Howard County Health Department in Columbia: phone, WIC, vaccines, records and local service routes
If you live in Columbia, Ellicott City, Elkridge, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel or elsewhere in Howard County, the Health Department at 8930 Stanford Boulevard is the main county public-health hub for WIC, vaccines, reproductive health, STI/HIV care, birth certificates, Medicaid navigation, behavioral-health referrals and Environmental Health.
Not every service uses the main 410-313-6300 number. Family Health, WIC, Behavioral Health, Well & Septic and Food Protection each have their own direct route, so this guide puts the useful numbers and hours up front.
What does Howard County Health Department in Columbia do?
Howard County Health Department provides county public-health, preventive-care, behavioral-health and environmental-health services. Major programs include WIC, childhood and adult immunizations, sexual and reproductive health, STI/HIV services, tuberculosis control, birth certificates, Medicaid/health-insurance navigation, cancer-prevention support, well and septic review, food protection, rabies response and public-health emergency preparedness.
Use Family Health for vaccines, reproductive healthcare, STI testing and treatment, HIV prevention, pregnancy-related services and related preventive care.
The Access to Health Care bureau helps with Medicaid, Maryland Children’s Health Program enrollment, care coordination and qualifying medical transportation.
Environmental Health handles food facilities, wells, septic systems, pools, rabies concerns, private-water issues and environmental-health complaints.
Howard County Health Department phone numbers by service
| Service | Phone | Use this number for |
|---|---|---|
| General Health Department | 410-313-6300 | General public-health questions, location help and department routing. |
| Columbia Health Center / Infectious Disease | 410-313-1412 | HIV testing, infectious-disease exposure questions and clinic availability. |
| Family Health / Sexual Health / Immunizations | 410-313-7500 | Child/adult vaccines, reproductive health, STI services and appointments. |
| WIC Columbia | 410-313-7510 | WIC eligibility, appointments, food benefits and breastfeeding support. |
| WIC North Laurel | 410-313-0630 | North Laurel WIC clinic scheduling and benefit assistance. |
| Access to Health Care | 410-313-5845 | Medicaid, MCHP, insurance enrollment and healthcare navigation. |
| Behavioral Health | 410-313-6202 | Mental-health and substance-use resources, referrals and navigation. |
| Environmental Health | 410-313-2640 | Environmental program routing, plan drop-off, permits and appointments. |
| Well & Septic | 410-313-1771 | Perc tests, private wells, septic plans, repairs, inspections and records. |
| Food Protection | 410-313-1772 | Restaurants, food licenses, temporary vendors and food complaints. |
| Community Hygiene | 410-313-1773 | Rabies, pools, health complaints and private-well water sampling. |
| TB Control | 410-313-0622 | Active TB, contact investigations and qualifying latent-TB referrals. |
Howard County WIC in Columbia and North Laurel
Howard County WIC supports qualifying pregnant people, new parents, infants and children under age five with nutrition education, healthy-food benefits, breastfeeding support and referrals to healthcare and community programs.
8930 Stanford Blvd., Columbia, MD 21045. Phone 410-313-7510. Published hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd., Laurel, MD 20723. Phone 410-313-0630. Published hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Call 410-313-7510 rather than self-screening out. WIC eligibility considers participant category, Maryland residency, income and nutritional risk.
Childhood and adult vaccines at Columbia Health Center
Howard County offers both childhood and adult immunizations, but eligibility differs. Vaccine visits use the Family Health line at 410-313-7500.
The Vaccines for Children program serves eligible children with no health insurance, Medical Assistance or insurance that does not cover vaccines.
Howard County currently says private health insurance is not accepted for childhood immunizations. Children with private insurance should use their primary-care provider.
Selected vaccines are available by appointment for uninsured or underinsured adults. Current offerings include COVID-19, hepatitis A/B, HPV, MMR, meningococcal, pneumococcal, polio, RSV, Tdap, varicella and shingles.
STI testing, family planning, HIV testing and PrEP
Howard County’s Columbia clinic provides reproductive healthcare, STI testing/treatment, pregnancy testing, contraceptive counseling, emergency contraception, HIV prevention and PrEP-related services. The main appointment number is 410-313-7500.
Sexual and reproductive-health services are generally listed 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m.-noon Friday. Call for availability.
Howard County provides testing and/or treatment for infections including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomonas, genital herpes and hepatitis.
The STI program states there is no residency requirement, services are confidential and no one is turned away because of inability to pay.
HIV testing
Free anonymous and confidential HIV testing is available at Columbia Health Center on Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Call 410-313-1412 for availability.
Birth certificates at Howard County Health Department
Howard County issues qualifying Maryland birth certificates at its Columbia administrative office. Service is walk-in, but the department strongly recommends calling 410-313-6300 before driving over.
| Birth record item | Current local rule | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Applications may stop early when the waiting queue is full. |
| Eligible births | Maryland births after 1939. | Births before 1939 use the Maryland Division of Vital Records. |
| Fee | $25 per birth certificate. | Accepted local routes include cash, major listed credit cards, check or money order. |
| Identification | Valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID. | Expired-ID cases are directed to Maryland state Vital Records. |
| Corrections | Local office cannot make certificate corrections. | Name corrections and similar changes go through the State Vital Records office. |
Death certificates
The local Howard County Health Department death-certificate counter is for funeral directors only. The current local fee is $30 for the first certificate and $20 for each additional copy. Members of the public are directed to Maryland Vital Records for death-certificate applications.
