Found hubs' original birth certificate, but ...

[eminence_front]

... it doesn't have raised seal, but rather some sort of a three-color stamp certifying that it's *THE* original copy. Hopefully, this will suffice. I figure that the originals have different stamps than the certified copies (which have raised stamps).

[2Cruise4Ever]

Chances are that is the "birth certificate" issued from the hospital where he was born. That WILL NOT be accepted. It needs to be a certified birth certificate issued from the state where he was born. And, not many states have raised seals anymore. Most use paper with a watermark on it. I would contact your state's bureau of vital statistics to order a certified copy of it.

 

 

When is your cruise?

[eminence_front]

Thanks so much for answering this question; this would have saved a lot of potential heartache.

 

But why isn't a hospital-issued birth certificate acceptable? I don't understand. Is it because of 9/11?

[captbill]

But why isn't a hospital-issued birth certificate acceptable? I don't understand. Is it because of 9/11?

 

As it was explained to me, it's because it was not issued by the government.

 

In my case, the only birth certificate my mother or I had ever seen, was pronounced a "novelty certificate" when I applied for a security clearance for work. That same hospital issued birth certificate with it's nifty raised seal had been accepted by several schools, as well as the military when that time came. All of a sudden, it was a worthless novelty item. Go figure! I went ahead and mailed off for a certified original, and shortly thereafter sprung for a passport.

 

This all happened well before the events of 9/11, though I have no doubt they're more aggressive about sticking to the rules now.

[madelinerose]

Simplify your life.....get a passport. ;)

[TrentS]

Simplify your life.....get a passport. ;)

EXACTLY!!!... You'll need one next year anyway, get one now and have it over with.

[gillmom2]

to use the one without a raised seal. My DH and I had to order certified copies for our passports. They will accept no others. We had been traveling for years into Canada with our novelty birth certificates. We would have been up a river without a paddle had anything happened.....:eek: