West Coast Cruise - Birth Certificates

[4fosterkids]

For those that have sailed already....
My boys birth certificates (20,14,12) do NOT have a raised seal on them, but are a 1/4 sheet certficate that says "this computer generated abstract of birth is an official document" on the top. They are numbered and have a state seal in the left corner and a county recorder seal in the right....but they are not raised. Does it have to be raised? I can't find that written anywhere, but recall hearing it. My daughters (6) look different then theirs and does have a raised seal.
Any ideas?
Jill

 

[dletz]

We took my daughter's from CA (though she is also 6) 3 years ago and had no problem, don't remember if it has a raise seal, but I think it did.

However we have the small certificate for her, and it was not good enough for a passport. We have 2 of those, and had to end up buying another new birth certificate for the passport.

When are you sailing. My daughter was born in Orange county where we still live. It was painless and took less than half an hour to get hers. 3 years ago when we went we had to get her dads. Then too no problem. I think they're about 10 each, but if you're worried about it and can't find a definative answer it might be worth getting new ones if you live close to where they were born.

If you are ever considering getting a passport (and since you're going to Disneyland Paris next year) check to see if your birth certifcates are valid for a passport, if not then you'll need to get new ones anyway.

 

[JSCTRico4]

My DH anad DD6 both had abrstract BCs. They are no longer good to use to obtain passports. Sorry previous poster paid for new certs. I was advised by the passport issuing agent that I could go to the county clerk and turn in the abstract for a free replacement BC. TRUE! They put a big red stamp on the old one saying it was being replaced, and they gave me new ones in about 20 minutes. You could then use those to get passports, or, use them with more confidence on your trip prior to 2006!

 

[4fosterkids]

We took my daughter's from CA (though she is also 6) 3 years ago and had no problem, don't remember if it has a raise seal, but I think it did.

However we have the small certificate for her, and it was not good enough for a passport. We have 2 of those, and had to end up buying another new birth certificate for the passport.

When are you sailing. My daughter was born in Orange county where we still live. It was painless and took less than half an hour to get hers. 3 years ago when we went we had to get her dads. Then too no problem. I think they're about 10 each, but if you're worried about it and can't find a definative answer it might be worth getting new ones if you live close to where they were born.

If you are ever considering getting a passport (and since you're going to Disneyland Paris next year) check to see if your birth certifcates are valid for a passport, if not then you'll need to get new ones anyway.

We are cruising on 7/2. DH and I have passports.
I think I will go down and take them with me to find out for sure. We still live in OC so it is local.
Thanks for the info

 

[Vanvmom]

We were also told by county recorder that the abstract will not suffice for cruise. True that they can be exchanged for free for actual BC.

 

[dletz]

They would not do that for me. They had huge signs that said abstracts could not be exchanged. I had 2 of them and they would not let me do it. I guess different couties are different, cause the passport office told me i could birth cert office would not do it.

 

[dletz]

don't know where you live but the placentia library processes passports, and they are open saturday and sundays, thats when we went.

 

[Vanvmom]

Just some info. for those still looking into Passports. They can take up to 6 weeks to process and receive them in the mail. You have to send the BC in with the application form after you sign the affidavit at the processing location. So, if your cruise time is soon, consider getting a 2nd official BC to have as a back up in case your passport is not back in time. I live in Sac. County and my passport came back exactly 2 weeks after I sent it in (so things were very fast that month).

 

[LiserAnn]

VANVMOM-when did you apply for your passport? The told me the turn times are getting longer especially in preparation for next years new passport rules.

Just found that out yesterday about the abstracts. We went to get passports for our two boys and I had one abstract of birth cert and one regular birth cert (w/raised seal). Anyway, the passport agent took the BCs and told me that it depends on who processes it, they may take the abstract but to go home and order the correct one immediately. If the abstract one gets rejected she said they'd still process it, send me a letter to which I could attach the correct BC and they'd send the passport on to me once they receive the correct BC.

I was told that abstracts are no longer good for cruises. I didn't know I could turn in my abstracts...could have saved myself $50!!!! Oh well, I still have one abstract BC, might take the hour drive to orange county and get the correct one since we're cutting it close...I'll need to have a spare BC in case we don't get the passport in time.

Thanks for the info everyone!!

 

[GrumpyMom1]

Thank you for posting this question. I pulled out my DD's BC and found that the younger one has the abstract. Without this post I would have never known I couldn't use it anymore! We used it with no problem on our last 2 cruises. I had intended on getting passports but I just couldn't coordinate everyone's schedule with the very limited hours of the offices around here and now it's too late (unless I want to pay the huge fee to expedite).

