How You Can Use a Family Bible and an Affidavit of Birth Instead of a Birth Certificate

Most people take for granted something as simple as a birth certificate. However, most people do not realize that there is no law requiring that one must be filled out for a child. Life might be difficult for someone who has no documentation, but just because one does not have a birth certificate does not mean one does not have any documentation. This is where a family Bible and an affidavit of birth come in.

A child's birth can be recorded in a family's Bible. In Western culture (which includes America), there is a long standing custom of using a family Bible to record important events like death, marriage, and birth. These names and dates are recorded in the front pages of a Bible, and often times multiple generations of one family are recorded in a single Bible. These Bibles are records and are often recognized as such by governments. Even the U.S. State Department recognizes a family Bible record as evidence toward obtaining a passport. Go to the state department's website to verify: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

If you are not of the Christian persuasion, then you can use an affidavit of birth in order to establish identity or citizenry. An affidavit of birth is like any other affidavit: it is a sworn statement of fact. It is a legal document. It does not need to be drafted by an attorney, but an attorney can definitely help.

Either record should have at least the parent's name(s), child's name, date of birth, and place of birth. The parent(s) should also place his or her signature(s) on the document. Any other information is fine, even good, but it should be brief as it is a legal document. Using both a family Bible and an affidavit of birth is even better, as two documents that establish identity are better than one.

Later, a "letter of no record" can be obtained, if so desired, from the state the child was born in. This letter simply states that there is no record of birth on file for that given person. This letter can be used in conjunction with a family Bible and/or affidavit of birth.

It is a family's choice as to what form of documentation it uses for its child. There is no law mandating each and every person must have a birth certificate. Hopefully, this will raise awareness and give parents to be more options.