Birth certificate for a US passport: what it must show

The six things the certificate must show

Federal passport rules, in 22 CFR 51.42, treat a US birth certificate as primary evidence of citizenship only when it shows:

• your full name
• the date and place of your birth
• the full names of your parent or parents
• the signature of the registrar who keeps the birth records
• the seal of the issuing office
• a filing date within one year of your birth

The passport application form adds that the certificate must be issued by the city, county or state of birth and must show your sex at birth.

Why the long form is the safe choice

Some states issue a short-form abstract that leaves out the parents' names or other details, and an abstract missing any of the required items will not satisfy the passport rules. Texas, for example, says its long-form certificate is the one required for a US passport. Wallet-size cards are also unsuitable: Connecticut warns that its wallet-size certificate does not meet the identification requirements for a passport. When a state offers a choice, order the full or long-form certified copy for a passport.

Certificates that are refused

Commemorative certificates handed out by hospitals, often with footprints, are not birth certificates. Pennsylvania's health department states that they are not acceptable for legal or governmental purposes, and the passport rules count a hospital record only as secondary evidence. Plain photocopies and uncertified informational copies are not accepted as primary evidence either; you need a certified copy with the issuing office's seal.

Sending the certificate with your application

With a new passport application you send the original or a certified copy of your birth certificate together with a photocopy of its front and back. The passport agency returns the certificate unless it is damaged, altered or forged, though it may come back in a separate mailing from your new passport. Because the certificate leaves your hands for a while, some people order an extra certified copy so they have one at home.

Late filings and births with no record

If your birth was registered more than a year after it happened, the certificate is a delayed certificate, and the passport application asks for secondary evidence as well. The same applies when the state has no record of your birth and gives you a letter saying so. Secondary evidence includes a hospital birth record, an early baptismal certificate, early census, school or medical records, insurance files and published birth announcements, ideally created within the first five years of your life; affidavits from older relatives can support them but cannot replace them.

Ordering a passport-ready certificate with BirthChek

Each BirthChek state page explains which certified versions that state issues and what they show, so you can see before ordering whether the certificate lists your parents. We file the request with the state office, and the certified copy is mailed to you, ready to send with your passport application.