Birth Certificate question

[slyster]

Hi, so I'm waiting for my new passport to arrive.  The photo was rejected and I sent a new photo back a few weeks ago.  In the meantime, if I don't get the passport in time for my cruise (leaves end of August), I do have a certified birth certificate issued in 2001.  Is the issuance date ever a problem?  I'm assuming no, but it is 18 years old and I wanted to make sure because it's all I have.  I would have enough time to order a newer one if recommended. I will also say I used this birth certificate for my first couple of cruises before I got an official passport.  Thanks in advance!

[DonnaK]

Assuming you are a US citizen taking a closed loop cruise from a US port, you can use a birth certificate and a government issued photo ID such as a driver's license.  Married women need a bridging document such as a marriage license to connect the names on the BC and the ID if they are different (many people report not being asked for the bridging document, but the cruiseline guidelines say that you need it, and do you really want to risk not being able to board if you cannot bridge or connect the names on your documents).  It doesn't matter what date the BC was issued - it does not expire.

Edited July 22, 2019 by DonnaK

[hancock]

Your birth certificate is fine.  Don't worry.

[jagsfan]

Your birth certificate is good for your lifetime, but your new passport will probably arrive before you finish packing. 

[sparks1093]

The only time that issue date is an issue is for those issued by Puerto Rico. Due to state law I believe they have to be issued after July 1, 2010. So as long as you weren't born there you are ok.

[SRF]

Also, it needs to be a government issued BC.  Not a hospital issued one.

 

This is a more recent change.

[SuiteLady]

I ran into a problem with my birth certificate because the one I had was before they listed parent's or something on it!  I had to get a new birth certificate when I went to get my passport.  Thank God I had plenty of time, but I did actually go to the Dept of Vital Statistics so I could get the new birth certificate the same day.......

[sparks1093]

54 minutes ago, SuiteLady said:

I ran into a problem with my birth certificate because the one I had was before they listed parent's or something on it!  I had to get a new birth certificate when I went to get my passport.  Thank God I had plenty of time, but I did actually go to the Dept of Vital Statistics so I could get the new birth certificate the same day.......

Your birth certificate needs to have parents' names on it for getting a passport, not so for using it for a cruise as any official birth certificate will work (many states offer several options for birth certificates, including wallet sized ones).

[Merion_Mom]

4 hours ago, slyster said:

Hi, so I'm waiting for my new passport to arrive.  The photo was rejected and I sent a new photo back a few weeks ago.  In the meantime, if I don't get the passport in time for my cruise (leaves end of August), I do have a certified birth certificate issued in 2001.  Is the issuance date ever a problem?  I'm assuming no, but it is 18 years old and I wanted to make sure because it's all I have.  I would have enough time to order a newer one if recommended. I will also say I used this birth certificate for my first couple of cruises before I got an official passport.  Thanks in advance!

 

Sarah, your question sort of made me giggle.

 

How can a certified birth certificate being "old" matter?  Most would have been issued, you know, at birth.  😉  So it would be as old as you are.  😁

 

If issued more recently, it would be even less of a problem.  😎

[doverboy]

You live in Severn park Md. You could have made an appointment at the Passport office, used up a day of your time, and had the passport issued while there.

[slyster]

23 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Sarah, your question sort of made me giggle.

 

How can a certified birth certificate being "old" matter?  Most would have been issued, you know, at birth.  😉  So it would be as old as you are.  😁

 

If issued more recently, it would be even less of a problem.  😎

LOL  Ok...I'm laughing at myself now!  Thank you for being gentle in your response though.  I'll use it!  I get sort of paranoid/panicky when my norm (using a passport) changes and I was afraid of any surprises.  If you knew me, you would not be surprised that I asked such a question.  If my friends could see me now LOL!  Thank you!   

[slyster]

Thanks everyone!  It's round trip from San Juan, PR.  It was ordered from Vital Statistics  so it is a valid, certified birth certificate.  I am an American citizen (born and raised near Washington DC) so all of that should be good.  Thanks for taking the time to alieve some of my anxieties about it.   

[slyster]

42 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Your birth certificate needs to have parents' names on it for getting a passport, not so for using it for a cruise as any official birth certificate will work (many states offer several options for birth certificates, including wallet sized ones).

I saw it yesterday and it does have both my parents name on it.  It has my mom's maiden name on it and even though I am married I kept my last name!  So no name changes in 18 years either.

[Merion_Mom]

2 minutes ago, slyster said:

I saw it yesterday and it does have both my parents name on it.  It has my mom's maiden name on it and even though I am married I kept my last name!  So no name changes in 18 years either.

 

We all need to do that.  It would make life so much easier, in virtually all ways.  

[jagsfan]

5 hours ago, SRF said:

Also, it needs to be a government issued BC.  Not a hospital issued one.

 

This is a more recent change.

The hospital issued birth certificate wasn’t even acceptable 30 years ago. It’s basically a souvenir. 

