[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 35 (Monday, February 23, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8395-8397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03494]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
15 CFR Part 50
[Docket Number: 260202-0037]
RIN 0607-AA65
Age Search Service Fee Structure
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.
[[Page 8396]]
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Census Bureau provides an Age Search service of
confidential records from the 1910 to 2020 decennial censuses and can
issue an official transcript of the results to authorized individuals.
With this rule, the Census Bureau is proposing to increase the fee for
conducting an Age Search from $65.00 to $155.00. The Census Bureau is
also proposing to increase the additional charge for expedited requests
requiring search results within one day from $20.00 per case to $50.00
per case. These changes are needed to reflect the actual operating
costs associated with processing an Age Search request which were last
revised in 2004.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 24, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit comments to the Census Bureau
by any of the following methods:
Visit the Regulations.gov website at: http://www.regulations.gov and search for the Docket Number USBC-2025-0005.
Please follow the instructions at that site for submitting comments.
Email: [email protected]. You must
include ``Docket Number USBC-2025-0005'' in the subject line of your
message.
Mail: Deputy Director, National Processing Center, U.S.
Census Bureau, 1201 East 10th Street, Building 63A DO, Jeffersonville,
IN 47132.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the Age Search service help
line by telephone at 812-218-3046, or by mail at U.S. Census Bureau,
P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN 47131.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Age Search allows individuals to request transcripts of their
confidential census records before they are released to the public.
Historically, these records have been used by people who may not have
had a birth certificate to prove their age as statewide registration
and reporting of births did not happen consistently in all states until
the early 1930s.
The Age Search census transcript provides proof of age to qualify
individuals for Social Security or other retirements benefits;
secondary proof of citizenship to apply for passports;\1\ proof of
family relationships for documentation related to rights of
inheritance; or to satisfy other situations where a birth certificate
is required but not available. Individuals may request the Age Search
service to access their own records. Census information is confidential
and ordinarily will not be furnished to another person unless the
person to whom it relates authorizes this on the application or if the
record requested is that of a minor child, mentally incompetent person,
or deceased person. In the latter two cases, the application must be
accompanied by additional documentation, such as court orders naming
the legal representative. The censuses in custody of the Census Bureau
are confidential and protected from disclosure by 13 U.S.C. 9. No
transcript of any record will be furnished that would violate statutes
requiring that information furnished to the Census Bureau be held
confidential and not used to the detriment of the person to whom it
relates.
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\1\ See guidance provided by the U.S. Department of State at
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/citizenship-evidence.html.
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The Age Search service is designed to be a self-supporting
operation, conducted in accordance with 13 U.S.C. 8(a). Under this
statute, all expenses incurred in the retrieval of personal information
from decennial census records and the preparation of decennial census
transcripts are intended to be covered by fees paid by individuals who
request this service. To help maintain the self-supporting financial
status of this service as operating costs increase, the Census Bureau
proposes an update to the August 2004 rule, 04-17359 (69 FR 45579), for
the fee structure.
Program Requirements
The Census Bureau proposes the following amendment to 15 CFR part
50:
Amend 15 CFR 50.5 to update the fee structure for age
search and citizenship information. The Census Bureau proposes
increasing the fee structure for searches of one census for one person
and producing one transcript from $65.00 to $155.00. The Census Bureau
also proposes increasing the additional charge per case for expedited
requests requiring search results within one day from $20.00 to $50.00.
The new fee structure was calculated using 1,614 average annual
requests, the 2 hours on average needed to process each request, and
the 2025 hourly rates of the two GS-5 employees who currently respond
to these requests.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce
certifies to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration that this proposed rule, if adopted, would not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Most, if not all, respondents affected by the proposed fee increase are
individuals, not small or large businesses. Those businesses who will
be affected will only be impacted minimally. The projected number of
individual Age Search cases is 1,614 for fiscal year 2025.
A unique characteristic of the Age Search service is its self-
supporting design. Congress passed a law in 1954 that stipulated that
this service be funded by the individuals requesting the service (13
U.S.C. 8[a]). The National Processing Center does not receive any
federal appropriations or tax monies for the Age Search service.
Consequently, the searching process of the census records and
associated operating costs are designed to be funded by the fees
received with the applications.
Due to increases in operating costs since the last Age Search fee
increase in 2004, and to help maintain the self-supporting financial
status, it has become necessary to propose a fee increase. The Census
Bureau proposes increasing the fee structure for searches of one census
for one person and producing one transcript from $65.00 to $155.00. The
Census Bureau also proposes increasing the additional charge per case
for expedited requests requiring search results within one day from
$20.00 to $50.00. These changes are being made to reflect the actual
operating costs associated with processing an Age Search request. The
new fee structure was calculated using the average annual number of
requests, the average number of hours needed to process each request,
and the 2025 hourly rates of the employees responding to the requests.
Executive Orders
This rule has been determined to be significant for purposes of
Executive Order 12866. This rule does not contain policies with
federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order
13132. This rule is not expected to be an E.O. 14192 regulatory action
because it does not impose any more than de minimis regulatory costs.
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35), this notice also announces the Census Bureau's intent to
reinstate an expired information collection under OMB Control Number
0607-0117. To access a copy of the expired collection, including all
supporting materials, please see www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain and
type in the OMB Control Number.
This proposed rule makes changes to the collection, including:
[[Page 8397]]
A decrease in burden from 531 hours to 353.4 hours due to
fewer annual respondents.
A fee structure change per the changes proposed in the
rule.
In addition, the Census Bureau is proposing to make minor updates
to the forms such as adding the 2020 Census as a choice for a census
record search.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 60 days of publication of this rule.
Please be advised that the substance of the comments and the identity
of the individuals or entities submitting the comments will be subject
to public disclosure and will be available via http://www.regulations.gov.
We are soliciting comments from the public concerning our
information collection and recordkeeping requirements. These comments
will help us:
(1) Evaluate whether the information collection is necessary for
the proper performance of our agency's functions, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the
information collection, including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who
are to respond.
Estimate of burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 12 minutes per response.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 1,920.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 1.
Estimated annual number of responses: 1,920.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 353.4 hours.
(Due to averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the
product of the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting
burden per response.)
List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 50
Census data, Population census, Statistics.
George M. Cook, Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Economic
Affairs, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the
Director of the Census Bureau, approved the publication of this notice
in the Federal Register.
For reasons set out in the preamble, the Census Bureau proposes to
amend 15 CFR part 50 as follows:
PART 50--SPECIAL SERVICES AND STUDIES BY THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS
0
1. The authority citation for 15 CFR Part 50 is revised to read as
follows:
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1525-1527; and 13 U.S.C. 3 and 8.
0
2. Revise Sec. 50.5 to read as follows:
Sec. 50.5 Fee structure for age search and citizenship information.
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Type of service Fee
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Searches of one census for one person and one transcript...... $155.00
Each additional copy of census transcript..................... 2.00
Each full schedule requested \1\.............................. 10.00
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\1\ The $10.00 for each full schedule requested is in addition to the
$155.00 transcript fee.
Note: An additional charge of $50.00 per case is charged for expedited
requests requiring search results within one day.
Dated: February 18, 2026.
Shannon Wink,
Program Analyst, Policy Coordination Office, U.S. Census Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2026-03494 Filed 2-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P