Check your Birth Certificate

[Colts-Steelers]

To all of you that have a cruise planned in the near future or are planning to get your passport before the prices go up should double check your birth certificate to make sure it is truly a certified copy. I went this week to get my passport and was told my birth certificate was not a certified copy from the state but just a plain hospital birth certificate. The lady said it is good for about everything but proving citizenship and the passport office will only accept a certified birth certificate or certified copy with the state seal on it. All of the older birth certificates issued from hospitals are not accepted any longer. The back of my hospital birth certificate states:

This Certificate of Birth should be carefully preserved as a record of value for the future: To verifiy age, to prove citizenship, to obtain passports, to establish right to inheritance, to prove age for Social Security Benefits.

 

With all that on the back of it, I never thought I would have a problem with it. I guess I missed the memo...I think about all the cruises I have taken using it and how devasting it would have been if RCI wouldn't let me board the ship after planning a cruise. No one has ever said a word about it except a customs agent when we disembarked Miami on our last cruise. I just figured he didn't realize it was the real thing when he was telling us we should get our passports.

 

Now I'm waiting for the certified copy to arrive so I can try again before it costs me more money!

[ruttie]

that happened to me after sep 11th I went on a cruise with my certificate (the only one i have ever had) and they told me it was just a hospital certificate. They were nice enouh to let me on but.... I was on the phone with my birth state records asap

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Thanks for posting your suggestion of checking for a true certified copy!

We have passports....but this is a great tip to pass along to those who still get by with just BC's.....That would of been horrible if they denied you boarding because of that! I'm glad your getting passports....they are well worth it!! ;) :D

 

 

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[kjanders]

This happened to me also, however they didn't tell me at the time I applied, but sent a letter stating that the bc wasn't addequate and I'd need the certified copy. I applied Jan 7th and was told it would be about 6 weeks until I received the passport but then I received the letter about the bc about 4 wks later. I pd extra to get the state certified copy expeditied (actually ordered two copies just in case the passport doesn't get here in time) and sent that back all within a period of 3 days. Six weeks has come and gone (Feb 18th) and still no passport:( . We sail in two weeks, but at least I ordered an extra certified copy so am not too worried about not getting the passport in time, and when I do finally get it, I won't have to worry about it any more:) .

[Happy ks]

We had this happen when we applied for my daughters passport a couple of years ago. Our state (CA) for a couple of years issued what was called an "abstract copy of birth" instead of the regular certified copy, this was in 1992. It looked exactly what they had issued to us 3 years prior when my son was born. We had also taken a couple of cruises and used it as ID, no one ever noticed it. So, we had to order and pay for another BC for her. From what I understand, the abstract copies can be computer generated, therefore easier to counterfeit.

 

I'm surprised your hospital birth certificate stated it was official ID, they have always been considered more of a novelty, perhaps yours was issued a long time before mine (1953). I have mine both from the state where I was born and one from the hospital. Official ID has to have a state seal on it. Thank goodness you found this out before you left for your cruise!

 

It's important for everyone to check their official documents before leaving. Unfortunately, if you don't have the proper documents, they can deny you boarding and there are no refunds!

 

Thank you for posting this info, it just might keep someone else from a big surprise and disappointment at the dock.

 

It really is sucky when someone else, in this case the hospital, can create this type of situation for you.

[Francesca2]

Its my understanding as long as it has a raised seal, it is adequate. Any thoughts?

[Celmar]

We had this happen when we applied for my daughters passport a couple of years ago. Our state (CA) for a couple of years issued what was called an "abstract copy of birth" instead of the regular certified copy, this was in 1992. It looked exactly what they had issued to us 3 years prior when my son was born. We had also taken a couple of cruises and used it as ID, no one ever noticed it. So, we had to order and pay for another BC for her. From what I understand, the abstract copies can be computer generated, therefore easier to counterfeit.

 

 

We had this same thing happen to us just a few weeks ago when we went and applied for our passports. Our daughters was a "abstract certificate of birth". The only difference was that my husband was able to go down the street to the clerks office and trade it for the real thing at no cost. He came right back to the post office and we went ahead and finished processing all of our passport paperwork. We received them 3 weeks later do the date.:)

[smeyer418]

This happened to me also, however they didn't tell me at the time I applied, but sent a letter stating that the bc wasn't addequate and I'd need the certified copy. I applied Jan 7th and was told it would be about 6 weeks until I received the passport but then I received the letter about the bc about 4 wks later. I pd extra to get the state certified copy expeditied (actually ordered two copies just in case the passport doesn't get here in time) and sent that back all within a period of 3 days. Six weeks has come and gone (Feb 18th) and still no passport:( . We sail in two weeks, but at least I ordered an extra certified copy so am not too worried about not getting the passport in time, and when I do finally get it, I won't have to worry about it any more:) .

you can check and see what the status of your application is at http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_896.html

They can tell you if it has been mailed

[Auntie D Cruiser]

Are expired passports ok to use along with birth certificates?

