SDMIKE I need your expertise on Birth Certificates!!!!

[cherylroslyn]

I have an urgent question about a Birth Certificate from the City of San Diego.

 

I have a roll call member for my cruise who is sailing for the first time for her honeymoon. Neither of them have passports and one of them was born in San Diaego. The San Diego Birth Certificate does not have a raised seal.

 

I did a search for the young couple because a bunch of us on the roll call were advising them to make sure it is an official certificate with a raised seal and not a copy.

 

Passports would be too pricey for them right now, so I am trying to get them the best informations so that they can enjoy their honeymoon.

 

I know you are a wealth of information on basically everything!!!

 

 

Thanks in advance!!!

[bakerintn]

I would have them check with the City of San Diego.

 

I thought that the official birth certificates were managed by each state, not city. I had one in California (1940 era) from the hospital and the city of Pasadena, but the "real" one came as a print out from microfilm with a raised seal from the State.

 

Here is a link that may be helpful:

 

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/pages/certifiedcopiesofbirthdeathrecords.aspx

[vols_159]

Passports to expensive? Better than being denied boarding at the pier..

[garycarla]

I am not SDMike... so I guess I should not answer.

 

But - check with each state as to what is the OFFICIAL birth certificate.

[emcelh]

Not all state issued birth certificates have a raised seal. Just make sure it's an official state issued document. My daughter had to order one from the State of Virginia, where she was born, to apply for a passport and it has a hologram in the paper instead of a raised seal.

[roger001]

I was born in San Diego and about 4 years ago had to get a new birth certificate so I could get a passport. The certificate I had dated back to my birth in '42 and was not accepted by the passport office.

 

To get what you need, you need to contact the County of San Diego, assessor/recorder/county clerk. That office issues birth certificates for San Diego. It took about three weeks as I remember. The birth certificate will be reproduced on a watermarked sheet of official paper. It is titled State of California, Certification of Vital Record. It does not have a raised seal on it. It does have rough edged watermarked seal of the Co. Clerk's office. And the watermarked document does say "any alterations or erasure voids this certificate".

[DCT61]

I dont believe my birth certificate from the city of San Diego (1961) has a raised seal either. Never have had a problem with it, and I have been issued a passport from it.

[dwjoe]

It is a myth that birth certificates require a raised seal. Many jurisdictions do not use raised seals. As long as the BC is issued by a government authority, it will work. They will also need government photo ID e.g. a driver's license to go along with the BC.

 

Note: this applies to US citizens on a closed loop cruise i.e. one that begins and ends in the same US port.

[dwjoe]

Passports to expensive? Better than being denied boarding at the pier..

They won't be denied boarding as long as they follow the rules outlined by the government and by NCL.

 

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

"Closed Loop" Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

 

http://www.ncl.com/faq#documentation

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

For round-trip sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you may sail with either a valid passport, proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver’s license with a photo), or any other WHTI compliant document.

Proof of Citizenship examples include:

• State certified U.S. birth certificate
  
• Original certificate of U.S. naturalization
  
• Original certificate of U.S. citizenship
  
• U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad.
  
• Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.
  
• A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.
  

[philip_eunice1]

How much is two new passports

How many in the role call

Divide one into the other and get them a nice wedding present and take away there stress

Just a suggestion

[SissasMomE]

Crazy to travel w/out a passport.

[DMH15]

How much is two new passports

How many in the role call

Divide one into the other and get them a nice wedding present and take away there stress

Just a suggestion

 

Maybe someone in their family would gift them. Or at least loan them thr money.

[TravelDiva88]

Crazy to travel w/out a passport.

 

Not really. It's perfectly legal to cruise with ID+birth cert on a closed-loop cruise. The chance of being injured or left behind are small as long as you take precautions and make well-thought-out decisions.

 

I have a passport. DH does not. We both have Enhanced Driver's Licenses (issued in some US border states) that have the same paperwork requirements as a passport re: establishing ID. It's valid by itself (no birth certificate needed) for land/sea entry into the US. We don't even take our Birth Certificates with us any more since the EDL is sufficient as a stand-alone document.

 

If we plan an international trip with a flight, at that point DH will get a passport.

 

Passports to expensive? Better than being denied boarding at the pier..

 

If this is for the cruise in August, we're talking about $450 for expedited passports.

 

 

 

OP- Have them call the office of vital records and inquire as to how much a certified copy of a birth certificate would be. If they don't reside near the county of birth, there are companies online where you can order a certified copy of your birth certificate. I've used VitalCheck in the past when I needed a copy ASAP.

