Cecil County Health Department phone, WIC, vaccines, records and local service help
If you live in Elkton, North East, Rising Sun, Perryville, Port Deposit or elsewhere in Cecil County, the Health Department is the local public-health starting point for vaccines, STI/HIV services, WIC, Maryland birth and death certificates, behavioral-health navigation, food inspections and other county health programs.
The important local detail is that not every service uses the main number—and septic, perc-test and well-permit work is no longer handled by Environmental Health. This guide separates those routes so you can call the right desk before making a trip to Bow Street.
What does the Cecil County Health Department handle?
The Cecil County Health Department is the local public-health agency serving Cecil County, Maryland. Its programs cover communicable-disease control, vaccines, STI/HIV testing and treatment, WIC, vital records, behavioral-health coordination, cancer and chronic-disease prevention, environmental health, emergency preparedness and services for residents who need help navigating health and social-support systems.
Vaccines, STI testing and treatment, rapid HIV/Hepatitis C testing, PrEP, titers and tuberculosis testing. Call 410-996-5100 when provider availability or timing matters.
Maryland birth certificates, recent Cecil County death certificates, Maryland Children’s Health Program determinations and Medical Assistance transportation routing.
Food facilities, swimming pools, bathing beaches, rabies, open-burning permits, public camps, mobile-home parks and nuisance investigations.
Cecil County Health Department phone numbers by service
Calling 410-996-5550 works for general routing, but several high-intent services have better direct numbers. Use the closest match below and tell staff exactly what you need.
| Need | Phone / route | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| Main Health Department | 410-996-5550 | General routing, Vital Records scheduling and department information. |
| Clinic / communicable disease | 410-996-5100 | Vaccines, STI/HIV, PrEP, TB, titers and communicable-disease services. |
| WIC | 410-996-5255 | WIC eligibility, appointments, nutrition benefits and breastfeeding support. |
| Environmental Health | 410-996-5160 | Food inspections, pools, beaches, rabies, burning permits and nuisance complaints. |
| Behavioral Health | 410-996-5106 | Behavioral-health division navigation and publicly funded behavioral-health resources. |
| CATCH hotline | 443-245-3257 | 24/7 addiction-treatment coordination and connection to regional behavioral-health services. |
| Special Populations | 410-996-5112 | AERS, community integration, care coordination and developmental-disability navigation. |
| Health Promotion | 410-996-5168 | Cancer prevention, chronic-disease education, tobacco prevention and community programs. |
| Water & Sewer Planning | 410-996-5230 | Septic, perc testing, wells and onsite water/sewer reviews now outside the Health Department. |
| Public-health emergency | 410-392-2008 | Officially listed public-health emergency contact; use 911 for life-threatening medical emergencies. |
Vaccines, STI testing, HIV testing, PrEP and TB services
The first-floor clinic at 401 Bow Street generally provides services Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Treatment that requires a nurse practitioner depends on provider availability, so call ahead when you need treatment rather than screening alone.
Child and adult immunizations are available to everyone. Walk-ins are accepted Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., but appointments are encouraged. First-time patients should bring prior immunization records.
Cecil County participates in Maryland’s vaccine program for uninsured and underinsured adults age 19 and older. Call 410-996-5100 to confirm which vaccines are currently available.
Testing includes gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis. Treatment requires provider availability, so call before coming for treatment.
Rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing is offered, with rapid-result testing available. The department also offers HIV counseling, PrEP and Ryan White-related case-management support.
TST testing is available through clinic services, but the department specifically says testing is not available on Thursdays or Fridays.
The Cecil County Health Department does not provide travel vaccines. If you are preparing for international travel, use an outside travel-medicine provider.
Cecil County WIC appointments, eligibility and clinic schedule
WIC supports qualifying Maryland residents who are pregnant, recently postpartum or breastfeeding, plus infants and children under age five. Benefits include nutrition education, breastfeeding support, healthy-food benefits and referral to other health and social-service programs.
Call 410-996-5255 for eligibility questions, benefits, appointments and local program instructions.
The Cecil County WIC clinic is currently open Tuesday through Friday for in-person services by appointment only.
WIC assistance for benefits and appointment scheduling is available weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tell staff whether you are applying for the first time, recertifying, changing benefits or scheduling an existing-client appointment.
Ask whether the participant needs to be present and whether your appointment will be in person, remote or another approved format.
WIC eligibility involves Maryland residency, participant category, income and nutritional risk. Current proof requirements should come from the clinic.
Save the date, time and staff instructions. Do not assume general Health Department hours are the same as WIC clinic hours.
Birth and death certificates at Cecil County Health Department
Vital Records uses appointments rather than a general walk-in model. Appointments are normally available Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with limited Tuesday and Thursday availability. The first appointment is 8:30 a.m. and the last is 4:00 p.m.
| Record | Current local rule | Fee / payment |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland birth certificate | Cecil County can issue certified copies for people born in Maryland from 1939 to present. | $25 at Cecil County Health Department. |
| Older birth record | Births before 1939 should be requested through Maryland Division of Vital Records. | Use current state Vital Records fee schedule. |
| Recent Cecil County death certificate | Locally filed Cecil County death certificates can be obtained for up to 30 days from filing. | $25 first copy; $20 each additional copy. |
| Payment | Local office accepts cash or qualifying credit cards. | No checks and no debit cards. |
The local page states certificates may be issued to the person named on the record, a parent or a guardian, subject to required identification and application rules.
Valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID allows qualifying applicants to receive same-day birth-certificate service when the record and application requirements are met.
The department accepts two different types of qualifying alternative documentation showing the applicant’s current mailing address, but the certificate will be mailed rather than issued the same day.
