Birth certificate "lost" in the mail

[Zbayette]

Our 23 yr old son lives in another state but for some reason we still had his original birth certificate. We are all going on a cruise together but flying out of different airports, us from NY, him from DC. Due to so many flight cancellations here recently we didn't want to bring his birth certificate to him and give it to him before boarding so we mailed it to him at work (since he is never home during the day)one week ago (11 days before sailing; we just made the cruise reservations less than 2 weeks ago) registered mail. We were assured it would get signatures every step of the way and was the safest way to mail it. Friday we found out it made it to his place of business (presumably) but did not make it to him. Today, a week later he still has not received it. He did find the name of the person who signed for it but no one seems to know who this person is. 4 days left for him to receive it or he can't get on the ship. I guess I'm not looking for answers but I needed to vent. But if anyone has experience with this or has advice I'd love to hear from you.

[Sue L]

do you live near where he was born? If yes, run don't walk to the town hall and get another one. Was 8$ and they did it for my son in 5 minutes. Hopefully you both have cell phones, and can call eachother when you arrive at the ship and meet up. Sorry I don't have better advice but that is all I can come up with. Good Luck!!

[smeyer418]

Our 23 yr old son lives in another state but for some reason we still had his original birth certificate. We are all going on a cruise together but flying out of different airports, us from NY, him from DC. Due to so many flight cancellations here recently we didn't want to bring his birth certificate to him and give it to him before boarding so we mailed it to him at work (since he is never home during the day)one week ago (11 days before sailing; we just made the cruise reservations less than 2 weeks ago) registered mail. We were assured it would get signatures every step of the way and was the safest way to mail it. Friday we found out it made it to his place of business (presumably) but did not make it to him. Today, a week later he still has not received it. He did find the name of the person who signed for it but no one seems to know who this person is. 4 days left for him to receive it or he can't get on the ship. I guess I'm not looking for answers but I needed to vent. But if anyone has experience with this or has advice I'd love to hear from you.

 

You can get another Birth Certicifate in NY by going down to the department of Health and getting it. As a parent you can get it the same day. You don't need the birth cetificate until you get on the ship so just bring it with you....

the site to get a NY City Birth cert is www.nyc.gov/health

[ILov2cruise]

Are you in NYC, if so go to Worth Street (br of vital records) and get a new one. It takes about 15 min.

 

125 Worth Street, Room 133

(located between Centre and Lafayette Streets)

New York, NY 10013

 

walk in service

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vrbappl-5.shtml

[pmshirl]

I would check the mail dept, where your son works at. Someone has to know who this person is that signed for it. Have your son do it from his end. If no luck, then have your son call his Post Office and ask to speak with the carrier who delivers the mail at his work. Ask that carrier what the procedures are when he has a piece of mail that needs to be signed ofr. Such as where does he deliver that type of mail too , and does the carrier recall who may have signed for that register piece that you can not find. Maybe his work has a courier who picks up the mail daily at the Post Office, these are all things he needs to find out, so he can track down who that last person was that signed for it, and where did it go to from there. Good Luck!

[Zbayette]

do you live near where he was born? If yes, run don't walk to the town hall and get another one. Was 8$ and they did it for my son in 5 minutes. Hopefully you both have cell phones, and can call eachother when you arrive at the ship and meet up. Sorry I don't have better advice but that is all I can come up with. Good Luck!!

 

Yes, but I thought he had to go and he doesn't live near where he was born. What do I need to bring, etc? We do all have cell phones so we can connect. i was just afraid we'd have bad weather and couldn't fly out. My husband, daughter and I have passports and could fly to the first port if we missed the ship but he would have to get on in Tampa. That's why we thought it best to have his own birth certificate. I'm going to check out town hall tomorrow even if it makes one of us late for work, thanks!

[Zbayette]

I would check the mail dept, where your son works at. Someone has to know who this person is that signed for it. Have your son do it from his end. If no luck, then have your son call his Post Office and ask to speak with the carrier who delivers the mail at his work. Ask that carrier what the procedures are when he has a piece of mail that needs to be signed ofr. Such as where does he deliver that type of mail too , and does the carrier recall who may have signed for that register piece that you can not find. Maybe his work has a courier who picks up the mail daily at the Post Office, these are all things he needs to find out, so he can track down who that last person was that signed for it, and where did it go to from there. Good Luck!

He has checked the mailroom 3 times, went to the PO, checked with his manager, the courier service, the manager of the building, (who said he will e-mail every manager in the building to ask if they know this person who signed for the mail) and no one even knows him. I'm just afraid someone signed for it under a fake mail and took it thinking it was something useful and found it was useless and ditched it. He hopefully is going to the PO when it opens tomorrow and ask to speak to the carrier who delivered it to his building to ask him directly who this person (what capacity he works in) is who signed for it. I probably will call the PO as well.

[pmshirl]

In't know what the procedures are in NY, but I just tried to get my mother a Bc in Pa (she lost hers and cant get a passport) and the actual person who it is for must send a photo ID and the check or credit card payment must be from that same persons account with their name on it.

[Zbayette]

In't know what the procedures are in NY, but I just tried to get my mother a Bc in Pa (she lost hers and cant get a passport) and the actual person who it is for must send a photo ID and the check or credit card payment must be from that same persons account with their name on it.

 

 

I found this on the internet but it was for a BC over the internet which would take 5 days. I wonder if it would work in person.

 

Who is eligible to obtain a birth certificate copy?

 

• The person named on the birth certificate.
  
• A parent of the person named on the birth certificate (requesting parent's name must be on birth certificate).
  
• Only by order of a New York State Court may a spouse, child or other persons obtain a copy of a birth certificate.

[Zbayette]

You can get another Birth Certicifate in NY by going down to the department of Health and getting it. As a parent you can get it the same day. You don't need the birth cetificate until you get on the ship so just bring it with you....

the site to get a NY City Birth cert is www.nyc.gov/health

 

 

Are you in NYC, if so go to Worth Street (br of vital records) and get a new one. It takes about 15 min.

 

125 Worth Street, Room 133

(located between Centre and Lafayette Streets)

New York, NY 10013

 

walk in service

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vrbappl-5.shtml

 

thanks but I'm in LI.

[pmshirl]

I would thiink as you being the mother, it would work in person. You don't have 5 days to mess around. Go tomorrow to the closest Vital Statistics dept. and explain that you need it YESTERDAY. Good Luck!

[Sue L]

thanks but I'm in LI.

 

 

I am also on LI and my son need one for school, I was able to get it for him because I was his mom. He was born in Smithtown and just went to the town hall and they made it for me in 5 minutes. I actually got a couple of copies so he could have one at college and I still had one at home.

 

All they wanted was his birthdate and I had to show my license. Very easy

[smeyer418]

thanks but I'm in LI.

 

 

You know if you want to complain and keep calling you can. or you can get into the car and go the Town where he was born or the state closest located stat department. Yes someone in his company stole or lost it. I had bookcases taken as well. That is their problem. Your problem is you need a birth certificate. If you get to the ship before him/her get the supervisor and tell them the problem they will look at it(the one you got from the stat department) If he gets there first tell him he will have to wait. this is logistical problem not an insolvable one unless you want to make it so.

 

BTW unless you made it restricted delivery, the Post Office(the maker of stamps) has done what it was supposed to. It delivered it to the address you sent it to and had a person sign for it.

[willysgrandma]

Where was your son born? You would need to go to the municipality he was born in to get a new copy.

[Zbayette]

You know if you want to complain and keep calling you can. or you can get into the car and go the Town where he was born or the state closest located stat department. Yes someone in his company stole or lost it. I had bookcases taken as well. That is their problem. Your problem is you need a birth certificate. If you get to the ship before him/her get the supervisor and tell them the problem they will look at it(the one you got from the stat department) If he gets there first tell him he will have to wait. this is logistical problem not an insolvable one unless you want to make it so.

 

BTW unless you made it restricted delivery, the Post Office(the maker of stamps) has done what it was supposed to. It delivered it to the address you sent it to and had a person sign for it.

well it's 10:25 at night so I'm sure the earliest I can get in the car is tomorrow morning:p . In the meantime I'm trying to find the quickest way to get this bc and miss as little work as possible.

[Zbayette]

Does town hall give you a copy or a new official birth certificate. The internet calls it a "copy"; but will the ship accept whatever they give us?

[smeyer418]

Does town hall give you a copy or a new official birth certificate. The internet calls it a "copy"; but will the ship accept whatever they give us?

 

Its technically an original copy. It will have an official raised seal and be accepted as an original. They know what they are issuing they do it everyday....Its an official birth certifcate but its a copy of the originally issued one when the kid was born. In NYC is called a certificate of birth. I am sure the NY state ones are similar...

 

here is the state's site if it hasn't already been posted

 

http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_records/

 

you may need the help of your local state assembly person or senator to get it issued with out having to go up to Albany....

[Sue L]

Does town hall give you a copy or a new official birth certificate. The internet calls it a "copy"; but will the ship accept whatever they give us?

