Name incorrect on Birth Certificate!

[jjdmom8]

Sailing in January with a first time cruiser. As she was gathering her documents to get her passport, she realized that her name is incorrect on her Birth Certificate. Spelling is wrong, and a JR. was added :( She thought her mother had it corrected many years ago, but she didnt! She has sent the info to the vital records department to get corrected but is freaking out thinking they wont get it fixed in time. What would happen if it didnt get corrected by sail date?

[Sugaree5335]

According to the CSR I spoke to, the suffix doesn't matter so much. That they just go by the name and birthdate (my husband is a fourth so it comes up occasionally). The spelling could be a problem. If the documents aren't corrected by the time she sails then I'd say she'd need to do a name correction through Carnival.

[Micahs Grandad]

Would getting a passport now help?

[Sugaree5335]

Would getting a passport now help?

 

I would think that the name on a passport would have to match the name on the birth certificate. While I would recommend anyone that is going to do any traveling, closed-loop or not, have a passport, I think that in this situation it would be better to fix the BC and then get a PP.

[Havingfun2010]

Sailing in January with a first time cruiser. As she was gathering her documents to get her passport, she realized that her name is incorrect on her Birth Certificate. Spelling is wrong, and a JR. was added :( She thought her mother had it corrected many years ago, but she didnt! She has sent the info to the vital records department to get corrected but is freaking out thinking they wont get it fixed in time. What would happen if it didnt get corrected by sail date?

 

You should have plenty of time to get fixed. Is it the last name or first name? If it's the last name, it's easier because it's a family name. If it's the first name, than maybe the name is correct, and she is incorrect all these years? It's been known to happen! I knew a mother that "changed" the spelling of a name after because it sounded better or looked better or something like that, and the daughter never knew until later that her name was not what she thought it was.

[Micahs Grandad]

I would think that the name on a passport would have to match the name on the birth certificate. While I would recommend anyone that is going to do any traveling, closed-loop or not, have a passport, I think that in this situation it would be better to fix the BC and then get a PP.

 

Actually I know someone whose doesnt and we found out after she got her passport.

[xitappers2bx]

I'm pretty sure BCs depend on the state, but it should be easy enough, and quick enough, to fix. You still have a lot of time before January. When I renewed my daughter's passport earlier this year it took less than 4 weeks, and that was with an error regarding her birthday (they had put in the wrong year, making her a decade older than she is).

 

I had some issues getting my passport the first time, because my birth certificate was issued many many years after I was born... I probably should have sent the original one (my dad adopted me and my last name was changed to reflect the last name of my entire family) and I had to send them proof that I was who I said I was (papers from when I was a kid, old report cards, etc) because of the late issuance of my BC. But with something like Jr, that doesn't seem to be the biggest deal, so maybe just try and get the passport with it. Or, keep all the original documents and send them with the new BC when applying for the passport. That process took a lot longer for me... but once they received the documents they overnighted me the passport and that part took about four days.

[jjdmom8]

Thanks everyone! The error is in the spelling of her fist name and the Jr at the end.

Department of Vital records have it now, but they are saying it may take up to 8 weeks to get it corrected! which will probably not leave enough time to get the passport.

 

She is really freaking out about it, but hopeful it will get corrected.

 

Thanks again!

[njmomof2]

Thanks everyone! The error is in the spelling of her fist name and the Jr at the end.

Department of Vital records have it now, but they are saying it may take up to 8 weeks to get it corrected! which will probably not leave enough time to get the passport.

 

She is really freaking out about it, but hopeful it will get corrected.

 

Thanks again!

 

Don't panic.

 

If it does take 8 weeks to get it back from Vital Records, and the BC is corrected to show her name as she knows and uses it (and I'm assuming that her DL matches what she's been using all these years), then since it appears she's a US citizen (otherwise, she would not be dealing with local Vital Records), and if you are on a closed loop cruise, sailing from a US port, she can take her newly revised BC and her DL and she'll be fine. If for some reason, her DL is not correct, then getting the corrected BC will give her that time to get the DL fixed.

 

If you have enough time, then by all means, have her apply for the passport. But don't go into a tailspin now. It may actually be less time for them to correct it, and it's back in enough time to move on to step #2.

 

Good that she found this out and is getting it done this early, to allow time for processing with Vital Records. Panic may have been the order of the day if she didn't notice this problem until you were on the way to the port.

Edited October 20, 2016 by njmomof2

[xitappers2bx]

Thanks everyone! The error is in the spelling of her fist name and the Jr at the end.

Department of Vital records have it now, but they are saying it may take up to 8 weeks to get it corrected! which will probably not leave enough time to get the passport.

 

She is really freaking out about it, but hopeful it will get corrected.

 

Thanks again!

 

I would imagine it would be somewhat faster than eight weeks, but even if it takes that long, there's more than enough time. No need to panic! Being a closed loop cruise the passport isn't even a necessity.

[mikesteg]

If possible, she should considering getting 2 original/certified copies of the new BC. That way, she can send one BC with the PP but still have a BC to use for the cruise if the PP does not come back in time. For perhaps $10, this seems like very inexpensive peace of mind.

 

PPs are reasonably quick these days given no issues, but the BC just having been reissued could constitute an issue.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

My name(S) on my birth certificate are spelled totally different than the Americanized version I now have after immigrating to the US. Funny thing is that all of my official current documents are spelled the Americanized way including my driver's license and my passport. As long as your social security information matches your current spelling that is sufficient. Just go to your local passport center with "ALL" of your documentation and you shouldn't have an issue. I didn't when I got my passport.

[cb at sea]

PLENTY of time to get the BC corrected...no worries!

[Singer4Him]

I'm not sure where you guys live but there are passport offices located all across the country. Once she receives her corrected BC, you may could make an appointment and take an overnight trip. You would leave with her passport in hand. I'm not sure if this is even an option for you but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

[crusinpsychRN]

I got a passport at age 13 to go to Europe. My birth certificate had Baby girl as my first name.