How to Get a Birth Certificate Correction in the US

Published February 6, 2024

A birth certificate is a critical document for everyone. It is a vital record that records the birth of a child. And it is typically demanded in getting married, school registration, driver’s license and more. It serves as a proof of identity and nationality.

Every one of us should have it. If not, we may have trouble navigating different parts of our lives, especially adulthood. But what will you do if you have an error on your birth certificate?

Birth certificate correction is possible. It can be done following a series of steps. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know. By the end, we hope to help you raise awareness and have all your queries answered. Let’s start.

Birth Certificate Correction

To correct your US birth certificate, contact the correction/amendments department at the vital record office that issued the original birth certificate. This department will help you make a change to your birth certificate.

Can You Change Your Birth Certificate?

It is possible to change or amend your birth certificate in many jurisdictions. Yet the process and reasons for doing so can vary widely. Some common reasons for the act might include correcting a clerical error made at the time of registration. You may also add a parent’s name. Also, alter the name or gender marker of the individual on the certificate.

What Changes Can Be Made to Your Birth Certificate?

The birth certificate is one, if not the most, vital document you can have. It demonstrates an individual’s age, citizenship, and identity. Suppose there are mistakes on your birth certificate. You do need to correct them. Your birth certificate should reflect accurate data.

Changing or making amends to your birth certificate will differ from state to state. Yet, certain things can aid in giving you an idea of how to start.

Mistakes can occur in the birthplace, the sex, or other data that is displayed on the birth certificate. If you have sighted an error on your child’s birth record, it will be necessary to make the corrections. To achieve this, you must render some proof to validate the change. Each case is different. Thus, you need to check in with your local office.

1. Changing the name of a baby

Changing the name of a young child is a common reason for correcting the birth certificate. The requirements per state may differ. Yet, parents in some states can alter their child’s birth certificate without needing a court order. In this case, you should be aware of naming rules and laws in your state.

In most cases, parents can bring the original birth certificate to their official vital record office in the home city or county where the child was born.

2. Changing the name for an adult or an older child

You might need a court order for legal changes on adult birth certificates. It is not the same as modifying your name after getting married. When you get married, you are not required to change your name on your birth certificate. To change your name, you will need to render several documents. You also should explain why you want to change your name or that of an older child.

1. Correcting the spelling on the birth certificate. If the error you want to update on the birth certificate is a spelling mistake, you can likely make the changes without a court order. As a parent, you will need to give data regarding the error. Also, provide additional documents supporting and validating the correct spelling.
2. Changing parentage or surname. It is considered a legal change. You will need a court order for it, too. As a parent asking for this change, you must obtain and render proof that the original details provided were incorrect.

Birth Certificate Corrections: How to Make Them?

Currently, you can file a petition. It is for correcting clerical or typographical errors in the first name, nickname and place of birth. Also on day and month of birth, or sex of an individual. Typically, you must file this petition with the Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO). It is where the record containing the error you wish to change is kept. Suppose your residence is other than where the civil registry records are registered. You must file the petition at the closest one.

A petition to alter your first name or nickname cannot be based on any ground. The corrections can be permitted only in any of the following situations:

• You find your first name or nickname to be ridiculous. It might be tainted with dishonor. Also, it is too challenging to write or pronounce.
• The person requesting has continuously used the new first name or nickname. The name has been publicly known in their community.
• The change will avoid confusion.

As a general rule, the request for correction of first name, nickname, day of month of birth, and gender must be in the form of a notarized affidavit. In this document, you must indicate the essential truth to establish the merits of your petition. The affidavit should also show that you can testify to its stated matters.

Supporting Documents Needed to the Correction on the Birth Certificate

1. A certified true machine copy of the certificate. Also, the page of the registry book having the entry sought to be modified.
2. At least two public or private documents affirming the correct entry upon which the correction shall be based.
3. Notice and Certificate of Posting
4. Certified machine copy of the Official Receipt of the filing fee
5. Certification from law enforcement agencies that the petitioner has no pending case or criminal record.
6. The LCRO may require other documents.

For your petition to rectify the date of birth or the gender of your child, additional records must be submitted. For one, the earliest school records or medical records.

To modify the gender of a person, the petition will demand to be supported by a certification of an accredited government physician. They should attest to the fact that the petitioner has not performed a sex change operation. It can be demanded, given the truth, that a petition for gender correction can only be anchored on a clerical error. A person who has altered their reproductive organ cannot modify the entry of their gender in the birth certificate.

The civil registrar will evaluate your petition. Also, all the supporting documents. The office will release the petition in a conspicuous place for ten consecutive days after finding the petitions and documents pleasing and sufficient. Afterward, they will act on the petition. A decision will be released no later than five consecutive days.

Affidavit for Birth Certificate

An affidavit for a birth certificate is a legal document. It is used to verify the facts surrounding an individual’s birth. It includes verifying the birth date, location, and parents. It is a document often employed when no birth certificate exists. Also, when discrepancies are found in an existing birth certificate.

In this affidavit, the affiant, or the person who swears to the affidavit, must have first-hand knowledge of the birth.