Lost birth certificate 24 hr before our flight. Help needed ASAP!

[manqvu]

Thanks Lisavince3. I started to panic for a second as I wouldn't even begin to know where to look for my birth certificate!

 

[Sunshinelover]

I'm going to call DCL first thing in the morning to see if I can get a clear answer on the copy. His mom plans to go down to viral records in the morning as well to see if they'll issue her a new one. Fingers crossed this works out. Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[Jey12]

I know in my state I am pretty sure you can't get an official certificate in the county you were born in. You have to go to the state capital for one. Might be worth having someone call because they drive to the courthouse in the morning to make sure you can in fact grab an official certificate there. Best of luck! I would be losing my mind, as I am sure you are.

 

[leelip1982]

I'm from Florida and Im Not sure if it is the same for you where you are at but you can walk in and out of vital records with an official copy. Done it before my self.

 

[perfectmatch300]

OP, hope you're able to get your DH's birth cert in time for him to cruise. Sending some your way. Please let us know if you can that you've been able to obtain a copy of his BC and that he and your family are able to cruise.

 

[bumbershoot]

Please tell me the copy along with his drivers license may work? I'm on the verge of tears here. We're either out over 2k or leaving DH behind in FL by himself?

If you look it up on disneycruise.com, or even in the cruise documents you were sent, you will see:

With the exception of the state issued birth certificate, photocopies of the above documents are not acceptable

Double negatives (or things similar to double negatives) are rough, but the above sentence is saying that for BCs photocopies ARE acceptable.

Photocopies of all the things listed there, EXCEPT for BCs, aren't acceptable. =

Photocopies of BCs, but not the other things, are acceptable.

See what I'm saying? That's the official word they give in the Planning Center and in the documents you received, or at least I received for my Feb 2013 Bahamas cruise.


That said, If you're going to the county, might as well try.

We actually will be in the city he was born in tomorrow. It's about 4 hr north of us. Actually stopping there to drop off the dog at his parent's and have them drive us to the airport. But totally on a time crunch as it is. Would he really be able to get another one on the spot there?

Depends on the county! We went in to Washington County with the paperwork from our wedding and got certified wedding certificates on the spot the day after our wedding. I bet they'd do BCs on the spot too. Not OR, but here in Pierce County WA we got BCs for our son as walk-ins.

Other counties do not. You can always google "the county name birth certificate" and look around the proper registrar's office website to see.

Pardon my ignorance but I've read a couple of threads about birth certificate. In what cases do we need our birth certificates? Wont passports be sufficient?

Passports are more than sufficient; they are the gold standard of ID. BCs are for those who are only traveling to places that currently don't require them, by people who don't have them. There was a time I used passports for even domestic air travel. Just easier for the ID checkers to not have to figure out driver's licenses from a gazillion different places. I felt it sped things up.

 

[caribbeandreaming]

If you do use your MIL's copy, make sure that is actually a copy of the official birth certificate issued by the state. Some hospitals issue bc's that look very similar, but they won't be accepted. This happened to us when we applied for DH's passport and it got held up until we could locate the right one.

 

[firecracker725]

From my good friend Google:

http://public.health.oregon.gov/BirthDeathCertificates/GetVitalRecords/Pages/othersources.aspx

 

[Aunt Patti]

I live in Cook County, IL. I was able to go to the City Hall (not the city of Chicago) where I was born & walked out with a brand new Birth Certificate in about 20 minutes! Good Luck.

 

[Bear3412]

Looks like it's possible in Portland. Best wishes on your quest.

http://public.health.oregon.gov/BirthDeathCertificates/GetVitalRecords/Pages/OrderinPerson.aspx

from above link;
Walk-In
Go to 800 NE Oregon Street, Room 205, Portland 97232. Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Submit orders at self-service kiosks by 4:30 p.m.
Get more details...
Nonrefundable $23.25 fee for one record search. $15 for additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time. 35-40 minutes assuming no record problems are discovered. Amendments are not completed while you wait. Access restrictions apply. Identity of applicant will be screened using SSN. Valid ID or alternative ID required.

 

[Robmom]

I hope it works out for you. I, too was in the same situation. I had everyone's BC, except my DH's. I was frantic looking for it. I knew I had it, because I ordered a copy online a while back. Thankfully the night before our cruise, it appeared! So I know how you are feeling.

