Artist Andy Warhol, writer Gertrude Stein and playwright August Wilson were all born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. If you were too, or if someone in your immediate family was, you may need to obtain a birth certificate from Allegheny County. For a birth certificate issued in or after 1906, you'll need to apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records. You can order a certificate online, in person, by mail or on the telephone. For birth records issued before 1906, contact the Allegheny County Courthouse or the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

Only people with a close relationship to the person named in the birth certificate can get a copy. That, of course, includes the person named on the birth certificate or an attorney, legal representative or power of attorney for that person. Close relatives entitled to the certificate include the person's:

• spouse
• parent or stepparent
  
• brother, sister, half brother, half sister
• son or daughter
• stepson or stepdaughter
  
• grandparent or great-grandparent 
  
• grandchild or great-grandchild

If the person named on the birth certificate has died, any family member can obtain the certificate by submitting a copy of the death certificate.

If you are looking for Allegheny County birth certificates from 1906 or after, you have a few options. It's possible to request one online, by phone, by mail or by person by applying to the state Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. In 2017, the cost is under $30.

You can order the certificate online though VitalChek. Go directly to the VitalChek website and use the fill-in form to provide the information required to find the birth certificate you are seeking.

You can also order a certificate in person or by mail. In either case, you'll need to complete a birth certificate application. To apply in person, appear at any Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics office throughout the county with your government-issued identification and proof of your relationship to the person whose birth certificate you are seeking. You'll also need a check or money order for the amount of your order.

To order by mail, send the application, a copy of your identification and payment to the Division of Vital Records, 101 S. Mercer St., Room 401, New Castle, PA 16101. Enclose your email address to get an email acknowledgement that the application was received. You can also call 866-712-8238 to order a certificate seven days a week, 24 hours a day. You'll need to pay with a credit card and provide proof of identification.

For pre-1906 birth records, contact the Allegheny County County Courthouse. You also can find 1885‒1907 birth records for Allegheny County at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. To request a record, download the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Birth/Death Register Request Form. Complete the form and mail it with the very modest fee to: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department Birth/Death Register, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.