Birth Certificate: A Vital Document

Image via WikipediaGiovanni Jacopo Casanova once said about his life, "I know I existed, and I am sure of it because I felt by my own senses." But in the USA, like in any developed nation, you need a birth certificate to prove your existence. A birth certificate is a vital document that is helpful in obtaining a passport, visa, social security number, school admissions, sports participations, and a driver’s license. Although its utility is not limited to these aspects alone. From statisticians to the voting public, everyone may get curious about birth certificates and a lot of interesting incidents have happened centering around birth certificates.

For instance, what is the first thing that a person inheriting a million dollars from her rich uncle needs to produce? It is her birth certificate. She will have to prove her identity and relationship with the bequeather. These certificates are also needed for various other reasons such as the birth of a baby, including those that are stillborn. For the parents of stillborn babies, the birth certificate has a lot of emotional significance. Should the parents of a stillborn baby receive a birth certificate along with the death certificate? There was an instance of a sudden hike in the birth certificate fees in some states that led to strong protests in 1994. The fees were hiked from $5 per copy of a birth certificate to $15. Many felt that the $10 fee increase was unjustified. It was argued that the amount could have gone to buying diapers and other baby care products.

Age forging is an epidemic in sports. US sporting history is replete with such stories. It is sad when sports personalities mislead their teams and individuals involved on their age. While competitors attempt to hide their real age, birth certificates can blow the whistle on such issues.

In the United States, birth certificates are basic proofs of citizenship of individuals born within the country. A birth certificate can be obtained from the office of vital statistics in the state of the person's birth. It can be requested by Internet, fax, through the mail or in person. In many cases, individuals will request more than one copy of the certificate. Applying for a number of copies of the birth certificate will be helpful in using them for various purposes.