One of the exciting milestones of having a newborn baby is getting them registered. It somehow makes it final. By this point, you and your partner will have decided on the perfect name. You are ready to make it all official.
While it is there may a two ways in which you can obtain your child’s birth certificate you will be surprised how many parents lose them along the way. I don’t think many of us realize when a birth certificate might be needed for our children. So I thought I would explain when you would be likely to be asked to hand it over.
Starting kindergarten
At kindergarten age you child won’t have much identification as proof age and birth date. Which is why when you register for your child to start kindergarten they will ask for the birth certificate. This can also prove the names of the parents to make sure that everything you say is correct. You will also need it if you move or need to change schools throughout their school life then you will need to provide the birth certificate. This will determine, as you child gets older, that they get entered into the correct class for their age.
Before they get married
Before anyone get’s married you need to go through the marriage license process. You need the marriage license before you can proceed with in wedding and ceremony. So when it comes to yourself but also your child, a birth certificate will be asked. So make sure you keep it safe for them for when they will need it. Of course, getting copies can be obtained, but this could be tricky the older they get.
Obtaining their driver’s license
It’s an exciting and nerve-wracking time watching your baby learn to drive. But did you know that they will need to provide their birth certificate to obtain their driver’s license? They may even need to supply it if they have to renew it at any time. Just like the marriage license a driver’s license is an important document where proof of age is necessary before they are accepted.
Travel arrangements
To obtain a passport for your child, you must supply their birth certificate. At a young age, this is mostly what they have as identification for proof of birthdate and age. Sometimes, like when traveling on a cruise, you don’t need a passport, but you will still need identification. This is such an occasion where a birth certificate might come in handy. Another thing to think about will be if you and your child share the same surname. Travel guidelines have been so sewn up recently. If you and their father perhaps split up and never married yourself, you may need to keep the birth certificate with you. This will be for when you travel with your child. It is a worse case scenario, but something to think about.
For playing sports and taking part
In younger sports events there is often an age limit. So if your child wants to take part in such events, you may need to supply their birth certificate. Again this will be for proof of age as the chances are they may not have any other identification to supply.
I hope this will make you more vigilant in keeping your child’s birth certificate safe. Just incase they need it.
