Who your legally file birth certificates for newborns?

Answer 1

The laws vary from state to state, but for the most part, the mother or father cannot do this. It is the hospital that files the birth certificate. The physician or midwife will get the information about the parents' names and then complete the rest of the information about when and where the baby was born: birth weight, time of birth, etc. The hospital then submits the form to the state's Department of Vital Records, the state's Department of Health, or whichever agency maintains these documents. Many hospitals will give a souvenir copy of the birth record to the parents, but this is usually not an official document. Once the official birth certificate information is submitted from the hospital (and these days, it tends to be submitted to the state electronically), it takes about two to three weeks for the certificate to be registered and placed on file in the appropriate state office.

There are exceptions to this procedure: one is if a birth did not occur at a hospital with a doctor in attendance (doctors can file the needed information); in some states, the birth parent(s) may go to probate court to register the birth, but their word alone is not enough. They must provide signed affidavits from parties other than themselves, verifying that the birth did occur, the time, the place, etc. But since procedures vary from state to state, you may want to check with the particular state in which you reside, to find out their rules.

Answer 2

If you are an adult- only YOU can get a copy of your birth certificate. And then - only with proper, verifiable identification. If you are a parent or guardian of a minor you can get a copy by presenintg YOUR identification or papers from the court declaring you the guardian. Things have gotten VERY tight with the release of this information now, due to the increase in identity theft.