subject: Getting an Expedited Passport? Check Your Birth Certificate! [print this page] Getting an Expedited Passport? Check Your Birth Certificate!
If you're applying for an expedited passport, obviously you are already on a tight schedule. What could be worse than applying and having your application rejected? Unfortunately, if you don't include the correct documents, that's exactly what will happen. You'll lose the money you paid to apply the first time and precious time as you'll have to apply again.
One of the most common mistakes people make when they apply for an expedited passport is using the wrong type of birth certificate.
Before you turn in your expedited passportapplication, you should check and make sure that you have all the correct information, including an original or certified copy of your birth certificate to serve as proof of citizenship. Without an original or certified copy, your passport application will be rejected. If the birth certificate you have is not the original, how can you tell if the US Passport Agency will accept it?
Take a look at your birth certificate and make sure it has the following information:
File name
Your full name
Date and Place of Birth
Registrar's signature
Authorized seal, which may be raised, embossed, engraved or multicolored, depending on where you were born.
If you live in Texas or California, you need to include the long form of your birth certificate with your expedited passport application, which measures 8 1/2 by 11."
If you don't have a certified copy of your birth certificate, order one from the Office of Vital Records for the place where you were born.
Also, check the date that your birth certificate was issued. If it was more than a year after your birth, you will need to submit secondary evidence of US citizenship, such as an affidavit signed by someone who witnessed your birth or early medical, school or other public records.
Remember, taking a few minutes to make sure your birth certificate meets requirements will save you time and money in the end!
