Think I got them all...
OK, well... I compiled the info from this thread... I didn't list the sources, and I combined and/or edited some of the responses... I hope that's acceptable. I wasn't trying to step on any toes, simply make it a bit more streamlined. I also only included U.S. states at this time, not Canadian provinces or other countries.
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The information is listed alphabetically by state. However, even within states, requirements may vary from county to county. Furthermore, this collection is based on personal experiences; they may be out of date or inaccurate. Be sure to call your local health department or county clerk’s office to get accurate, up-to-date information. That said, most places will ask for the same thing:
#1) your ID
#2) proof of pregnancy (it’s a good idea to take an “official” test somewhere, such as a family doctor or a family planning place) OR a doctor’s form or statement of prenatal care (a note from an OB with an EDD is good)
#3) proof of residence (utility bill or lease or such)
#4) proof of live birth (You can get hand-written statements from three people whether or not they were there. This would include their names, addresses, and signatures, and a basic statement saying that you were personally known to them and that you were pregnant and that you had a baby, boy/girl-weighing #, on such and such a day and time. This does not say they were there, just that they know you and know that you had this baby.
#5) Father’s ID and signature
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States currently missing from this list:
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Iowa
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming
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ALABAMA
Call the health department and they send you a packet from Montgomery within days. You can also get one in person from the local health department. Here is the number for the Montgomery Home Birth Clerk who can send the packet and answer questions: 334-206-2714. The fees are $12 if within the first year, with $4 for each additional copy. It rises to $20 if after one year. The application is very basic. It asks for the child’s name, the mother’s name, and the father’s name.
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The Application to Establish a Birth Certificate for a Home Birth that Occurred Less Than Five Years Ago:
1. To prove the pregnancy of the mother -
Provide name, address and daytime phone number of a medical doctor (unrelated to you) who treated or performed lab work on the mother while she was pregnant OR provide a notarized statement from mother's employer which indicates the mother was granted maternity leave and the dates for that.
2. To prove the infant was born alive -
Provide name and all that other stuff of medical doctor who treated the child since birth (labs, shots, etc.) OR The same information from a county health department
3. To prove it occurred in Alabama -
If occurred at the mother’s residence, provide a utility bill that covers the time frame when the birth occurred OR Provide statement from an official or state or local government agency that indicates mother was receiving services at that time.
HOME BIRTH WORKSHEET:
(Seems to be mostly for statistical purposes)
Names, address, DOB, level of education for mom and dad, race, SSN, occupation, how much weight you gained during the pregnancy, if you smoked, drank or did drugs, maiden name, were you married when you gave birth.
DELIVERY AND MEDICAL INFORMATION:
Place of birth, attendant's name (box for Mother Only or Other where you could put dad, presumably) date of birth, time, sex, single or twins, etc. Birth weight, estimate of gestation, Apgar and other information that would not be applicable for a home birth, any abnormailites, etc. Some info on mom, prenatal care, etc.
ALASKA
You need the original copies of:
- Proof of pregnancy
- Proof of residency
- Proof of birth / baby
ARIZONA
Requirements to Register Births for Non-electronic Hospitals and Home Births Within 7-Day Timeframe
From birth to 7 days, one of the parties who was present during or immediately after the birth (a midwife, physician, nurse, the child’s father, mother, or other family member of legal age, or any other witness) can submit it for registration.
If the Certificate of Live birth is received by mail and the envelope is postmarked within 7 days after the birth, the certificate shall be processed under this timeframe.
1. Certificate of Live Birth must be completed and signed by the informant and attend and must be forwarded to the County or State Vital Records within 7 days after birth.
2. If the parents are not married, an Acknowledgement of Paternity or Court Ordered Paternity must be submitted before the father's name can be entered on the birth certificate.
Requirements for Late Registration (More than 7 days but less than 1 year)
Submit the following documents to register the birth:
a. A completed, signed certificate of live birth (must be signed by informant and attendant)
b. Medical record on the mother; if the mother had the child at home and the mother does not have any medical records, a utility bill from the month and year in which the child was born with the mother's name and address listed, public assistance documents that prove mother was present in Arizona at the time of birth or other documents confirming that the mother was present in Arizona at the time of birth will be required.
c. Medical/delivery records on the child; if the child was born at home and does not have any medical records, then a church record on the child or public assistance documents can be submitted to meet this requirement.
d. The mother or legal guardian registering the birth must provide a driver's license or a state-issued identification card that includes the mother's name and current address on the face of the ID.
e. If the parents are not married, an Acknowledgement of Paternity or Court Ordered Paternity must be submitted before the father's name can be entered on the birth certificate.
ARKANSASCALIFORNIA
Here's a midwife's page that talks a bit about how to file:
http://www.gentlebirth.org/ronnie/calinfo.html.
Alameda: Call and request a homebirth packet, and go in within a year to see the guy who sends it out with it all filled out and the required paperwork in hand, and he's really nice and it's taken care of. It is different if you wait until after a year to file.
San Diego: Call your city's Vital Statistics office for the information pack. They will mail it out to you; it should arrive quickly.
COLORADO
You will need two notarized affidavits stating you were pregnant (or proof of prenatal care) and the baby’s medical records.
CONNECTICUT
DELAWAREFLORIDA
Take the baby to the health department the very first day and they fill out the papers there; this might not require any further proof.
GEORGIA
The forms required are available on the GA Friends of Midwives website. You will need:
- Photo ID
- Proof of pregnancy (Officially the state will not accept your own personal record of care; however, in practice, they sometimes do.)
- Proof of residency (a utility bill, a copy of homeowner’s insurance, or a copy of mortgage paperwork)
- 2 affidavits of attendance. (The mother can be one of the witnesses.) If there are no 2 witnesses, you can get a signed affidavit from a licensed physician describing his/her knowledge of the mother prior to the birth and knowledge of the newborn resulting from his/her examination of the infant.
They also reserve the right to require supplemental information and/or a home visit by a public health nurse or other health professional before issuing a birth certificate. If you do not have a record of medical care for the child, they might check the baby out immediately at the local health department.
HAWAIIIDAHO
You need to call vital statistics to get a homebirth worksheet. If it is just you and your partner you are the informant and your partner is certifier. If there is ANYONE else there regardless of if they did anything, they are the certifier, even if they were watching the kids in the basement. You only need proof of pregnancy and proof of address (with one or both of your names on it). Paperwork and proofs needs to be mailed in within 15 days of the birth. If it isn't you get a warning and a couple extra days. Anything after a month is considered late and you will get something else that has less standing in a legal sense. After you mail it in they will send you another sheet that you and your spouse (or the certifier) will sign. You mail that one back in as well and then they send you the birth certificate.
Also: They will not accept birth pictures or belly photos. However, three impartial witnesses make a legal document when signed and notarized. It is quite easy for three neighbors to go down to a notary and sign a piece of paper swearing you were pregnant.
ILLINOISChicago:
You will need:
- Photo ID and proof of address
- A notarized letter from a third party (preferably a doctor) aware of your pregnancy
- A letter from a doctor who has seen the baby, stating they are healthy.
- 2 affidavits from the mother and father that need to be completed and notarized; you can download affidavits off the website. ttp://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/077005000000300R.html
If the baby is less than three months old, you will have to go through the County Board of Health. If the baby is older than 3 months but less than a year, you have to go through the County Clerk's office. If the child is more than three days but less than one year of age on the date of the application, the local registrar may require the parent or legal guardian to appear in person with the child. The Certificate of Live Birth shall be signed by
- the physician in attendance at or immediately (within 72 hours) after the birth OR
- any other person in attendance at or immediately (within 72 hours) after the birth OR
- the father or the mother OR
- the person in charge of the premises where the birth occurred.
When the certificate is signed by the father, mother, or the person in charge of the premises, it shall be accompanied by a statement by the physician who later gave medical care or a sworn statement by a third party present at the delivery or having personal knowledge of the delivery.
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Cook County:
You need:
- A note from a doctor
- Two notarized affidavits (from the mother and father) that you can get online
- Information about LMP, any blood work, prenatal care, etc. but no documents are needed
- Marriage certificate (if the parents are married)
Mother's affidavit:
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/...ZZ9996haR.html
Father's affidavit:
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/...ZZ9996hbR.html
Board of Health (312) 744-3798, ask for Mrs. Farmer; it's easiest to reach her in the late morning.
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DuPage County: Call the Health Department (vital records) instead of the county clerk for home births. 630-221-7381. You can't get the packet until after the baby's born. After filling it out and bringing it in, they'll type it up (takes 45 minutes), and you'll need to have both parents there to sign the birth certificate. There will also be a third-party form in the packet.
INDIANA
-proof of pregnancy and/or prenatal care
-proof of residence
-proof of a baby (has to be a doctor visit form)
-witness statements
-photo ID
-father’s ID
IOWAKANSAS
In Kansas you need to call the Vital Statistics Office in Topeka and tell them you need to register an unassisted home birth. They send you a packet with some forms to fill out and you need to send them back with a "proof of pregnancy". There is a list of acceptable people in with the forms they send. They will send you the birth certificate, you sign it and mail it back, and they send you a final copy for a small fee.
KENTUCKY
Take the following info to the local vital statistics office and they send it to Frankfort:
-Proof of Residence
-Photo ID
-Proof of Pregnancy
-Proof of Live Birth – they prefer a doctor but they will settle for 2 notarized
-Affidavits of Live Birth from witnesses of the birth (can be the mother and father)
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLANDMASSACHUSETTS
For MA residents, here is the dept of vital records:
www.mass.gov/dph/bhsre/rvr/rvr.htm Officially you need to provide the following within 40 days of the birth, but they will still work with you if you are late. You need:
- A notarized statement from the mother and partner stating to the facts of the birth (date, time, place, sex of child, and the name of child)
- A homebirth worksheet
- Proof of residence
- Proof of marriage if you are married.
They also prefer to have a notarized statement from a pediatrician and from a prenatal care provider; however you can get a birth certificate without either of those. They might list your partner as the certifier if there is no doctor or midwife present.
MICHIGANMINNESOTA
The MN Dept. of Health sends out an out-of-hospital-birth packet. You fill it out and send it back. Your 'proof of pregnancy' can be a notarized affidavit stating the mother was pregnant and present in the state of MN when she delivered a live infant OR you can have a note with doctor’s or clinic's letterhead confirming pregnancy. The affidavit form is included in the packet they send.
MISSISSIPPI
Jackson Vital Statistics contacts:
Northern MS: Jeanie Williams 601-576-7189
Southern MS: Ed Berry 601-576-7965
You will need 2 proofs:
1.) A signed and notarized statement from someone who attended the birth or arrived shortly after OR
2.) A statement from a doctor or midwife on office letterhead saying that the mother was pregnant and saw the doctor/mw at least once. If you never saw a doctor or midwife, two statements from witnesses will suffice.
They will call you back and ask background questions that will go on the birth certificate, and also will set up a home visit with Mr. Berry to get the birth certificate. signed. Mr. Berry is also a notary and can notarize the witness statements if witnesses are present. Witness statement should read as follows: “I, (name) witnessed the birth of (person's child) at (residence) on (date).” He will bring paperwork to file the SSN to the home visit as well.
ALSO: If you want a newborn screening tests done (for 50+ genetic diseases) you should call your local health department and set a time to come and get the blood drawn (just a heel prick); the fee is $70.
MISSOURI
Call the office for vital statistics in Jefferson City and request an application for live birth. Fill out the form with your names, date and place of the birth, etc. and on the back you need to have two notarized signatures of people who knew that the baby was alive (they didn't have to witness the birth). Send the form in with a $15 fee.
MONTANAMissoula County: You will really get the run around if you don't word your question right when you call. If you ask about filing for a "delayed BC" they will likely understand what you need. Linda Crawley can give you a homebirth worksheet - 2 papers to fill out with the birth info and the mother's pregnancy history. Ms. Crawley is a free notary and can witness your signature to these documents! The father can be the "certifier" or witness of birth. All you need are photo ID’s - no affidavits, proof of pg, doctor's notes, etc. If you want they will also send your info to the SS office for you to receive your child's SS card. A normal short form copy of the BC is $5. She will send you a form once she types up the info from your worksheet.
NEBRASKANEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Call Vital Statistics in Concord within one week of the birth and they will send paperwork to your town clerk. Then you go in and fill it out with the clerk, and your town clerk signs it and sends it back. They require you to bring in the baby as proof. A couple of weeks later you'll get your birth certificate. Here is the information on the worksheet:
-The name and address of a birth attendant if a parent, friend, ambulance attendant or other person attended the birth
-Information regarding the child (name, date and time of birth, sex)
-Info on facility (name; street address; the city or town and county)
-Information regarding the mother
-Information regarding the father
-The method of payment for prenatal care
-The method of payment for delivery
-Statistical information from the mother, medical reports and her physician regarding the mother and child
-Transfer information for the mother and child
-Medical risk factors for the pregnancy
-Other risk factors for the pregnancy
-Obstetric procedures performed during the course of the pregnancy
-Complications of labor and delivery
-The method of delivery
-Any abnormal conditions of the newborn
-Any congenital anomalies of the child
NEW JERSEYNEW MEXICO
#1) proof of pregnancy and/or prenatal care
#2) proof of residence
#3) proof of a baby (has to be a doctor’s visit form)
#4) witness statements
#5) photo ID.
NEW YORK
Bring the baby and photo ID to the city clerk's office and fill out a simple form.
NORTH CAROLINA
The state of North Carolina requires that any live birth regardless of gestation be filed with the registrar of the county the birth occurred in within 10 days after the baby is born. You will need to obtain a Birth Information Worksheet from the Vial Statistics Office, which you will fill out and take with you along with the following 4 items to your County Health Department, Vital Statistics Office:
- Your ID
- Proof of residence (this is a document that was sent to your address by a company, for example a telephone bill).
- Social Security Numbers (The law allows the requirement to be waived for "good cause", but there's no indication of what may qualify.)
- Proof of pregnancy - it is up to the county registrar to decide what to ask for within reason, but could be one of the following: Notarized letter from anyone who knew you pregnant; letter stating a witness’s name and county and says that witness knew that X mother was pregnant and gave birth on X day / Copy of a receipt from any doctor seen during pregnancy / Picture of mother pregnant
- Proof of live birth- it is up to the county registrar to decide what to ask for within reason. i.e. Baby (bring baby with you) / Birth record from midwife (CNM)
If you feel that you are being asked to supply unreasonable information, you should contact the Vital Statistics office in Raleigh.
If the father and mother are not married the father’s name will not be on the certificate unless the father and mother complete an affidavit acknowledging paternity. The mother will have to sign the birth certificate; the dad can sign the certificate as the certifier. After the certificate is completed and signed by everyone the registrar will file it at the courthouse.
You will receive a “Mother’s Copy” in the mail a few days or weeks after you file the certificate. To obtain a certified copy, fill out an application form, make a check of $15.00 payable to NC Vital Records and mail (you can not fax or email) it to The North Carolina Vital Records Branch, Division of Health Services, 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-3526. You should receive it in about 8 weeks.
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMAOREGON
Call the Vital Records Department in Portland and ask for paperwork for registering an unattended birth. You have until 10 months of age to register a birth. Call the Vital Records office and ask them to send you the paperwork for registration and affidavits (be sure and ask them for a SSN form as well, if you want to do that concurrently; the SSN office can make a lot of hassle for you if you try to do it later.)
