Birth Certificates only-help!

[eimmat]

We are planning our first cruise in May. We have an adoption certificate but not a birth certificate. Has anyone ever encountered this before. it's to late to get a passport and we are having a hard time getting the birth cert. Help. Thank you Tammie

 

[FredS]

The "do I need my marriage certificate if I changed my name when married" question has been discussed a few times before, along with the "do I need permission from non-custodial parent to travel with my kids (for whom I have custody)" and my experience was the same as everyone else's seems to have been:

I took passports and certified copies of birth certificates and just used the birth certificates because they were easier to get to. No questions whatsoever about my name on my driver's license being different than my birth certificate, no question whatsoever about permission from my ex when traveling with my children (who have a different last name than I do).

I have two copies of my own birth certificate, and probably 4 of my children's. It is dirt cheap to get them, so shortly after they were born and we got the standard one copy from the dept. of vital statistics I simply ordered more. Cost something like $5 for the first one and $2 for each additional one. You need them for various things (school registration, getting driver's permit, most sport team registrations, etc.) so I certainly wanted to be able to put my hands on one easily, and not worry about one getting lost or damaged (I did have one that got wet and bled, making it useless, but it didn't really matter since I have "spares". Obviously keep them in a secure place, but everyone should get at least a couple of extras since it can be a hassle to get one on short notice. And I pity anyone who has more of a hassle getting a copy of a birth certificate than getting a passport replaced! That should not be the case AT ALL unless you have some unusual circumstances surrounding a birth.

We all worry about the same things, and basically for no reason it would seem.

 

[tvguy]

My kids have had passports since age 3. It just makes ANY travel so much easier since it gives them a photo ID. Here in California, you can get a photo ID also from the state, but nothing beats a passport.

 

[tink5]

You don't have to take your original birth certificate. I would be afraid to do that. I went on line and printed out a copy of the application-sent it in and within 3 weeks I had the copies of our Birth certificates with the raised seal for $10.00 each. Look at the vital statistics website, I believe the address is different for each state.

 

[herrbeeb]

for our 1st and 2d cruises which were land sea packages i used birth certificates and drivers' licenses. no problem. in fact on curise #2 two i forgot our bcs and disney had us sign forms attesting to us citizenship. we boarded the ship with no problem.

for our 1st 7 day (western) i obtained passports for the children. it is so much easier than bcs and they contain a picture id.

perhaps i am paranoid but i want to show that i am an american citizen, no question. the passprt does that and it is a lot less hassle than bcs, picture ids, etc.

if, however, the cruise is your only trip out of the country, i don't know if a passport is worth the fee.

herrbeeb

 

[minniemouse1]

We have had a passport for our oldest daughter since she was 10 mos old and got one for our youngest before our cruise in Oct. We live very close to Canada and travel there often so it is easier for us. IMO it is also easier on the cruise to carry around the passport than a piece of paper that can easily get wet and ruined.

 

[tkd lisa]

No passports here either. I do take a copy of my marriage certificate, but have never been asked for it.

 

[TheWog]

I'm in the get a passport camp. My wife and I both have them and we got our DS6 one for the cruise we just took. They are easy to produce at the various security checkpoints for id. and my son loves to have one. He is very proud to show it to anyone who might ask or need to see it, even though most don't need id for him such as airport or check-in to get back onboard, but it's fun. They are not that much of a hassle to get and the cost is not that much. Print out the form online, fill it out, get the pictures and go to your local post office, about an hour tops. We are planning on travelling a lot more now that our son is older and why not have it. We put the BC's in our luggage just in case something is lost, but passports are so much easier.

and before you know it they will be required to travel most anywhere, even to the caribbean. Barbados had just started to implement the requirement, then changed it's policy, but as soon as more support surrounds it, it will be a requirement. Why wait until the scramble and fees go up even farther.

