Can I use a birth registration notice in place of a certified birth certificate to get passport?

by Matthew
(Delta, PA USA)

Question: I have a Birth Registration Notice. It gives my name, that I am a twin, my birth date and the place where I was born.

It has an embossed print on it. Will this suffice as my birth certificate? I also have a certificate of baptism.

Answer: Persons born in the United States will normally submit a certified birth certificate from the city, town, county or state wherein the birth occurred. To be acceptable, the certificate must show:

1. The applicant's full name
2. The applicant's date of birth
3. The applicant's place of birth in the U.S.
4. A filing date recorded within one year of birth
5. A raised, embossed, or multi-color seal from the issuing office
6. The signature of the registrar or official custodian of birth records

NOTE: A U.S. Citizen may submit a previous U.S. Passport issued to them or in which they were included as evidence of U.S. Citizenship.

NOTE: Minors under 16 must submit a certified birth certificate listing parent(s). This type of birth certificate is also helpful for minors age 16-17.

California Abstracts of birth are not acceptable as evidence of citizenship.

"Hospital birth records" and "baptismal certificates" are not considered primary evidence of birth in the US. These documents may be used as secondary citizenship evidence for an applicant with no birth records on file.