When Do You Need Your California Birth Certificate?

Keeping track of your or your child’s California birth certificate can be challenging, especially if you move around a lot, but there are a number of different situations where a birth certificate may be needed. It may not be needed very often, but the situations you will need it for are usually important. This is why it’s good to keep it in a safe place, or you will have to get a new copy.

Registration for School: If you are registering a child for school, the birth certificate will show as proof of identity and agency, and shows the student is who he or she says they are. The California birth certificate also proves birth date, so it can be necessary if your child will be registering for sports.

Getting a Driver’s License: Just like when enrolling in school, a birth certificate establishes your identity. Since a driver’s license is used as a source of identification, it’s important your identity is verified before you are given the license.

Getting Married: You will need to show your birth certificate in order to get a marriage license. Since the marriage license is a legal document, you will need to once again verify your identity in order to get one, and a birth certificate is the best way to verify.

Getting a Passport: You will need your birth certificate in order to get a passport, so if you are going to be traveling anywhere out of the country, you will need to track down your birth certificate before you can apply. If you have traveling plans coming up, a passport can take a while to receive. If you don’t have your birth certificate and need to get a copy, make sure you build in plenty of time to also receive your passport. Many cruises that depart from California require a passport or a copy of your birth certificate in order to travel, so even if you aren’t flying anywhere but still visiting a foreign country, you will need this important document.

Getting a Social Security Card: If you are getting a new Social Security card for your child, you will need to use the birth certificate as a proof of identity. This goes for getting a replacement Social Security card as well.

General Identification: Showing proof of identity may be required more than you think it will be. Whether it’s for a job, getting a mortgage, insurance purposes or a bank issue, your birth certificate is a valid proof of identification. While you may think you can just show your driver’s license, many places require two forms of identification, so it’s necessary to keep your birth certificate around.