Medicaid, Maryland Children’s Health Program and transportation help
The Bureau of Access to Health Care Services helps residents apply for health coverage, navigate Medicaid and arrange qualifying non-emergency medical transportation. Its phone number is 410-313-5845.
Staff can help with applications and questions about Maryland Medical Assistance and healthcare-plan navigation.
The bureau processes applications for low-income children under age 19 through Maryland Children’s Health Program pathways.
Qualifying Medicaid recipients can receive scheduling help for non-emergency transportation needed to reach covered medical treatment.
Mental-health, substance-use and crisis help
Howard County’s Bureau of Behavioral Health helps residents connect with mental-health and substance-use services. Call 410-313-6202 for information, resources and referral navigation.
Use 410-313-6202 for help locating treatment, counseling, substance-use programs and other community behavioral-health resources.
Call or text 988 for the 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline when someone is experiencing a mental-health or behavioral-health crisis.
Howard County lists 24/7 mental-health walk-in services through Grassroots and substance-use walk-in services daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Food permits, rabies, pools, complaints and walk-in environmental services
The Bureau of Environmental Health operates from 8930 Stanford Blvd. with an entrance on the right side of the building. General Environmental Health questions use 410-313-2640.
Environmental Health publishes walk-in, no-appointment-needed service from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for plan/application drop-off, permit/license pickup and payments.
Food Protection licenses and inspects restaurants, grocery/convenience stores, cafeterias, mobile vendors and temporary food operations. Call 410-313-1772.
Community Hygiene handles rabies-risk evaluation, citizen complaints, public-pool sanitation and some private-well sampling. Call 410-313-1773.
Private wells, septic systems and 2026 perc-test status
Howard County Health Department still manages the county’s private Well & Septic Program. Call 410-313-1771 for percolation testing, septic system plan review, well permits/inspection, septic repairs and property-file questions.
The program reviews proposed onsite sewage-disposal designs, inspects installations and repairs and enforces applicable Maryland and Howard County requirements.
Environmental Health inspects private wells and can arrange water sampling for bacteria and nitrate through Maryland laboratory services.
Howard County provides an online public Well & Septic file-search tool, which can be useful before requesting an older property file manually.
Private well-water testing
The county recommends regular private-well testing. Howard County can generally collect established-well samples for bacteria and nitrate testing through the Maryland Department of Health laboratory. The Health Department does not charge to collect the sample, although the state laboratory may charge a testing fee.
TB Control is not a routine employment-testing clinic
Howard County’s TB Control Program evaluates and treats active tuberculosis, investigates contacts and supports selected latent-TB referrals. The program does not provide routine TB testing for school or employment requirements.
What to bring to Howard County Health Department in Columbia
A missing document can turn a short Columbia trip into a second visit. The exact list depends on your service, so call the program first.
How to get the right Howard County health service without unnecessary transfers
Decide whether you need WIC, vaccines, sexual-health care, a birth certificate, Medicaid help, behavioral-health navigation, food permitting or well/septic service.
Calling Family Health, WIC, Environmental Health or Well & Septic directly is usually faster than starting with the general switchboard.
The building is generally open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., but WIC, Vital Records, reproductive health and other programs use their own schedules.
Ask for the current ID, income, insurance, immunization, property or permit-document checklist before leaving home.
Submit health, WIC, certificate, Medicaid, food-permit and property documents only through Howard County or the appropriate Maryland government system.
Official Howard County public-health resources
Clinic schedules, vaccine supply, WIC eligibility, permit procedures, birth-certificate queues and perc-testing conditions can change. Use these official pages before paying, submitting sensitive documents or making a special trip.
Howard County Health Department Columbia MD FAQs
What is the Howard County Health Department phone number?
The main Howard County Health Department phone number is 410-313-6300. Family Health and immunizations use 410-313-7500, Columbia WIC uses 410-313-7510 and Behavioral Health uses 410-313-6202.
Where is Howard County Health Department located?
The main Health Department is at 8930 Stanford Blvd., Columbia, Maryland 21045.
What are the Howard County Health Department hours?
General building hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Individual programs use different hours, so check the specific service before visiting.
Does Howard County Health Department offer WIC?
Yes. Columbia WIC is at 8930 Stanford Blvd. and can be reached at 410-313-7510. Howard County also operates a WIC location at 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road in North Laurel.
Can children get vaccines at Howard County Health Department?
Eligible children through age 18 can receive vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program. Call 410-313-7500 for an appointment. Howard County currently says private health insurance is not accepted for childhood immunizations.
Can I get a Maryland birth certificate in Howard County?
Yes. The Columbia office issues qualifying Maryland birth certificates for people born after 1939. Walk-in service is generally Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the current local fee is $25.
Does Howard County Health Department provide STI testing?
Yes. The Health Department provides STI education, screening and treatment through its sexual-health programs. Call 410-313-7500 for appointments and availability.
Who handles septic permits in Howard County Maryland?
The Howard County Health Department Well & Septic Program handles private wells and onsite sewage-disposal systems. Call 410-313-1771 for perc testing, septic plans, repair questions and property records.
Does Howard County Health Department do employment TB tests?
No. The TB Control Program says it does not provide routine TB testing for school or employment. Those tests are generally available through urgent-care clinics or private healthcare providers.
Who do I call for a mental-health crisis in Howard County?
Call or text 988 for crisis support. Howard County also lists Grassroots Crisis Center for 24/7 mental-health walk-in services. Call 911 for an immediate life-threatening emergency.