kept in your childhood home.
Estimate Using Astrology Rectification
If you are trying to determine your birth time because of an interest in astrology, you might already be familiar with rectification. There are two possible methods for rectification: preliminary and conclusive methods.
As rectification is a complex procedure, it is best to consult an expert astrologist to perform this method or calculation for you. When executed correctly, a natal chart rectification can accurately estimate your birth time.
The Value of Time
We hope one of our suggested methods for finding out what time you were born proves helpful in your search. If they do not, don’t let that get you down. Getting a more accurate astrological horoscope or natal chart may provide insight into your personality. However, you are still you, regardless of whether you know your time of birth.