Help My Birthcertificate Doesn't Have Raised Seal!

[minnie10]

My Dh and myself were born in 64 and 65 in Alabama. Our certificates have no raised seal. What do we do?

 

[rejobako]

Some jurisdictions don't actually use a raised seal. Some simply use a regular stamp and possibly an original signature from a county rep verifying that it is an official copy of a county record. Might want to check with the county on that.

 

[cristit14]

I was born in 68 in Alabama also. The birth certificate that I had here didn't have a raised seal either. I ordered another one from this link
http://ph.state.al.us/chs/VitalRecords/Birth/BIRTH.HTML
When those came they did have a raised seal. You might want to try that if the copies that you have are old. Good luck!

 

[DrCavin]

don't panic yet.. If it is a certified bc your fine. Not all certified bc's have raised seals. If any doubts call DCL & confirm you will be fine.

You can check http://www.vitalchek.com/ to see if you can get a replacment from them

 

[Hollyster2]

I was born in 64 in Los Angeles and the birth certificates don't have a raised seal. They have a purple stamp. It worked fine. The post office and the DCL, and Carnival cruise lines were both familiar with the birth certificates that don't have raised seals. I went to get a passport because I was the only family member who did not have a raised seal on their BC and the post office told me I would be just fine with my original BC.

 

[arlenesp]

I have an old blackand white xerox copy of my 49 bc. It has a raised seal. Used it to get my passport in 95. Since the passport is expiring next month and is so costly to replace I sent away for another copy thru vital records.Well, I got a color copy of the original I have without a seal on it. I could have saved the extra $ as the one I had was good all along.My kids bcs from NY have the raised seal. The original one I had with the kids were hospital birth records. So these had to be replaced.
I still think the passport is the easiest to deal with.May reconsider the renewal.

 

[DrCavin]

I have an old blackand white xerox copy of my 49 bc. It has a raised seal. Used it to get my passport in 95. Since the passport is expiring next month and is so costly to replace I sent away for another copy thru vital records.Well, I got a color copy of the original I have without a seal on it. I could have saved the extra $ as the one I had was good all along.My kids bcs from NY have the raised seal. The original one I had with the kids were hospital birth records. So these had to be replaced.
I still think the passport is the easiest to deal with.May reconsider the renewal.

As of now, if you are going on a DCL cruise after 12/31/05 then you will need a passport.....

 

[ImMarcik]

It was funny for me to be reading this. We got our birth certificates today and they didn't have a raised seal either. But, we are going to get passports so I guess they will let us know if we need another one.

 

[wdwstar]

what happens if your sail date is on dec. 31, 2005 , do you think you will need a passport

 

[DIS NURSE]

BE FORWARNED! I was born in 1969 in Atlanta, Georgia and by BC did not have a raised seal....yes, it had everything else....certified...everything. I sent it off with the rest of my family's who did have raised seals (from Oregon )....and low and behold....my DH, DD, and DS's passoprts arrived! I had this sinking feeling....myine was no where to be found. Sure enough about 10 days later I received a letter from the passport people in South Carolina that mine had been rejected because of the raised seal issue. The only remedy was to contact the state of Georgia and pay extra $$$$, on top of the $315 already spent to apply for all four passports....and hope that I could get Georgia to cooperate in time (they give you 90 days to remedy the situation with a new BC or you start all over and PAY MORE $$$$$!)

I am still in the process of getting my passport...some 3 months later and on pins and needles! Thank goodness we don't sail until November. I highly recommend starting the process WAY before your cruise....and just go ahead and order a better/complete BC from your state of birth or you'll spend time, extra $$, and stress!

The lady in SC told me the cost of BC's and passports is going to increase through the roof as the first on the year approaches, cause they have everyone over a barrel and you'll have to pay whatever they say is the price...no matter what....or you won't cruise!

Good luck.......

 

[ImMarcik]

Wow, thanks for the warning. I still have to get the notarized letter from my DD's father before I can get the passports but I am planning on getting that ASAP. We cruise in November too and I want to go ahead and get it done early so I can breathe easier.