Birth certificate is a legal record of a person’s birth. It gives essential facts, such as birthday, birthplace, sex, race, and parents’ names. An official copy of a birth certificate may be needed to prove a person’s citizenship or to obtain a driver’s license, a job, schooling, or a passport.
Registration of all births is required by law. Ordinarily, the hospital or attending physician files the certificate with county, state, or provincial government registrars. Copies of birth certificates may be obtained from these officials.
People who lack official birth certificates may be able to draw evidence of age or birthplace from old censuses. For information, people may write to their national census agency.
