Birth certificate guides
Plain-English guides to ordering, using and correcting a US birth certificate, written from the rules the issuing offices publish.
Who can order someone else's birth certificate?
Which relatives and representatives may order a certified US birth certificate, why the list differs by state, and what proof of relationship looks like.
Read the guide ›Birth certificate for a US passport: what it must show
What a US birth certificate must show to prove citizenship on a passport application, which versions are refused, and what to send if yours falls short.
Read the guide ›Long form vs short form birth certificates
How long-form and short-form birth certificates differ, the names states use, and which one to order for a passport, REAL ID, school or dual citizenship.
Read the guide ›What ID you need to order a birth certificate
The photo ID most states ask for when you order a birth certificate, the documents they accept instead, and what to do if you have no ID at all.
Read the guide ›Replacing a lost or stolen birth certificate
Where to order a new birth certificate when yours is lost or stolen, why it comes from your state of birth, and what to do if you suspect identity theft.
Read the guide ›Born abroad to US citizen parents: the CRBA
Why a child born abroad to US citizen parents has no state birth certificate, what a Consular Report of Birth Abroad is, and how to request a copy of one.
Read the guide ›Using a birth certificate for REAL ID
How a certified birth certificate proves identity for a REAL ID license, what the federal rules require, and why each state DMV sets its own details.
Read the guide ›Correcting or amending a birth certificate
How to fix a mistake on a birth certificate, how a correction differs from an amendment or legal name change, and the documents states usually ask for.
Read the guide ›
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