How to Create a New Birth Certificate
A birth certificate is an important legal document that is used to prove that you are a United States citizen. The application for a certificate is completed after your baby is born, usually while you are still at the hospital. If you have opted to use a licensed midwife so that you can give birth at home instead of a hospital, the midwife can assist you in completing an application. If you are not using a midwife or other licensed provider, you will have to follow a different protocol. See the link in the "References" section of this article to find the protocol for your specific state.
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Things You'll Need
- Application
- Baby's name
- Mother's name
- Father's name
- Delivery information
Instructions
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1
Provide the nurse or midwife with the first, last and middle name of your baby. While many parents will have a name for the baby when she is born, there are other parents who might wait a little while before naming their baby. If this is the case, you can temporarily use "Baby" plus your last name as the baby's name (e.g., "Baby Smith" or "Baby Henderson").
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Give the nurse or midwife the mother's name and the father's name that is to appear on the birth certificate. The mother's name is mandatory; the father's name is recommended. There may be cases where the father is unknown. If this is the case, you don't have to provide a name.
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3
Be sure that the delivery and medical information is on the birth certificate application. This information should include the date, time and place of birth. The sex of the baby, as well as her birth weight and length, should also be documented.
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Have the nurse or midwife mail your baby's birth certificate application to your local vital records office. You should provide a mailing address for the certificate to be mailed to. Before the application can be mailed, it must be signed by a physician or licensed nurse attendant who was present during the birth.
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Wait for your baby's birth certificate to arrive in the mail.
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