[ONECRUISER]

4 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Sarah, your question sort of made me giggle.

 

How can a certified birth certificate being "old" matter?  Most would have been issued, you know, at birth.  😉  So it would be as old as you are.  😁

 

If issued more recently, it would be even less of a problem.  😎

Know my Original, Certified, was the old style Microfiche copy Black style. Took that on my first couple Cruises 30+ yrs ago but don't think those are exceptable anymore

Edited July 22, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[cb at sea]

NO...if the STATE issued it (not the hospital)!...then you're fine.  Doesn't matter if it has a "raised" seal anymore...they don't do that nowadays, anyway.  As long as it's certified by the STATE of your birth, it's fine.  Most folks certified BC's are from the year they were born!

 

[cruiseguy1016]

53 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

NO...if the STATE issued it (not the hospital)!...then you're fine.  Doesn't matter if it has a "raised" seal anymore...they don't do that nowadays, anyway.  As long as it's certified by the STATE of your birth, it's fine.  Most folks certified BC's are from the year they were born!

 

 

Wrong once again. In some states a birth certificate is not certified until it has the raised seal stamp on it. Some states don't use a raised seal but others still do.

[brillohead]

6 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Know my Original, Certified, was the old style Microfiche copy Black style. Took that on my first couple Cruises 30+ yrs ago but don't think those are exceptable anymore

It better be acceptable, because it's the only version that I'll ever be able to have. 

 

I was adopted, and a "fake" birth certificate was issued by the state listing my adoptive mother and adoptive father as my parents at birth, and it's only available as the white-text-on-black-background version.  

It's what I sent in for my passport to be issued, and was accepted just fine.
 

[SRF]

8 hours ago, jagsfan said:

The hospital issued birth certificate wasn’t even acceptable 30 years ago. It’s basically a souvenir. 

 

People have cruised with them, but then had a cruise it was not accepted.

 

Same with passport issuance.  

[waterbug123]

13 hours ago, jagsfan said:

The hospital issued birth certificate wasn’t even acceptable 30 years ago. It’s basically a souvenir. 

 

I have a good friend who cruised multiple times with her hospital-issued birth certificate within the last 30 years.  It was only about 15 years ago that it became a problem.  She went on a cruise and was told she couldn't use it after going on at least half a dozen cruises with it prior.  She had to be taken aside for some questioning but was let on and told to get an official BC which she did, after the cruise.

[ONECRUISER]

7 hours ago, brillohead said:

It better be acceptable, because it's the only version that I'll ever be able to have. 

 

I was adopted, and a "fake" birth certificate was issued by the state listing my adoptive mother and adoptive father as my parents at birth, and it's only available as the white-text-on-black-background version.  

It's what I sent in for my passport to be issued, and was accepted just fine.
 

Know there is somewhere I needed it and was told not exceptable, might been a post 9/11 issue. Not sure what they do in your situation. County office was 5 miles from my House I ran in got new style in couple hrs. Now I can order extras online, did it when my Ex needed copies of our kids BC and our Marriage License when she got US Govt job to submit for her Security Clearance

Edited July 23, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[Homosassa]

OP, if you were born in Maryland, make sure the birth certificate is not Maryland's cereal box top version that is issued at birth or issued unless one requests the full form.

 

The box top is not acceptable, even to Maryland DMV, for anyone requiring a birth certificate for ID purposes.

 

We needed to obtain the full version for my daughter. Because we lived in Howard County (had just moved from Severn), it was easy to go into Baltimore and obtain the full form.

 

I do have to say the certified copy is embarrassing to show anyone. The clerk who had to pull the information and type the information on the form made an embarrassing amount of typos with corrections.  For a state that ranks so high in the country for standards of education, it look like something that might have been issued in the state that ranks at the bottom.

[ONECRUISER]

6 hours ago, SRF said:

 

People have cruised with them, but then had a cruise it was not accepted.

 

Same with passport issuance.  

Many times was hit and miss. Watch thoses Cruise shows and a few could not board with and having a BC or a ML No chain of name change. In Jan 2002 my now Ex and I took our last Cruise together, first 10niter. Had to drive 90min to airport and fly to Port day ahead of time. Got to Airport and she had forgot her Wallet. No ID. Me always prepared at least had both our Birth Certificates and our Marriage Licence. Some how we got lucky, flew on plane and got on the ship without her having any pictured ID. This right after 9/11 when Security was really tight. I was Active Duty, might been some help...

Edited July 23, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[fdthird]

14 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Know my Original, Certified, was the old style Microfiche copy Black style. Took that on my first couple Cruises 30+ yrs ago but don't think those are exceptable anymore

I had one like that from NYC issued in 1950 that I’d used for everything from driver’s license to US Passports, but when we moved from NY to NJ a couple of years ago, there was some question if NJ MVC would accept that style.  They ultimately did (after finding an older supervisor to approve it), but it was strongly suggested I apply for a new one.  $40 later and I have a nice new computer issued birth certificate from NYC, without a raised seal!