{"id":144,"date":"2018-04-06T19:01:27","date_gmt":"2018-04-06T19:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/?page_id=144"},"modified":"2025-02-02T00:18:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-02T00:18:59","slug":"ids-getting-your-act-together","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/ids-getting-your-act-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Birth Certificate"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-442 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/birth-certificates-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/birth-certificates-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/birth-certificates-203x270.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/birth-certificates.jpg 338w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 146px) 100vw, 146px\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000080;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHY DO I NEED MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A<em> certified<\/em> copy of your birth certificate may be needed to obtain your social security card, various social services, school enrollment, and obtaining a Maryland driver&#8217;s license or Maryland State ID.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>WHO CAN APPLY FOR A COPY OF MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The following individuals may apply for a certified copy of a birth certificate :<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">An individual requesting his\/her own birth certificate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A&nbsp;parent named on the certificate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A court-appointed guardian of the individual named on the certificate. A foster care appointment is not acceptable; proof of guardianship must be submitted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A surviving spouse of the individual named on the certificate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A representative of: (1) the individual or a parent named on the certificate; or (2) the court-appointed guardian of the individual named on the certificate.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The representative must have a letter signed by the individual, parent, or guardian, and certified by a notary public, stating that the representative has permission to obtain a copy of the certificate<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You will need to fill out an application and pay a fee.&nbsp; If a record cannot be located, the fee is not refunded and a Certification of Record Search will be provided.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>WHERE CAN I FIND A COPY OF THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE APPLICATION?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You can find the application for your birth certificate at this website:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.maryland.gov\/vsa\/Pages\/birth.aspx\">https:\/\/health.maryland.gov\/vsa\/Pages\/birth.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>WHAT DO I NEED TO APPLY FOR MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In order to receive a certificate\u200b, you must have been born in&nbsp;Maryland.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you want to receive your birth certificate the same day, you must present a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID displaying a date issued and an expiration date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you cannot &nbsp;provide a valid photo ID, you will not be able to receive your birth certificate the same day <strong>and<\/strong> you must provide two (2) different pieces of alternative documentation. At least one of these documents must contain your current mailing address. Acceptable documents are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Pay stub<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Current car registration<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Bank statement<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Letter from a government agency requesting a vital record<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Lease\/rental agreement<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Utility bill with current address<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Copy of income tax return\/W-2 form<\/span>\u200b<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>WHERE DO I TAKE MY APPLICATION FOR MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><em>To Order In Person:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You can apply in person at the Division of Vital Records located at:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">6764-B Reisterstown Road<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Baltimore, Maryland &nbsp;21215<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em>Offices are located at the rear of the Reisterstown Road Plaza.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The Division of Vital Records is open 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Offices are closed on State holidays.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><em>To Order By Mail:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To obtain a birth certificate by mail, complete and mail the application with your<strong> $10 payment<\/strong>, a self-addressed envelope, and a photo copy of your Identification to:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Division of Vital Records<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">6764-B Reisterstown Road<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Baltimore, Maryland 2121<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">https:\/\/health.maryland.gov\/vsa\/pages\/dvr.aspx<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><em>To Order Online:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To order online, visit&nbsp;<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.vitalchek.com\/maryland-express-vital-records.aspx\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">www.vitalchek.com<\/span><\/strong>\u200b<\/a>&nbsp;and select the shipping option you prefer. When ordering on-line there is an additional shipping and processing fee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em><strong>To Order by Phone:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To order by phone, you may call&nbsp;<a style=\"color: #000080;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">410-764-3170<\/a>. When ordering by phone there is an additional processing fee.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Turnaround&nbsp;time for a certificate ordered by mail: 3-4 weeks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Turnaround time for&nbsp;processing&nbsp;certificate&nbsp;changes: 6-8 weeks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Turnaround time for processing birth certificate&nbsp;changes to sex designation: 6-10 weeks (customers&nbsp;applying in person will&nbsp;not&nbsp;receive a new certificate the same day).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><u>Exceptions<\/u>:&nbsp;Records of births that took place in Baltimore City from 1875 through 1910 are not available for same day service. Copies of these records can only be mailed and take approximately two weeks to process. Birth records over 100 years are available through the Maryland State Archives located at 350 Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis. Telephone number 410-260-6400.\u200b<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>HOW MUCH IS THE APPLICATION FEE TO OBTAIN MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">There is a $10 fee that must be sent with the application.&nbsp;If a record cannot be located, the certificate fee is not refunded and a Certification of Record Search will be provided.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>ARE THERE ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE FEE IS WAIVED?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Although it is not found on the Maryland Department of Health website, on October 1, 2016, <strong>HB 0280 was passed &#8211; the Birth Certificates Homeless Individual Prohibition on Collecting Fees<\/strong>.&nbsp; The Department cannot collect fees for homeless individuals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Homelessness is defined as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">&#8220;An individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family),<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\">including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\">facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\">resident in transitional housing.\u201d <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A homeless person is an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situation. [Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C., 254b)]<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">&nbsp;An individual may also be considered to be homeless if they are \u201cdoubled up,\u201d a term that refers to<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\">a situation where individuals are unable to maintain their housing situation and are forced to stay<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\">with a series of friends and\/or extended family members<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em><strong>In addition, previously homeless individuals who are to be released from a prison or a hospital may&nbsp;<\/strong><\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em><strong>be considered homeless if they do not have a stable housing situation to which they can return&#8221;<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em><strong>*The Department also does not collect a fee for: (this is on the website)<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">a copy of a certificate of a current or former armed forces member that is requested by the member; or<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">a copy of a certificate of a current or former armed forces member or of a surviving spouse or child of the member, if the copy will be used in connection with a claim for a dependent or beneficiary of the&nbsp;member.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>WHAT DO I DO IF I DON&#8217;T HAVE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you do not have the required documentation to provide with your application, you will need to get some help with this.&nbsp; DHMH will now accept a signed written statement from a homeless services provider in the state that confirms the person is homeless.&nbsp; They will help you to obtain a copy of your birth certificate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If you have contact with your parents, you can ask your parents to apply on your behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>HOW CAN AN ORGANIZATION WORKING WITH REENTRY HELP A CLIENT WHO DOES NOT MEET ID REQUIREMENTS GET A BIRTH CERTIFICATE?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>If you are an organization that helps returning citizens, you can apply on your client&#8217;s behalf.&nbsp; You will need a notary to do this.&nbsp; Here&#8217;s what you need to do:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">If your client has no state ID, you can apply as the applicant on your client&#8217;s behalf. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In the top half of the application form, you can write in your client&#8217;s information<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In the bottom half of the application will be <em><strong>your<\/strong><\/em> name, signature, and address.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">You then need to write a letter on your organization&#8217;s letterhead, signed by you and your client, certifying the client&#8217;s identity,&nbsp; status, and willingness to have you apply on their behalf. <em>You must have this letter notarized; a friend, family member or case manager can present their state ID to vouch for your client&#8217;s identity<strong>.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong style=\"font-size: revert;\">&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; WHY DO I NEED MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE? A certified copy of your birth certificate may be needed to obtain your social security card, various social services, school enrollment, and obtaining a Maryland driver&#8217;s license or Maryland State ID. WHO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/ids-getting-your-act-together\/\" class=\"read-more\">Read More &#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/144"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1398,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/144\/revisions\/1398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}