birth certificate question

[tammyh]

My renewed passport hasn't arrived yet and I'm getting nervous since we fly out on 9/10.

I have legally changed my name twice since I was married once before. I just applied for a certified copy of my birth certificate since the one I have does not have a raised seal on it. The question is that it has my maiden name on it.

Any suggestions? Do I need my birth certificate and both marriage certificates?

 

[pppiglet]

You shouldn't need the marriage certificates as your birth certificate and Driver's license or Id will have your first name and birthdate that match. (unless you changed your first name too!)

 

[*Fantasia*]

Can I just bring a copy of birth certificate for my kids? I think I might have misplaced them. How do I obtain a new one? Is my passport and my DL be sufficient enough? And what about the kids? Thanks!

 

[pppiglet]

You need original birth certificates with the raised seal. They are kind of colorful. You can do a search online and order them. It cost me $18.00 ea.

 

[tvguy]

Be careful ordering on line, someone on these boards said the brith certificates you get online are "certified copies" not "certified birth certificates". In other words, basically useless for legal purposes.

 

[kaykels]

You can get them from your local office. Do a search on line and you can go in person to get them. I was born in NJ but live in Pa. It was a 30 minute drive, but I got it on the spot. My husband was born in Pa. and they mailed it in 3 days. It cost about 8 dollars. Try the state office before you buy one from the brokers on line. They are overpriced!!!!!!

 

[pppiglet]

Online I did have to download a form and get it certified by a notary(which my boss is) and then fax it in. It is a legal form as it is from the local office and it is the same legal doc as my dad's death cert. I agree, make sure it's a local office just not any one online. I should have been more specific. It took 5 days to get.

 

[daisy112878]

I don't know if this helps. But my sister is going on a different cruiseline next year. They told her if she brings her birth certificate and DL as her docs she would also need a certified copy of her marriage license. She has decided to go get a passport instead of carrying all that around. I don't know if this is with every cruise but that's what the other cruiseline told her.

 

[maelcu]

I used VitalChek.com then stopped by the dept of motor vehicles they told me that this was a certified birth certificate. I seen somewhere??? allears??? that Disney recommends this site. I double checked because they are colorfull.

 

[mrsltg]

Also good to know is that most states are NOT giving out raised seals anymore because the certificates are computer generated. They are printed on watermarked paper, and are official. DCL, and all cruiselines, will accept these.

Erin

 

[msmickminn]

Have been lurking and absorbing everything on the cruise forum as we are taking our 1st cruise on the 19th. (Great info and a lot of fun BTW!!)
I am now a little nervous about the birth certificate issue. My DH has a colored, raised border with small emblems along each corner on his birth certificate from CA...there is not a raised seal. Is he going to be OK with that?

 

[maelcu]

I am looking at mine right now....the back says....This is to certify that this document , or the facts abstracted for the offical record, on file with: Vital Statistics Bureau of Public Heath West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Charleston West Virginia. It is a copy but it has a heat sensitive stamp and watermark. It also has a symbol at the top that is raised its the outline of the state of WV and says vital statistics. The guy at the DMV laughed and told me they dont do the big gold seals anymore

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Originally posted by msmickminn
I am now a little nervous about the birth certificate issue. My DH has a colored, raised border with small emblems along each corner on his birth certificate from CA...there is not a raised seal. Is he going to be OK with that?

It needs either a watermark or a raised seal -- most birth certificates are now printed on watermarked paper that says "Copy" all over it if you try to copy it. Hold your bc up to the light and see if the paper is treated and if the seal of the state is slightly raised -- if so, DCL will take it.

To the original poster -- I would bring your bc and marriage licenses, but that's just me. It's a small number of documents to take for peace of mind. I didn't sleep for a week before our last cruise because we had ID issues (which turned out not to be issues in the end).

 

[tvguy]

Best thing to do is a passport, even for kids.
That won't be questioned, and they are far more durable than birth certificates.
Mine have each had once since they were 2 years old.
I just got through verifiying birth certifcates for Little League all-stars, and believe me I would rather have had passports. About half the kids (we're talking kids born 1986 thru 1999) have the raised seal birth certificates, most of the rest are the new colorful computer printed ones, this is all they issue now for replacement birth certificates. Then there are the kids born overseas, or on overseas US military bases, even had one b/c in Japanese, HOW THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHICH IS LEGIT.
Make it easy on yourself, get the passport, let the US state department decide if your birth certificat is legit.

 

[pppiglet]

I also got my copies from VitalChek.com .

 

[MommaluvsDis]

Contact your local Clerk of Court's office. They can give you the address for your state's office of Vital statistics. Then contact them for a copy and tell them you need it for travel.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Call the county that your children or you were born in and they will tell you what to do.

We took birth certificates--dh and mine are originals--and had no problems at all.