How can my friend get her birth certificate without ID, SSN, or family help?
Is it possible to obtain a birth certificate without any form of identification or family assistance?
If your friend is in this situation, here are some steps she can take to navigate the process successfully:
1. Check state-specific requirements: Different states have varying rules and regulations regarding obtaining birth certificates without ID. Research the specific requirements in your friend’s state.
2. Contact vital records office: Reach out to the vital records office in the state where your friend was born. Explain the situation and inquire about alternative methods for obtaining the birth certificate.
3. Provide as much information as possible: Your friend can provide any details she knows about her birth, such as the hospital, date, or parents’ names, to help verify her identity.
4. Obtain a notarized statement: Some states may accept a notarized statement from a third party attesting to your friend’s identity in lieu of official identification.
5. Seek legal assistance: If all else fails, consider consulting with a lawyer who may be able to assist in navigating the process and advocating for your friend’s rights.
By following these steps and exploring all options, your friend may be able to obtain her birth certificate even without traditional forms of identification. Good luck! #BirthCertificate #Identification #FamilyAssistance #VitalRecords #LegalAssistance
Was she born in the U.S.? Was she born in a hospital or at home? Was she ever assigned a SSN, even if she doesn’t know it? Has she ever received public assistance, enrolled in a public school, or had health insurance?
Has she actually never had a birth certificate or Social Security number issued, or does she just not have a copy of the certificate or card? It will be harder if she needs to apply for a delayed certificate. If she just needs copies issued, the state usually accepts something other than photo ID, or allows an attorney to request it on her behalf. Social Security will need proof of her birth information to issue a number, but she’ll only need to prove identity if all she needs is a new card.
Applying for a passport is sometimes the easiest option because of the wide variety of documents that are accepted to prove citizenship and identity, if you can show you don’t have the preferred options available.
You’re not going to get very helpful answers without being able to give all the specifics, so try pointing her to legal aid organizations in her area that can help her further.
What state is she in?
NAL
I’ve helped several friends out of this kind of situation. 211info.org and go through their homeless services. There’s protocols they have to help people get ids, ssns and legal aid to petition for and verify id. If 211 fails you, which it can, easily, you can reach out to the amish aid groups and see if they can make you any recommendations. This happens a lot with them being kicked out or kids leaving.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/guidelines.htm
This may help. There is a section for people who have lost all their ID. Technically, your friend has lost all her ID, and not of her own doing.
So reading further down you have a copy of her birth certificate, is it a certified copy?
What state are you in? What state was she born in?
First step is getting a SSN card. Google “Application for social security card” and mail that in. This is free (besides postage). Once she gets the card, work on the birth certificate. This varies city to city, so research specific to her birthplace. Getting a birth certificate *can* be as simple as going to the county clerks office and asking for it, you just have to pay. Once she has two forms of proof of identity, she should be able to get her first ID, but this varies state to state as well.
For assistance in this process, search for “ID Recovery programs” in your area or in her birthplace. Call local legal service organizations or law firms and ask if they provide ID recovery services or know who does. They definitely don’t make this easy, so if she feels confused or frustrated, that’s completely understandable. This is going to be a long process, but super worth it once she has what she’s looking for!
Source: NAL but did manage an ID Recovery program in south Texas!
Public libraries are excellent for steering people towards resources of how to get ID, SSN, etc. They can help her know where to reach out to. It is unfortunately not that unusual that people have no id at all and have to start from scratch – so there are processes in place. She does not need to get anything from her family to start the process.
I know in AL some churches/shelters/organizations that help homeless people actually help them get all that documentation back. Also the health department where she was born should have documentation
Check out the autobiography Educated by Tara Weatover which was in the similar situation as your friend. Some info can be outdated, but your friend can should get some pointers at minimum.
I would reach out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and see what resources they have to offer. This definitely seems like a type of abuse/exploitation. [https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/support](https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/support)
I went through something like this at age 19. I had no birth certificate or social security number because I was born at home and my parents were crazy. Applying for a delayed birth certificate required as much documentation as I could muster. Witnesses of my birth and my mother’s midwives notebook were fairly key. Also my dental and medical records as a child. But I had parental cooperation by that point. The birth certificate took a long time but the social security number wasn’t that hard. Another one of my siblings had a tougher time at the social security office. YMMV.
This page lists the requirements by state. It varies a great deal… Some do accept a notarized affidavit, but many of those require it be from someone listed on the birth certificate, which seems like it wouldn’t be possible in this situation. [https://www.vitalrecordsonline.com/support/requirements](https://www.vitalrecordsonline.com/support/requirements)
IDignity is a non-profit in Orlando that provides people with their needed ID.
Most states have vital records departments that can send you a copy of the birth certificate. There are charges involved. If this person has no ID at the moment, how does she even have a life?
I can’t vouch for everywhere but in Boston you can get it at City Hall and just have the info.
Vitalchek.com for birth certificate
Ssa.gov for ssn