State vital records offices and county vital records offices both maintain and issue vital records, such as birth and death certificates. However, their roles can differ depending on the state.

In some states, the state vital records office is responsible for maintaining and issuing all vital records for the entire state. In other states, the county vital records office is responsible for maintaining and issuing vital records for the county in which the event occurred.

In some states, the State vital record office acts as the central repository for all birth, death, marriage, and divorce records, while in other states, the county vital records office maintains the records for their respective county and reports them to the state vital records office.

In general, the state vital records office is responsible for setting policies and procedures for issuing vital records documents, while the county vital records office is responsible for implementing those policies and procedures at the local level.