Short vs long form birth certificate?

[Snyders22000]

Does anyone know if the "short form" birth certificate is acceptable for a minor (all of our kids are under 5 years old) as cruise identification (vs the long form). In our state both the short and long form are certified and have the raised seal. And yes, I know having a passport is preferable but we aren't sure their passports will be back in time for the cruise and want to have a back up plan. Thanks!

 

[Feisty Fairy]

Does anyone know if the "short form" birth certificate is acceptable for a minor (all of our kids are under 5 years old) as cruise identification (vs the long form). In our state both the short and long form are certified and have the raised seal. And yes, I know having a passport is preferable but we aren't sure their passports will be back in time for the cruise and want to have a back up plan. Thanks!

Only long forms.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

Only long forms.

Not the case. Both are accepted.

Sent from my IPad using DisBoards.

 

[Feisty Fairy]

Not the case. Both are accepted. Sent from my IPad using DisBoards.

I thought it had to have both parents full names and that was the difference between long and short.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I thought it had to have both parents full names and that was the difference between long and short.

Yes, the difference between long and short is the parental information. But, the long form is required for passport application. For cruising you just need an official birth certificate (no specification as to whether it's long or short - just official).

 

[Feisty Fairy]

Yes, the difference between long and short is the parental information. But, the long form is required for passport application. For cruising you just need an official birth certificate (no specification as to whether it's long or short - just official).

My bad.

 

[wiigirl]

Yes, the difference between long and short is the parental information. But, the long form is required for passport application. For cruising you just need an official birth certificate (no specification as to whether it's long or short - just official).

 

[tweis]

Yes, the long form is necessary for passports for not for cruising. We found out when it came time to apply for my DH's passport that he had the wrong birth certificate. It did not have his parent's name on it. I really don't get why a BC would not have parent's names but ok...

 

[bcla]

Just came across this thread on a search, and just wanted to chime in.

There's no one meaning for "long form" or "short form" when it comes to birth certificates. However, the most common meaning for "long form" is one that is made from a image of the original archived document, complete with images of the original signatures of the parent(s), certifier, and registrar. A short form most often means an "abstract" that more often than not includes the names of the parents. These days, most abstracts are computer-generated from databases, but in the past they could have been transcribed by typewriter and then certified by the registrar as accurate. However, I've heard of some places that have detailed database forms that they call "long forms". It's like a whole page of information, including parents names, place of birth, etc.

The State Dept now requires that at least one parent's name be on the birth certificate for a routine first-time passport issuance. That wasn't always a given. Some states/counties issued birth certificates without all this info.

Some states issue only abstracts (Hawaii). Others only issue an image of the original (California). Others will produce a "long form" image on request, but issue the abstract for normal business - like Texas.

As for using one on a closed-loop cruise as a US-born US citizen, there really is no difference in terms of acceptance for this purpose. They just want a certified copy complete with an official seal of some sort.

However, I'd just recommend getting a passport. Saves all the hassle of not having the right document. There are literally thousands of different forms issued by different cities, counties, and states that may differ in ways that might mean it won't be accepted. Getting a passport gets that out of the way. If there's an issue, it can be handled well before the trip.