How to Find Your Birth Time
Your birth date tells us where the Sun and planets were. Your birth time tells us which way the sky was facing at the moment you were born. That's what sets your Rising sign and your houses.
Lots of people don't know their birth time, and that's completely okay. Here's where to look, how exact it needs to be, and what we do if you can't find it.
- Launch price $3.99, was $9.99.Full chart · needs birth timeBuy Full chart $3.99Give as a gift
- Launch price $0.99, was $3.99.Solar chart · no birth time neededBuy Solar chart $0.99Give as a gift
Why your birth time matters
- Your Rising sign. The sign coming up over the eastern horizon changes as the Earth turns. The rising point moves about one degree every four minutes, so even a short difference in time can change it.
- Your houses. The twelve houses, each linked to an area of life, are measured from your Rising sign, so they need the time too.
- Sometimes your Moon. The Moon changes signs about every two and a half days. If it changed signs on your birthday, your birth time decides which sign it was in.
Your Sun sign and the signs of the other planets usually come from your birth date and place alone.
Where to find your birth time
1. Your long-form birth certificate
In the United States, many states issue two versions of a birth certificate. The short form, the one most people use for a driver's license or passport, often leaves the time out. The long-form version (sometimes called the full or full-image certificate) often includes the time of birth. Rules differ from state to state, so check with the vital records office in the state where you were born. Outside the US, ask the civil registry office where your birth was registered.
2. Hospital or birth records
The hospital or birth center where you were born may still have your records. Privacy rules usually mean only you, or a parent or guardian, can ask for them, and how long records are kept varies. It's worth a call or an online request.
3. Baby book, announcements and keepsakes
Parents often wrote the time down. Look in a baby book, a birth announcement or card, a newspaper birth notice, a hospital bracelet or bassinet card, or the back of an early photo.
4. Ask your relatives
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or older siblings may remember. Little details help: was it before breakfast, during a shift change, right after a TV show ended? Memories can be fuzzy, though, so try to confirm a remembered time with a record if you can.
How exact does it need to be?
As exact as you can get. A time written on a record is best. Because the Rising sign can change within minutes for some births, a time that's only "sometime in the morning" isn't enough for a Rising sign or houses.
If all you have is a rough guess, the honest choice is to pick "unknown". You'll still get a real reading, built only from what your birth date and place can tell us for certain.
What if you can't find it?
Choose "unknown" on the order form and we'll make you a Solar chart instead. We never guess a birth time.
- What's included: your Sun sign, your Moon sign, the sign of every planet and how they link up. If the Moon changed signs on your birthday, we tell you both options so you can see which one sounds more like you.
- Solar houses: to give you a sense of life areas, we count the houses from your Sun sign. It's a common way to read a chart without a birth time. It's a different lens, not a stand-in for birth-time houses.
- What's left out: your Rising sign, Midheaven and birth-time houses, because they depend on the exact minute.
If you find your birth time later, you can order a Full chart then.
Get your birth chart
Have your birth date, place and time ready, or choose "unknown". Nova Charts will put together a personal reading in plain words.
- Launch price $3.99, was $9.99.Full chart · needs birth timeBuy Full chart $3.99Give as a gift
- Launch price $0.99, was $3.99.Solar chart · no birth time neededBuy Solar chart $0.99Give as a gift
Birth time FAQ
Where is the birth time on a birth certificate?
In the US it's usually on the long-form (full) birth certificate, not the short form, but this varies by state and by year of birth. Your state's vital records office can tell you which version lists the time.
Can I get a birth chart reading without my birth time?
Yes. Choose "unknown" and we'll make you a Solar chart from your birth date and place. It covers your Sun, Moon and planets and leaves out the parts that need an exact time. We never guess.
What does my birth time change in my chart?
Mainly your Rising sign and houses, and sometimes your Moon sign if the Moon changed signs on your birthday. Your Sun sign and the signs of most planets come from your birth date.
Is a rough birth time good enough?
For a Rising sign and houses, a rough guess isn't reliable, because the Rising sign can change within minutes. If you're unsure, choose "unknown" and get a Solar chart.
What if I find my birth time later?
That's great news. You can order a Full chart with your birth time any time.
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