 

[dletz]

I don't know if you can't use it for a cruise anymore, we used an abstract 3 years ago without any problem. When I got my passport last summer we were told me could use the abstract for Mexico, Canada, and such where a BC is needed. But that we could not use the abstract to get a passport. We were then told that we could take the abstract to the county reporters and get it exchanged.
Took it with us and there were signs all over the Orange County reporters office that they would not exchange an abstract. I even asked about it and was told no, they will not exchange them even though the passport office tells you they will. Maybe they have changed this, or maybe it is just in Orange County I don't know.

My suggestion to the original poster was that if she was planning getting passports in the near future maybe if she could, it might be easier and less worry just to go ahead and get the new birth certificates now, since she would need them for a passport.

 

[Vanvmom]

VANVMOM-when did you apply for your passport? The told me the turn times are getting longer especially in preparation for next years new passport rules.

I applied at the main post office in West Sacramento on April 22nd, and got the passport in the mail on May 6th. The fast timing shocked the heck out of me! I didn't splurge on passports for the kids yet, but will sometime this next year so that we have them for next time.

 

[MM2U2]

I just applied for passports last weekend and the turn around is about 4 weeks. If you need the passports before that you can pay an additional $60.00 fee for get them faster. Passports are not officially required until after 12/31/05 but the passport officer highly recommended them for Mexico. I was also advised to bring a notary letter saying that either my husband or myself has permission to travel alone with our children just in case one of us gets sick and has to stay in a foreign hospital. Accordingly, Mexican officials are highly suspicious of parents traveling alone with their children and trying to abduct their children from the other parent.

 

[4fosterkids]

Today we ventured to the County Clerks office to check on our 4 kids birth certificates. You may recall 3 were abstract orginals (1984, 1990, 1992) and 1 was full page certificate (1998). I had emailed our TA, called DCL and called the county office and could not get the same answer from any of them, as to if they were the kind we needed to have. I couldn't take the chance that they were not the correct documentation needed to board. Luckily, I was right. They were all 4 wrong and we had to purchase 4 new certificates for the kids ($18 each and no free trade in of the abstract ones as previously mentioned), they have the correct (raised) seal and stamp that DCL requires. DH and I have passports so we are ok. The clerk told me the rules have really changed for travel since 9-11 and that is the reasoning behind it.

Just wanted to give you all the heads up in case you hadn't checked your birth certificates yet.

Jill

 

[A Litle Pixie Dust]

Just thought I would throw my 2 cents in. Last month I sent away for passports for my DD8 and myself. I had no trouble with mine as I was born in Michigan. However, my DD was born in Orange County in CA. I was advised by the passport person (local library) that both CA and TX, passports will not be issued for abstract BC. She took my DD BC anyways and I was advised to obtain a full BC at the county level and wait for my letter advising me to return the full BC back with the letter. The county would not exchange the BC free of charge but i did not mind paying the $18.00 so I would have a full BC in case I did not get her passport in time.

I received a surprise. Although they would not take the abstract BC for the full 5years, they did issue me a passport for 1 year so that we could go on the trip in july. I have to return the full BC when I return with the passport so that I can get her valid passport which will be good for 5 years.

It did take the full 6 weeks to get the passports as they are getting really busy they said. My advice is get the full BC now and send for your passport as soon as you return from your cruise so that you will have them.

Have a great vacatioN!

Desiree

 

[LiserAnn]

A Litle Pixie Dust - What you described is what I'm hoping will happen for us. DH and I already have passports, but our DSs do not. Both my boys were born in OC also, one in 1998 and one in 2002. I had an abstract for the 1998 son and the full one for the other. The passport agent went ahead and took both BCs and told me it was up to the person processing the passport. She said if they reject it, they'd still process the passport but send me a letter as you described, to which I could return it with the correct BC. She told me to go home and order the full BC that day (which I did and received the BCs today). We applied for the BCs at just over 7 weeks from the date of our cruise. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your experience will be mine! Thanks for posting!!!

Lisa

 

[A Litle Pixie Dust]

I hope it works the same way for you! I was surprised but really happy! I will keep my fingers crossed for you. Did they give you the phone number to call and check on the status of your passport if you want to?

 

[LiserAnn]

I hope it works the same way for you! I was surprised but really happy! I will keep my fingers crossed for you. Did they give you the phone number to call and check on the status of your passport if you want to?

Thanks, I hope so too! I hear the line when disembarking is shorter if you have passports vs BCs. If worst comes to worst, my DH and my DS3 (who I'm most worried about standing in lines) can go through the passport line and myself and DS7 can wait in the BC line. At least DH and DS3 could go back to the hotel to pick up the car and by the time we're done they'd be back...always gotta have a plan!

No, she didn't give me a phone number to check on the status...do you have it still? Can you PM me with it?

Thanks!
Lisa