 

[Jestocost]

If you do use your MIL's copy, make sure that is actually a copy of the official birth certificate issued by the state. Some hospitals issue bc's that look very similar, but they won't be accepted. This happened to us when we applied for DH's passport and it got held up until we could locate the right one.

A regular photocopy of even the official state BC will not work. I'm not sure why there's any confusion on the requirements as they are quite clear. For closed-loop cruises you need either a valid passport or you need a government-issued photo ID plus an official copy of a birth certificate issued by the state (not a hospital commemorative certificate) that includes a raised seal (or other security feature, such as a hologram).

 

[anna08]

You are probably well on your way to dealing with this, but in TN the mother could present her ID and get an official copy of a birth certificate at the Public Health Dept. in just a few minutes. Maybe your MIL could get it today?

 

[caribbeandreaming]

A regular photocopy of even the official state BC will not work. I'm not sure why there's any confusion on the requirements as they are quite clear. For closed-loop cruises you need either a valid passport or you need a government-issued photo ID plus an official copy of a birth certificate issued by the state (not a hospital commemorative certificate) that includes a raised seal (or other security feature, such as a hologram).

If you read my response, it says to Some hospitals issue bc's that look very similar, but they won't be accepted.

From the Disney Cruise Line website - http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/p...rary/travel-documentation-bahamian-caribbean/ ...

With the exception of the state issued birth certificate, photocopies of the above documents are not acceptable

So according to that verbage, photocopies of state issued birth certificates ARE acceptable.

 

[Ana~n~Joseph]

Good luck OP! We are in Texas but I recently went with my BFF to get copies of her kids BC and it took us 15 minutes. By the time we were done paying for them the copies were ready at the next window.

 

[Sunshinelover]

Ok I talked to 2 different DCL agents this morning who both told me a photocopy of the state issued BC would be fine and also let me know that it states this on their website. Which several posters here quoted that as well. I'm very conflicted. Vital records in is Portland, about an hour away from MIL. My husband wants to send her up there this morning to get it anyway. With all the conflicting information, I'm worried the copy won't be accepted. MIL sent me a pic of it. It's definitely a photo copy of a state issued birth cert. Advice? I feel horrible sending MIL up there when she'll already be driving us up there later this afternoon to the airport.

 

[NurseDave]

Ok I talked to 2 different DCL agents this morning who both told me a photocopy of the state issued BC would be fine and also let me know that it states this on their website. Which several posters here quoted that as well. I'm very conflicted. Vital records in is Portland, about an hour away from MIL. My husband wants to send her up there this morning to get it anyway. With all the conflicting information, I'm worried the copy won't be accepted. MIL sent me a pic of it. It's definitely a photo copy of a state issued birth cert. Advice? I feel horrible sending MIL up there when she'll already be driving us up there later this afternoon to the airport.

You just said BOTH DCL agents told you the copy was fine. What's conflicting then? Just a bunch of people on the DIS boards? It's not up to anyone here if they are accepted or not. Sounds like you got the official okay. Relax and enjoy.

 

[mstinson14]

Ok I talked to 2 different DCL agents this morning who both told me a photocopy of the state issued BC would be fine and also let me know that it states this on their website. Which several posters here quoted that as well. I'm very conflicted. Vital records in is Portland, about an hour away from MIL. My husband wants to send her up there this morning to get it anyway. With all the conflicting information, I'm worried the copy won't be accepted. MIL sent me a pic of it. It's definitely a photo copy of a state issued birth cert. Advice? I feel horrible sending MIL up there when she'll already be driving us up there later this afternoon to the airport.

It's better to be safe than sorry. I would send her up there tp get it just to be on the safe side.

 

[NurseDave]

It's better to be safe than sorry. I would send her up there tp get it just to be on the safe side.

Based on what? TWO actual employees said they don't need to. The official website of the company says they don't need to. People here are just creating stress where there needn't be.

 

[mandykaye]

Pardon my ignorance but I've read a couple of threads about birth certificate. In what cases do we need our birth certificates? Wont passports be sufficient?

I'm assuming they don't have passports and are just using birth certificates with a closed loop cruise, which is allowed