In the case of a birth you want to register as unassisted, you will simply put yourself or "no one" or your husband's name in the birth attendant field. You will also need to get two affidavits from people swearing that you gave birth, and those people will have to get them notarized. You do not need proof of pregnancy.
From 10 months of age to the seventh birthday, you will have to do a "delayed filing". This is similar to a regular filing, except that before they will send you the registration materials, you must go through the process of proving that no birth has yet been registered in your child's name. They will send you a birth and death order form, which you fill out with your child's name and your name and address and send back to them with $20. They will send the form back to you notarized and signed by a clerk saying that no such registration exists. Then you will call the Vital Records office again, tell them that you are doing a delayed filing for a non-attended homebirth and that you have the notarized birth and death order form, and they will send you the rest of the paperwork. When you've got that all ready to go, you'll send it all back to the Vital Records office. It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is, it's reallly very straight forward.
After the seventh birthday, you will have to go to court to register a birth. It involves all the same paperwork, you just have to get a judge to okay it.
PENNSYLVANIA
To get the form, call the Vital Statistics office. Currently the New Castle Vital Stat's phone number is: (724) 656-3100, fax is: (724) 652-8951. Ask to speak to someone in regards to registering a birth. They will send you the necessary forms.
You have to have 2 people go with you to a notary public who knew you were pregnant and gave birth, if a physician or midwife was not in attendance for the birth. It also says you submit a 'document', examples of this are, and I quote,
"a hospital record, church or baptismal record, or a physicians office record. This record should show the child's name, month, day and year of birth, along with the complete address and city of birth. The document should contain the name, address and telephone number of the facility, church or physicians office; also the signature and telephone number of the person certifying the document. The certifying person should be a physician, pastor/clergy or someone in administration at the facility".
You also need to fill out many questions about the mother, health, etc. You might also need to provide the proof of pregnancy or prenatal care records, if available. You have one year from the birth to register it. You can also fill out the form and request your child’s social security card as well so it saves you a trip to the SS office.
RHODE ISALND
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTATENNESSEEShelby County: (as of 2004)
Go down to the Town Clerk’s office with the following:
- a proof of pregnancy
- 3 notarized affidavits of witnesses to the pregnancy
- a doctor’s note saying the baby had been seen
- a certifier to the birth (can be father)
- photo ID
TEXAS
You can wait several months before going down to the Clerk’s office, but try to get in before a year. You will need to fill out a form, pay a fee, and provide the following:
#1) proof of pregnancy,
#2) proof of residence,
#3) proof of a baby (you can bring the baby with you),
#4) ID,
Texas does not require that you go to a clinic or doctor for a pregnancy test. For proof of pregnancy, you can get a friend submit a notarized affidavit saying that he or she knows you were pregnant.
The Social Security office accepts the same documents as "proof".
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Cameron County:
http://www.co.cameron.tx.us/countyclerks/vital.htmhttp://www.co.cameron.tx.us/jp/torres.htmUTAH
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIAWISCONSIN
Call (608) 266-1373 between 8 AM - 4:15 PM Monday through Friday. For automated assistance 24 hours a day, call (608) 266-1371.
Asked for "information on registering an unattended birth.” They will ask for your name and address and they will send out a form, which includes a box to check to request a SSN.
WYOMING
: Hopefully the record they gave us when we took DS to the emergency room will suffice for us. 
On the phone and on the affidavits it said to bring a marriage certificate if the parents are married but when we got there she said she didn't need it. Anyway, Zel is now officially existing afa the state of IL is concerned. Now for the ss#...
It seems to be loosely enforced, depending on who you're working with. For instance, from the state's own website (
I don't know what to tell you. All I know is, we've got a birth certificate. She did tell us that if the baby's over 3 months and less than a year, you have to go thru the county clerk's office and it gets a bit more complicated. She didn't elaborate and we didn't ask since dd was less than 3 months.
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