The First Record of Your Life – Birth Certificates

Most countries around the world record the birth of a child with a birth certificate. Normally they are issued right after the child’s birth and are usually required by law. Generally the are held as proof of identity and may be required when applying for things like registering for school, passports and drivers licenses.

A birth certificate records the place of birth, the date and time of birth, the child’s name and gender, the name of the legal parents and normally some type of a registration number. Most often there are certified copies of it that are stored at a regional office that is set up for that task, but usually a person has their original or at least a copy of it with their personal possessions. The certificate itself is usually small and unassuming looking for such an important document.

Many times it will have signatures of any presiding witnesses such as a midwife or if the birth took place in a hospital a doctor or nurse along with details of the hospital location. They sometimes have some type of anti-copying details such as patterning or detailed inking. Sometimes it is possible to get what is called a short certificate. For instance in the UK a short certificate shows the baby’s name, gender, date of birth and the name of the registration district and sub-district where the birth took place. A full certificate would have the same information as well as the exact place of birth, the father’s name, place of birth and occupation, the mother’s name, place of birth, maiden name and after 1984, occupation.

Normally you will only be allowed to make additions to a birth certificate, not changes unless it is correcting errors. It is vitally important to keep this record in a safe and secure location.