How to Add Names to Birth Certificates in Pennsylvania
- 1). Request a "Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity" from a hospital or birthing center after the birth of the child. Have the hospital or birthing center assist you in completing the form.
- 2). Telephone the Department of Public Welfare, Bureau of Child Support Enforcement at 800-932-0211 to request a "Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity" if the form was not completed at the hospital or birthing center.
- 3). Complete the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and have both parents sign the form.
- 4). Return the Acknowledgment of Paternity form to the Department of Public Welfare's Bureau of Child Support Enforcement. The Department of Public Welfare will notify the Division of Vital Records that an Acknowledgment of Paternity has been filed. If the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity was completed at a hospital or birthing center, the hospital or birthing center will mail the acknowledgment to the Bureau of Child Support Enforcement.
- 5). Wait eight weeks for the Division of Vital Records to add the father's name to the child's birth certificate.
- 6). Photocopy a government-issued photo ID that verifies your name and current address. Enlarge the photo ID on a copier by at least 150 percent, if possible. Examples of acceptable government-issued IDs include a state issued driver's license or non-driver photo ID. If an acceptable form of ID is not available, complete a "Statement from Requestors Not Possessing an Acceptable Government Issued Photo-ID." Photocopy two documents that verify your name and current address. These include: a bank statement; pay stubs; a car registration; utility bills; W-2 form; and an income tax return or rental agreement.
- 7). Download an "Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record." Complete the application.
- 8). Mail the completed application to the Division of Vital Records, along with an application fee, a photocopy of your government-issued ID or a completed "Statement from Requestors Not Possessing an Acceptable Government Issued Photo-ID." Send the photocopies of two documents verifying your name and current address to:
Division of Vital Records (Attn: Birth Unit)
101 South Mercer Street
PO Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103
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