 

 

They give you a "certified copy" which is exactly what you need. I just checked my son's and his has a raised seal in the bottom right hand corner and says NY dept of Health on the top.

[RareBird]

He has checked the mailroom 3 times, went to the PO, checked with his manager, the courier service, the manager of the building, (who said he will e-mail every manager in the building to ask if they know this person who signed for the mail) and no one even knows him. I'm just afraid someone signed for it under a fake mail and took it thinking it was something useful and found it was useless and ditched it. He hopefully is going to the PO when it opens tomorrow and ask to speak to the carrier who delivered it to his building to ask him directly who this person (what capacity he works in) is who signed for it. I probably will call the PO as well.

 

amazing he had no time to get his birth cert at home, but now he's running all around the building and down to post office to find it. I'm sorry for your situation, you need to run and get him another one, I'm 99.9% sure the mail is lost.

[Zbayette]

amazing he had no time to get his birth cert at home, but now he's running all around the building and down to post office to find it. I'm sorry for your situation, you need to run and get him another one, I'm 99.9% sure the mail is lost.

it's a 5 hr drive each way to come home and he expected to receive it at work today; therefore he spent the day at work rather coming home.

[mollyeilis]

I think rarebird meant that he couldn't take time to be at home for the delivery, but is now searching for it on work time. His home, not yours. :)

 

 

Man oh man does this sound stressful!

 

But I'm pretty sure that parents can get b.certs no problem. After all, you got him his first one! This is all reminding me of how I needed a new certified copy (even the "original"ly received one is still a certified copy of what they have on file) by the time I went to college. So the tattered b.c. in my possession is one with the year I went off to college on it. :D (on the seal, not ON the b.c., obviously, just the date on the seal)

 

I'm assuming you're going to the county where he was born?

 

 

 

to pmshirl, I don't know if PA is like the places I'm familiar with, but the only people allowed easy access to them are the person and their parents. Since you were getting it for your mom, they needed proof that she had authorized you to take possession of it, since you're not the relation with easy access to it.

[Zbayette]

I am also on LI and my son need one for school, I was able to get it for him because I was his mom. He was born in Smithtown and just went to the town hall and they made it for me in 5 minutes. I actually got a couple of copies so he could have one at college and I still had one at home.

 

All they wanted was his birthdate and I had to show my license. Very easy

 

 

Just wanted to thank you so much for sharing what you did in Smithtown; also to smeyer who first mentioned the Town Hall; and to all who said parents could walk in and get their children's birth certificates.

 

I did finally find where his birth certificate records are (every town, village or hospital seems to have their own rules); made a few phone calls and was able to pick up a certified copy this AM. I'm just a little nervous of us not meeting up in Tampa (plane delays, etc), which is what prompted me to send him his bc to begin with. But we're all going to get to our respective airports super early just to be sure. Thanks fropm the bottom of my heart. We are all breathing a sigh of relief for now.

 

My son did go to his PO again this AM and got a different delivery story and he's still looking at work, but it does appear to be truly lost.:(

[takeavacation]

I'm not sure when you are leaving -- but, why not use Fed-x and overnight the bc to him -- requiring HIS signature - even if it is at his work. Fed-x also has same day delivery -- yes, it costs more -- but some things are worth it.

Good luck and happy cruising!:)

[smeyer418]

I'm not sure when you are leaving -- but, why not use Fed-x and overnight the bc to him -- requiring HIS signature - even if it is at his work. Fed-x also has same day delivery -- yes, it costs more -- but some things are worth it.

Good luck and happy cruising!:)

 

I wouldn't let the BC out of my hands again. The worst that will happen is he will have to wait for you to get on the ship or you will ahve to wait for him. Its not like he needs it before than. Stop making mountains out of molehills have him wait. You know once its shame on them if you do it twice and it gets lost again(never happend with Fed Ex?-right) its shame on you.

[Sue L]

Just wanted to thank you so much for sharing what you did in Smithtown; also to smeyer who first mentioned the Town Hall; and to all who said parents could walk in and get their children's birth certificates.

 

I did finally find where his birth certificate records are (every town, village or hospital seems to have their own rules); made a few phone calls and was able to pick up a certified copy this AM. I'm just a little nervous of us not meeting up in Tampa (plane delays, etc), which is what prompted me to send him his bc to begin with. But we're all going to get to our respective airports super early just to be sure. Thanks fropm the bottom of my heart. We are all breathing a sigh of relief for now.

 

My son did go to his PO again this AM and got a different delivery story and he's still looking at work, but it does appear to be truly lost.:(

 

 

So glad it is working out, now don't let it out of your sight!!