 

[jerseyjanie]

When we go ANYWHERE I bring the passports for checkin at the airport and at the cruiseline terminal and then for the rest of the trip the passports go into the safe and the credit card size birth certificates come out.

Heidi - I like this idea (I too am paranoid of losing important docs). My question is where do you obtain a "credit card size birth certificate"?

 

[crisi]

Originally posted by MrsPete
I agree with the "stick to the birth certificates" folks. An official copy of your birth certificate (if you don't have one laying around the house) costs $3. For the cost of a passprt, you could have more than 25 birth certificates!

In Minnesota, a birth certificate sets you back $13. Which is still cheaper than getting or replacing a passport (Getting one is $85 - and you'll need a birth certificate if you don't have one).

 

[tvguy]

I have to prove my kids age so often with Little League, Soccer, school, drivers licenses, and trips and some of these organizations can be funny about birth certificates. You will not regret getting a passport.
And next my son is off to Spain and France on a school trip, so he's all set, no panic, he's got his passport.

 

[ksumom]

I read on my application that the credit card copy of the BC is not a qualified copy for travel. This might vary from state to state, but double check before you leave your passport behind.

Also a note, I sent in the application for my DS & DH (both born here in KS) less than a week ago with the $12 fee and they both came the other day. So if you're worried to take your "original" BC just request a certified copy of it to take for the trip. I also sent off for my Certified BC from Ohio at the same time with the $15 fee and haven't recieved it yet, but like I said we're in KS.

How much does a passport cost?

 

[crisi]

$85 if you don't need it expidited.

They aren't cheap. But they are very cool. And if you ever do take a "big" trip, you'll need them. We will likely go to Korea before the kids passports expire.

 

[hydster]

jerseyjanie--Our credit card sized birth certificates are issued in our state by the Vital Statistics and for awhile were the ONLY card issued by the Vital Statistics. They didn't offer the paper ones unless it was for a newborn child but other than that it was credit card or nothing. Very handy. It has the seal of the State of Utah on it, says certified copy, and is laminated in hard plastic. You could probably call your Vital Statistics office and ask them if they offer them.

Also I don't know why they wouldn't be legal anywhere if they are offered by your State they should be just as legal as any other form of a birth certificate as long as it is a certified copy issued from the State of the Birth.

HTH
Heidi

 

[MrsPete]

Just curious: Several people said they were nervous about carrying their original birth certificates. Why?

They can be replaced with one letter and less than $5. I could drive to the courthouse and replace my children's birth certificates in less than an hour. I can understand being nervous if you weren't born in America -- but most of us were.

 

[AnnMorin]

Infact I have THREE sets of our "original birth certificates" ,for all three sets for the three of us it cost less than ONE passport. I have been on seven cruises five with disney and never had the slightest problem with a BC. Why pay all that extra money for a passport? In MA. it costs only 5.00 for a birth certificate...as for the marrige licence I bring mine each time and have never had to show it.

 

[MrsPete]

Thanks, AnnMorin, for letting me know I wasn't missing something here! When my girls were born (6 and 9 years ago), I picked up three official copies of their birth certificates. One copy is permanantly mounted in each girl's scrapbook, and I have two copies in the file cabinet. I've used them for school registration, etc. over the years. Eventually I'll give each girl one copy and I'll still have one left "just in case". No big deal.

As for the cruise . . . I have only a birth certificate. My husband has a passport. We passed through customs with equal speed. And even if passports did speed things up in customs, is five minutes really worth the passport's cost? I don't think so -- unless, of course, you have extinuating circumstances or you have other out-of-country travel planned that would require a passport.

 

[Jillpie]

Mrs. Pete and Ann, I completely agree with you. I am 43 yrs. old and am going on our first cruise next April. I had no idea where my BC was, so I called my hometown's town hall. In two minutes, I found out that all I have to do is send a letter with 5.00 in it and woolaa, my BC will be in the mail. So easy. And cheap! So no passports here.