[cherylroslyn]

Not really. It's perfectly legal to cruise with ID+birth cert on a closed-loop cruise. The chance of being injured or left behind are small as long as you take precautions and make well-thought-out decisions.

 

I have a passport. DH does not. We both have Enhanced Driver's Licenses (issued in some US border states) that have the same paperwork requirements as a passport re: establishing ID. It's valid by itself (no birth certificate needed) for land/sea entry into the US. We don't even take our Birth Certificates with us any more since the EDL is sufficient as a stand-alone document.

 

If we plan an international trip with a flight, at that point DH will get a passport.

 

 

 

If this is for the cruise in August, we're talking about $450 for expedited passports.

 

 

 

OP- Have them call the office of vital records and inquire as to how much a certified copy of a birth certificate would be. If they don't reside near the county of birth, there are companies online where you can order a certified copy of your birth certificate. I've used VitalCheck in the past when I needed a copy ASAP.

Thank you very much, this is very helpful.

[cherylroslyn]

I was born in San Diego and about 4 years ago had to get a new birth certificate so I could get a passport. The certificate I had dated back to my birth in '42 and was not accepted by the passport office.

 

To get what you need, you need to contact the County of San Diego, assessor/recorder/county clerk. That office issues birth certificates for San Diego. It took about three weeks as I remember. The birth certificate will be reproduced on a watermarked sheet of official paper. It is titled State of California, Certification of Vital Record. It does not have a raised seal on it. It does have rough edged watermarked seal of the Co. Clerk's office. And the watermarked document does say "any alterations or erasure voids this certificate".

Thank you very much:)

[sdmike]

Sure is strange seeing my name in a topic! :)

 

You received good advice. The San Diego County Dpt of Vital Records provides raised seal birth certificates, but ONLY for births in the last two years.

 

For older birth certificates they would need to contact the San Diego County Recorder/Assessor's office. They will issue a certified birth certificate in person or by mail...not by phone. Here is their website:

 

https://arcc.sdcounty.ca.gov/Pages/birthdeath-certificates.aspx

 

Here is the mail-in form required:

 

https://arcc.sdcounty.ca.gov/Documents/mailbirthapp.pdf

 

This form needs to be notarized as proof of the requestor's identity, and it take 2-3 weeks to get the birth certificate.

 

Their phone number is (619) 236-3771 if your friend needs more information

[cherylroslyn]

Sure is strange seeing my name in a topic! :)

 

You received good advice. The San Diego County Dpt of Vital Records provides raised seal birth certificates, but ONLY for births in the last two years.

 

For older birth certificates they would need to contact the San Diego County Recorder/Assessor's office. They will issue a certified birth certificate in person or by mail...not by phone. Here is their website:

 

https://arcc.sdcounty.ca.gov/Pages/birthdeath-certificates.aspx

 

Here is the mail-in form required:

 

https://arcc.sdcounty.ca.gov/Documents/mailbirthapp.pdf

 

This form needs to be notarized as proof of the requestor's identity, and it take 2-3 weeks to get the birth certificate.

 

Their phone number is (619) 236-3771 if your friend needs more information

Thank you so much, I hope I did not embarass you or anything. I wish there was a way to privately message on this forum.

 

I had seen you posting on this subject in a search and then realized it was about San Diego as well (never realizzed the SD stood for San Diego...lol). I just trusted your advice, and I feel like I know you from your Epic review...I sailed Epic right after you, so you were my Epic tutor!!!!!!

[sdmike]

Thank you so much, I hope I did not embarass you or anything. I wish there was a way to privately message on this forum.

 

I had seen you posting on this subject in a search and then realized it was about San Diego as well (never realizzed the SD stood for San Diego...lol). I just trusted your advice, and I feel like I know you from your Epic review...I sailed Epic right after you, so you were my Epic tutor!!!!!!

 

haha No, not embarrassed, just surprised :)

 

The risk of focusing it on me is that qualified people might not look, and I may not be around for some reason. You got good advice though. I would have put "advice on getting a san diego birth certificate" as the subject. I CERTAINLY would have read that one. :)

 

I hope your friends solve their problem. Looks pretty straight forward

[cascole]

I'm born & raised in SD as well as my kids... the certified birth cert i have from 04 is bar coded on special pink/blue paper with a clerk signature (not a wet/original sig) at the bottom. Before 04 it was a serial # with a flat stamp & clerk sig. Never had a problem wirh them to obtain passport or for my youngest to cruise.

 

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