A birth certificate refers to an official document that the government issues to record the birth of a person. Some of the identifying information that you will be able to find on a birth certificate includes name, date of birth, gender, parentage, and place of birth. As you probably know from personal experience, birth certificates are needed for many things. Therefore, it is always helpful to keep a copy of your birth certificate on hand. If you have children, you should also keep copies of their birth certificates on hand.
However, many people end up losing or accidentally destroying their birth certificate at some point. If you ever find yourself in the situation where your birth certificate is destroyed or nowhere to be found, you will need to order a replacement. Ideally, you should order a copy of your California birth certificate as soon as possible because the process of getting a copy of your birth certificate can be lengthy.
Why Do You Need Your Birth Certificate?
A birth certificate is required for many reasons in the United States. For example, you will need your birth certificate to enroll in the military or in school. You will also need your birth certificate to get a passport. If you don’t have a passport already, you will need your birth certificate to get a marriage license or a driver’s license. You will even need your birth certificate to apply for private benefits insurance and to apply for government benefits like retirement benefits. If you have children, you will need to provide your child’s birth certificate as proof of age to sign them up for the Little League or elementary school.
Where Can You Get a California Birth Certificate?
Don’t make the mistake of calling the hospital where you or your child was born to get a copy of a birth certificate. Instead, you should look up the vital statistics office in your or your child’s state of birth. You can go to the cdc.gov to get the address and the phone number of the birth state’s vital statistics office. Another option you have is going to a phone book and checking the government pages.
What Do You Need to Get the Birth Certificate?
You will need to provide as many vital statistics as possible to get the copy of the California birth certificate. Some of these vital statistics include name, birth date, gender, place of birth, and parents’ name. You may also need to provide your photo ID as a form of identification. You can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $30 for the replacement fee. You could get the birth certificate in just minutes if you make the request in person at the vital statistics office. However, it may take two to four weeks to get the birth certificate if you order it by mail.
As you can see, getting a copy of a birth certificate isn’t as difficult as you may think. For more information about how to order your California birth certificate, don’t hesitate to contact us.