Certificate of Live Birth
The U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth is a form that verifies that a baby was born medically alive in the United States. The Certificate of Live Birth is filed with the state and used to register the birth and create the baby’s birth certificate.
The form is typically completed at the hospital or facility where the birth occurred, and it is submitted by mail or electronically to the state, county, or city office responsible for maintaining birth records. The Certificate of Life Birth form asks for the following information:
- The baby’s full name
- The baby’s place, date, and time of birth
- The baby’s gender, race, weight, and other health conditions
- The parents’ full names
- The hospital where the baby was born
- The attending doctors’ or midwives’ names
- The name of the person completing the birth record
The form can be submitted by the baby’s parents, the attending doctors or midwives, or other hospital staff. Once the Certificate of Live Birth has been processed, the vital records office will issue the baby a U.S. birth certificate.
Birth Certificate vs. Certificate of Live Birth
As you can see, a birth certificate and a Certificate of Live Birth are not the same things. A birth certificate is an official vital record that is created using the information gathered by the Certificate of Live Birth.
The birth certificate always remains on file at the vital records office where it was created. When needed, the vital records office will issue a certified copy of the birth certificate. A certified copy of a birth certificate contains information like the:
- Full, legal name
- Place and date of birth
- Gender at birth
- Parents’ names
A certified birth certificate copy will always have a raised, multicolored, or embossed state seal, the registrar’s signature, and the date of issuance. This is the only type of birth certificate copy that can be used as proof of identity, age, and citizenship.
