Five Reasons Why You Need Your Birth Certificate
Your US birth certificate is one of the most important IDs you have in your possession. It is a legal document that proves your identity and American citizenship.
Newborns are issued their birth certificate by the office of Vital Records of the state where they were born. Quite often, though, the birth certificate goes lost or gets damaged. As an adult, you will be asked for your birth certificate on several occasions by American institutions and organizations — you do not want to be in the situation of needing one urgently and not having it on hand.
Many wonder why the birth certificate is so important when they already have their national ID and/or passport. If you are one of them and are asking yourself “What do I need a birth certificate for?”, you came to the right place. In this article, you will learn 5 reasons why you need your birth certificate as a US citizen.
1. To Apply for Official Documents
If you are planning to go on holiday outside the US, you will need your passport. And to apply for your passport, you must prove your identity and citizenship. The best way to do so is to provide the Department of State with your birth certificate as part of your passport application.
Other US documents that may require you to submit your birth certificate as part of the application include but are not limited to:
- Driver’s license
- Social security card
- Marriage license
2. To Access Benefits You Are Entitled to
Your birth certificate includes a range of essential information about you and your family. It does not only say who you are, but also how old you are and the names and dates of birth of your parents. In the same way, your name is featured on your child’s birth certificate.
This means that the birth certificate can be used as proof of your eligibility to access resources and services including, among others:
- Social security benefits
- Insurance benefits
- Pension
- Health coverage for your dependants
A birth certificate may not be the only requirement. In most cases, you will also need to provide your social security number/card.
3. To Sign Up for a Variety of Activities and Organizations
Since the birth certificate is the first form of identification most people are issued with and it proves identity and age, you can use it to enroll your kids in school in most states. It is also used by many to sign up for the military.
Public and educational institutions aside, a number of organizations require you to register with a birth certificate. For example, many banks ask for your birth certificate to open an account. Sport organizations request a copy to sign you up for teams and activities.
4. To Learn More about Your Family
Birth certificates represent a crucial source of information for scholars and individuals who are interested in genealogical research. Whether you want to learn more about your own family or are tracing back the history of a place through the people who inhabited it, birth certificates are a wonderful research tool.
Just remember that birth certificates have not always been around in today’s form. Depending on the years you are interested in, you may need to consult church books, marriage licenses, census lists, and military records, just to name a few.
Some people also need genealogy information for a much more practical purpose: proving a genealogical relationship and claiming an inheritance.
5. To Prove Your Identity and Nationality
There are many other instances where you will need your birth certificate. In general, these can be grouped under ‘having to prove your identity and citizenship.’
During court proceedings, for example, you may be asked to provide your birth certificate to identify yourself or to have your gender changed and recognized by law.
If you have been selected for a job position in the US, your employer may need your birth certificate to confirm that you have the right to work in the United States and sign the employment contract.
When traveling or living abroad, you will need your birth certificate not only to have a new passport issued but also to get married or obtain a second nationality.
As you can see, a birth certificate is necessary in a variety of situations. Make sure to keep yours safe and apply for a replacement if it gets lost or stolen.
