How do you get a passport without a birth certificate?

[4greatboys]

I don't have any tips for you but if his info was good enough to serve in the military it should be good enough for a passport.

 

[merryweather20]

This isn't particularly helpful, but awhile back someone posted that they didn't have a "Birth Certificate", but that they were provided with an alternate piece of paper because the original was lost in a fire. That piece of paper served as their birth certificate.

Surely your Dad isn't the only one who has needed his Birth Certificate since the fire. They must have some sort of procedure in place.

 

[Tozzie]

Apparently my Dad doesn't exist according to the US government. He is in his 80's and the courthouse in the town where he was born burnt down decades ago and there are no records of his birth.

He served in the military and has his records from the VA. He has a valid US driver's license and a social security card (and even collects SS checks) but he has been denied a passport because he can not produce a birth certificate.

HELP! What else can he do? He wants to go visit my brother who lives in England - he hasn't been to Europe since he was there during WWII with the US military.

He has written to his congressman but not sure if that will help. Anyone ever dealt with this before?

Thanks!

There is a procedure for people who for one reason or another don't have a birth certificate, I have a friend who is going through the process, it involves a bit of legwork but it is can be done. It is good that he served in the military.

Here is a link to the US requirements if you don't have a birth certificate.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/Secondary%20Evidence/Secondary%20Evidence_4315.html

Good Luck

 

[laurafergie]

From the previous link of:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/Secondary Evidence/Secondary Evidence_4315.html

This what you need to do:

Go to your STATE Office of Vital Records - or equivalent for your state. Have them do a search for your father's birth certificate.

When that search comes up empty - have them issue a "State Issued Letter of No Record" It must contain his name, his date of birth, the years time frame for which the birth certificate was searched and an acknowledgment by the state that no birth certificate was found.

This Letter MUST be presented WITH a combination of any following records:

# Baptismal certificate
# Hospital birth certificate
# Census record - (You can search the 1930 census for free at your public library OR through www.heritagequestonline.com if you have a library card) If you have trouble finding him, I will be glad to help you, I am a big genealogy buff - PM me if you want.)
# Early school record
# Family bible record
# Doctor's record of post-natal care

- Basically it means ANYTHING that a second party would have written that mentions your father in the time frame of his youth.

But the key to this is State Letter of No Record - without that, you can't get the passport.

Take these records to the Passport Office along with a print out of the above mentioned link, so you know where you stand - Then he should be able to get his passport.

Good Luck.

 

[bumbershoot]

If he was honorably discharged from the military I would think that is the most important piece of military paperwork he can use.

The link given, that has allll the ideas that everyone has suggested, states specifically and clearly that military discharge papers are NOT acceptable.


I figure this is b/c, especially back then, they could so easily be falsified. My own FIL just about got away with joining the Navy at 15, but they did catch him and he had to wait a year or so and have his father's signature.

His own grandfather left the States to join the Canadian military to go fight in Europe during the conflict later called WW1, before the US was involved. So his military papers would be Canadian, even though he was not.

 

[almburr]

If it was a home birth from that time there wouldnt be a birth certificate.

 

[Binnie]

My grandfather didn't have a birth certificate, either, and it was a real problem for him when he was applying for his top secret clearance during the 1950s.

From what I recall, the family bible was used, but insufficient, so his sister who was a child when he was born, had to write a letter stating that she was in the room when he was born.

I doubt that helps, but if there is anyone still around from that era who was at the birth, maybe it could work.

 

[SereneOne]

We have the same problem, only my husband was born in Germany.

His father was military and married his mom while in Germany. They came to America when he was four.

We wanted his passport to take a cruise and then decided on something different. However, we do need to get him one.

He served in the Navy on subs, so hopefully we can get some help there.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Thank you to everyone. I'll contact the Vital Statistics office on Monday and see about the No Record documentation.

My Dad was born at home and his Mother died when he was very small. His Dad couldn't take care of all 10 kids so he, along with his siblings, were passed around from relative to relative until he joined the Navy at age 15 or 16 (with his Dad's signature for permission). The problem seems to be that he has no secondary record such as baptismal, school or doctor records. Anyone who was present at his birth is long deceased. His parents, aunts, uncles and all of his brothers and sisters have already passed. He's the oldest living member of the family.

He has contacted his congressman but I will tell him to also contact the senators for help.

He has been to both the post office and the passport office already. They have been less than helpful.

So far I have not been able to find him on the 1930 census - his family lived in a rural area at the time so not even sure they were counted.

 

[ChristmasElf]

Email and write the president! It's worth a shot.

State senators and U.S. senators from your state.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I have to say it's kind of ridiculous. I know they can't be too careful but if you are providing all of these other documents, especially military documentation, I can't imagine how frustrating that would be to be denied a passport.

This is a GREAT idea!! Considering that he was able to get elected as President without having to provide a "real" Birth Certificate

Ancestry.com may be of some help with your search. Good Luck I hope your Dad is able to go visit his son.

 

[kbeverina]

My friend's mother-in-law went through this in 2003--she was adopted and had no birth certificate. She was eventually able to get a passport in Maryland, but it wasn't easy. I think she did eventually get it without any supporting documents because she was too young to be on the census reports and, being adopted, she had no one who was actually present when she was born.

I have an account at ancestry.com and would be happy to help you look if you want to pm me the details.

 

[chisnpeke]

If it was a home birth from that time there wouldnt be a birth certificate.

Wow really? That's very interesting.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Military records of service are of no use becasue you do not have to be a US citizen to join the US military. Service, though admirable, does not mean citizenship.

Get the no record letter and go from there with all of teh secondary documentation you can find. Maybe a library near where he was born might have old newspapers on micro-fiche with a birth announcement?

 

[disneymarie]

He was honorably discharged. He has all of that paperwork already and was told that wasn't enough to get a passport.

He was born in 1927 so I am hoping he shows up in 1930 census records but his family lived in a rural area so not sure if they were part of the census or not.

My husband, was born at home he is only 62, they issued us a birth certificate for his passport based on doumentation of baptismal records, his draft, The driver license and social security card. Somehow a home birth must have had documents some place, he just never had a certificate. Not even when we got married.

Then he took that birth certificate to get his pass post.
I do not know how they registered his birth for school? maybe the church records.

The vital records office in the state can provide information how to have a BC issued.