How to Get a Birth Certificate
A certified copy of the birth certificate is an absolute necessity for all legal purposes. If you want to roam the world or even register for school, you will need a certified copy of the birth certificate. You can also get a non-certified copy but it will only be for informational purposes. A raised seal with a signature will tell you that it is a certified copy. It is not very difficult to get a certified copy of the birth certificate if you know the procedure. Let us learn how to get a birth certificate without undergoing much hardship.
- Generally the record of your birth is preserved in your very own state and city. If you know which city you were born in, then it makes things much easier.
- You will have to locate the original copy of your birth certificate. After that, it will be easier to get a certified birth certificate which will help you in the current context. There are chances that the original birth certificate will be a non-certified one.
- The Department of Health is the right place to get the certificate. Hence try to locate the contact address and phone number of this place. You can search the
Internet for information or call Directory Assistance. - You may need your driver’s license and social security card to get the certified copy of your birth certificate. The Health Department will also let you know if you need any additional documents to get the certificate.
- You can go to the Department of Health in person or send your requirements through post to get the certified copy. There will be a fee which you will have to deposit.
- If you don’t want to use the post or go in person, then you can also get the certified copy through the Internet. The National Center for Health Statistics website will help you in this process. You need to click on the State where you were born.
- The website will inform you what information you will have to furnish in the Department of Health in that State. It may ask for your picture ID along with other particulars of your birth. You will also be asked for your parent’s names, your mother’s maiden name, your birth date and place and your own name at the time of birth.
Although the Department of Health maintains records of birth, yet information is available only up to a certain year. If you were born prior to that, then you will have to go to the Probate Court in that city. And it is extremely important that if you cannot obtain the certified birth certificate by yourself, then your legal representative can help you out. A money order or check will suffice for the payment of the fee if you cannot pay in cash. But make sure that you have confirmed information about your birth particulars before getting the certified certificate.
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