Food inspections, pools, beaches, rabies and environmental complaints
Environmental Health remains an active Cecil County Health Department division. Its direct number is 410-996-5160, and it handles state-regulated public-health work across restaurants, recreational facilities, rabies control and nuisance conditions.
Food facility inspection, plan review and foodborne-illness outbreak investigation remain Health Department Environmental Health functions.
The division inspects swimming pools, bathing beaches, public camps and other regulated community or recreational facilities.
Environmental Health supports rabies control and vaccination clinics. Call promptly after a possible animal exposure rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
The department lists open-burning permits under air-quality responsibilities. Check current permit requirements before burning.
Environmental-health nuisance complaints can be routed through the division. Provide a specific location and concise description of the condition.
Environmental Health also lists regulated inspections involving healthcare facilities, family daycare/foster homes and mobile-home parks.
Septic, perc tests and well permits now use Cecil County Water & Sewer Planning
If you are buying land near Rising Sun, building outside a public sewer area, replacing a septic system, scheduling a soil evaluation or looking for an old well/septic file, do not automatically call the Health Department. Cecil County says these onsite water and sewer functions are now under the county government’s Division of Water & Sewer Planning.
Site evaluations, perc testing, sanitary permit processing, well permits, subdivision onsite-water/sewer review and related planning questions.
The Water & Sewer Planning Division currently says walk-ins are not accepted. Consultation meetings require a request and appointment.
The county says applications and permits for Water & Sewer Planning are submitted through its online permit portal.
Mental health, substance-use and recovery help in Cecil County
The Health Department’s Behavioral Health Division provides care coordination, harm reduction, school-based early intervention, recovery navigation and connection to mental-health and substance-use treatment resources.
Call 443-245-3257. The Cecil Addiction Treatment Coordination Hotline is available 24/7 as an entry point for addiction-treatment and regional behavioral-health services.
Call or text 988 for the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or use the Eastern Shore crisis line at 888-407-8018.
If there is an immediate threat to life or safety, call 911 rather than waiting for a routine behavioral-health callback.
Other Cecil County Health Department programs people often miss
Qualified Maryland Medical Assistance recipients may be able to use county transportation for non-emergency medical appointments, including ambulatory and non-ambulatory service.
Administrative Services includes Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility determination and help navigating some Medical Assistance services.
Health Promotion includes breast/cervical, colorectal, lung and skin-cancer screening outreach and related education/referral programs.
The department provides tobacco-use prevention and smoking-cessation programming along with community health education.
Special Populations programs include AERS assessments, care coordination and developmental-disability resource navigation.
CCHD maintains public-health emergency planning, staff training, risk communication and response functions for Cecil County.
What to bring to 401 Bow Street in Elkton
If you are coming from North East, Rising Sun, Perryville or Port Deposit, a quick call can save a second trip. Exact documents depend on the program.
How to get the right Cecil County health help without calling three offices
Decide whether you need a vaccine, STI test, WIC appointment, certificate, food permit, rabies help, behavioral-health referral or septic/well service.
Call 410-996-5100 for clinical services, 410-996-5255 for WIC, 410-996-5160 for Environmental Health or 410-996-5230 for the county’s Water & Sewer Planning Division.
General Health Department hours are not the same as clinic, WIC or Vital Records schedules.
Get the current ID, insurance, income, record, test result or property-document checklist before leaving home.
Do not upload WIC, health, certificate or permit information to an unofficial directory. Use Cecil County, Maryland or CCHD official systems.
Official Cecil County health and county-service links
Clinic schedules, vaccine supply, WIC appointments, certificate fees, soil-testing windows and permit procedures can change. Use these official pages before paying, submitting sensitive documents or relying on a deadline.
Cecil County Health Department FAQs
What is the Cecil County Health Department phone number?
The main Cecil County Health Department phone number is 410-996-5550. Clinical services use 410-996-5100, WIC uses 410-996-5255 and Environmental Health uses 410-996-5160.
Where is Cecil County Health Department located?
The department is located in the John M. Byers Center at 401 Bow Street, Elkton, Maryland 21921.
What are the Cecil County Health Department hours?
General department hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Clinic services generally run 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and WIC and Vital Records use different schedules.
Can I get vaccines at Cecil County Health Department?
Yes. Child and adult immunizations are available. Walk-ins are currently offered Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but appointments are encouraged. Call 410-996-5100 to confirm vaccine availability.
Does Cecil County Health Department provide travel vaccines?
No. The department states that it does not offer travel vaccinations and directs travelers to outside travel-medicine providers.
What is the Cecil County WIC phone number?
Cecil County WIC can be reached at 410-996-5255. In-person services are currently Tuesday through Friday by appointment only.
How much is a birth certificate at Cecil County Health Department?
The Cecil County Health Department currently lists a $25 fee for a certified Maryland birth certificate. Call before visiting to verify the current fee and appointment availability.
Can Cecil County issue any Maryland birth certificate?
The local office states that it can issue certified Maryland birth certificates for people born in Maryland from 1939 to the present. Earlier records should be requested from Maryland’s Division of Vital Records.
Who handles septic and well permits in Cecil County now?
Cecil County Government’s Water & Sewer Planning Division now handles site evaluations, perc testing, sanitary permit processing, well permits and related onsite water/sewer work. The phone number is 410-996-5230.
Who do I call for a mental-health or substance-use crisis in Cecil County?
Call or text 988 for crisis support. Cecil County also lists the Eastern Shore crisis line at 888-407-8018. The CATCH addiction-treatment coordination hotline at 443-245-3257 is available 24/7. Call 911 when there is immediate danger or a life-threatening emergency.