[smeyer418]

yes and you don't need the birth cert with them. Some countries in the Carribe want them expired less than 10 years but that makes most of them 20 years old.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Its my understanding as long as it has a raised seal, it is adequate. Any thoughts?

 

 

I thought so too, except mine has a blue ink stamp, at first the passport office was not going to accept it, but then the manager stepped in and said it was good. Every state is different....why can't all they all be uniform! :confused:

 

 

 

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[Auntie D Cruiser]

Thanks for that information smeyer...We have been hearing all kinds of things lately including that we bring our marriage certificates (which we are all doing just in case)...

[smeyer418]

You are welcome Auntie :)

[VABeach]

To all of you that have a cruise planned in the near future or are planning to get your passport before the prices go up should double check your birth certificate to make sure it is truly a certified copy. I went this week to get my passport and was told my birth certificate was not a certified copy from the state but just a plain hospital birth certificate. The lady said it is good for about everything but proving citizenship and the passport office will only accept a certified birth certificate or certified copy with the state seal on it. All of the older birth certificates issued from hospitals are not accepted any longer. The back of my hospital birth certificate states:

This Certificate of Birth should be carefully preserved as a record of value for the future: To verifiy age, to prove citizenship, to obtain passports, to establish right to inheritance, to prove age for Social Security Benefits.

 

With all that on the back of it, I never thought I would have a problem with it. I guess I missed the memo...I think about all the cruises I have taken using it and how devasting it would have been if RCI wouldn't let me board the ship after planning a cruise. No one has ever said a word about it except a customs agent when we disembarked Miami on our last cruise. I just figured he didn't realize it was the real thing when he was telling us we should get our passports.

 

Now I'm waiting for the certified copy to arrive so I can try again before it costs me more money!

 

Same thing happened to my dad a few weeks ago. He had his original Hospital Issued Birth Certififcate. They wouldn't take it. He had to spend $55.00 to get his BC rushed, so he could get his Passport back soon. He was disappointed too, but mostly about the extra $55.00 on top of the passport $$$.:p

[Colts-Steelers]

I received my birth certificate copies in todays mail, so it's back to the post office on Monday to take care of the passport application. I requested an additional copy just incase. Our cruise is the end of April so I should have the passport back by then, but just incase I will have a certified copy with a raised seal...and no more worries.

[Sheffie]

I received my birth certificate copies in todays mail, so it's back to the post office on Monday to take care of the passport application. I requested an additional copy just incase. Our cruise is the end of April so I should have the passport back by then, but just incase I will have a certified copy with a raised seal...and no more worries.

 

Great idea about getting a second copy!

[kjanders]

you can check and see what the status of your application is at http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_896.html

They can tell you if it has been mailed

 

Thanks for the info., I'm going to check out that website and hopefully get some good news!:D

[robinzhere]

We just applied (and received about 4 weeks later) a passport for my 18 year old son. In Connecticut, you can get either a "long form" 8x11 certificate or a "short form" certificate which is about the size of a credit card from the city where the hospital is where you are born. Both have raised seals and it was my understanding that they were interchangable, but the short form was just more convenient to carry.

 

When my son applied, I gave him the short form, figuring that I'd still have the long one in case the passport didn't arrive in time. He applied at our town hall probate office (which along with post offices are where you get them in CT.)

 

They would not accept the short form. However, they would allow him to get a copy of the long form from the town hall -- even thought it was not the city he was born in, but it was the town we (his parents) lived in when he was born -- and proceed with the application. It looks identical to the long form to me -- which puzzles me because I know I got the other copies in Hartford. (I never knew I could get them in my home town or I would have...)

 

None of this makes sense to me, but I guess the moral is that Sept 11 changed all the rules and if you don't have a passport yet, start the process well before you think you'll need it.

[martdm]

This happened to me also, however they didn't tell me at the time I applied, but sent a letter stating that the bc wasn't addequate and I'd need the certified copy.

 

That's a shame kjanders...that is absolutely the fault of the person who processed your application. I work at a government office where the applications are accepted and it is part of our processing responsibilities to make sure that the photos, identification, and birth certificates meet the US Department of State's criteria. The person who processed yours let you down.

 

Francesca2 - The raised seal must be from a government entity (city, county, state agency). Some hospitals used raised seals and they are not accepted.

 

For anyone interested in applying for a passport, you can get tons of information at http://www.travel.state.gov