The Birth Certificate is one of the most important documents for any individual because it serves as the basis for obtainment of all further documents, such as identity card, social security number, and medical records.
Therefore, it is necessary to have not only the original of this paper but also its notarized copy. And in case you plan on going abroad, you should also have an apostilled copy of the Birth Certificate in order for it to be recognized by all member-countries of the Apostille Convention. Moreover, if you happen to lose your ID card, the certified copy of the Birth Certificate will be necessary to renew it, as this document is regarded as a sufficient proof of person's identity by both federal and local authorities.
The copy of Birth Certificate may be required for the employment purposes, as some companies, especially large corporations, ask the applicants to submit the full package of personal documents along with their resumes.
Now that it became clear that virtually every adult should have the copy of his/her Birth Certificate, as well as the copy of the child's certificate, it is time to figure out what to do if you need the copy of your Birth Certificate.
First of all, you need to have a clear understanding of the purposes for which you would like to get a copy of this document. If you need a copy for the internal use, for instance, obtaining or renewing the identity card, applying for a job or other purposes that will be realized within your native country, you'll need a certified copy of the Birth Certificate. If you plan on visiting a foreign country to attend personal or business matters, you'll need an apostilled copy of the certificate. In either case, the plain copy of the document will not be considered valid since it doesn't contain proper verifiers, such as the official seal of the state's authority, the date of issuance, and the registrar's signature. Please keep in mind that the copy of the Birth Certificate is considered viable only if it was made within one year of your or your child's day of birth. It is highly advisable to get such a copy no later than one week after you have acquired an original document. Always make sure that you check it thoroughly for any errors because altering the original Birth Certificate requires both time and money. That leads to the next question, “Where do I get a copy of my Birth Certificate?”
In order to get a certified copy of the Birth Certificate, you should contact the local authority which is responsible for the issuance of such certificates or maintenance of public records. In most cases, it is the Department of Vital Records.
Keep in mind that you need to contact the corresponding agency of the city or town where you or your child were born, not your current place of residence. You can find the exact address of the local governmental body here.
Each state has its own rules regarding the obtainment of the certified copy of Birth Certificate.
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