Section 31-10-26. Certified copies of vital records; issuance; use for statistical purposes; transmittal of records out of state; use for commercial or speculative purposes

   (a) In accordance with Code Section 31-10-25 and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto:

   (1) The state registrar or local custodian of vital records appointed by the state registrar to issue certified copies upon receipt of a written application shall issue a certified copy of a vital record in that registrar's or custodian's custody or abstract thereof to any applicant having a direct and tangible interest in the vital record, except that certified copies of certificates shall only be issued to:

      (A) The person whose record of birth is registered;

      (B) Either parent, guardian, or temporary guardian of the person whose record of birth or death is registered;

      (C) The living legal spouse or next of kin or the legal representative or the person who in good faith has applied and produced a record of such application to become the legal representative of the person whose record of birth or death is registered;

      (D) The court of competent jurisdiction upon its order or subpoena; or

      (E) Any governmental agency, state or federal, provided that such certificate shall be needed for official purposes.

   (2) Each certified copy issued shall show the date of registration and duplicates issued from records marked "delayed" or "amended" shall be similarly marked and show the effective date. The documentary evidence used to establish a delayed certificate of birth shall be shown on all duplicates issued. All forms and procedures used in the issuance of certified copies of vital records in this state shall be provided or approved by the state registrar.

(b) The federal agency responsible for national vital statistics may be furnished such duplicates or data from the system of vital records as it may require for national statistics, provided such federal agency shares in the cost of collecting, processing, and transmitting such data and provided further that such data shall not be used for other than statistical purposes by the federal agency unless so authorized by the state registrar.

(c) The state registrar may, by agreement, transmit duplicates of records and other reports required by this chapter to offices of vital records outside this state when such records or other reports relate to residents of those jurisdictions or persons born in those jurisdictions. The agreement shall require that the duplicates be used for statistical and administrative purposes only and the agreement shall further provide for the retention and disposition of such duplicates. Duplicates received by the department from offices of vital statistics in other states shall be handled in the same manner as prescribed in this Code section.

(d) No person shall prepare or issue any certificate which purports to be an original, certified copy or duplicate of a vital record except as authorized in this chapter or regulations adopted under this chapter.

(e) No duplicates or parts thereof of a vital record shall be reproduced or information copied for commercial or speculative purposes. This subsection shall not apply to published results of research.

Ga. L. 1914, p. 157, § 20; Ga. L. 1927, p. 353, § 20; Ga. L. 1931, p. 7, §§ 16, 17; Ga. L. 1933, p. 7, § 1; Code 1933, § 88-1212; Code 1933, § 88-1724, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 499, § 1; Ga. L. 1965, p. 651, § 3; Ga. L. 1969, p. 715, § 2; Code 1933, § 88-1726, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 723, § 1; Code 1981, § 31-10-14; Code 1981, § 31-10-26, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 723, § 2; Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 31; Ga. L. 2004, p. 477, § 9; Ga. L. 2011, p. 99, § 43/HB 24.