<p>Often the original birth certificate isn’t destroyed but is sealed (only to be opened with court order?) and a new birth certificate is created with the new information about the parents, etc. replacing the original information. So yes, it is legal and common.</p>
<p>I was told it was destroyed and that the people in the court thought they were “doing us a favor” by creating / backdating the new one. Of course, this could very well be apocryphal and perhaps what ellemenope suggests is what happened. All I know is that I do have an official copy which states “filed x date” (within a month of my birth) and lists my stepfather as my father even though they didn’t even know one another at the time. Actually, if I ever did need to prove that I was descended from my biological father, I really don’t have any proof other than a hospital record which isn’t official. </p>
<p>Sorry to threadjack. Good luck to shrinkrap!</p>
<p>The kids got theirs when they were little and hers expires a month after a trip this summer. We had to get it a month before her 16th bay so now it’s only 5 years and because she’s under 16 next time she has to go in and renew vs how we can just mail ours with new pics. S is 18 but got his last one under 16 so has to do it in person. Hard to believe he will be 28 next time he has to renew! I keep all the old ones just to see how much they changed in 5 years.</p>
<p>eyemamom, make sure whatever country to which your DD is traveling this summer doesn’t have a 6-month requirement. We had to renew my son’s passport even though it wasn’t going to expire until after our return because our destination has a law that said that the passport had to be good for an entire 6 months after the return date; many countries now have this law. And it was doubly painful because DS was just months shy of being eligible fore an adult passport.</p>
<p>eyemamom-Double check the rules of the country your D is visiting. Some require at least 6 months validity remaining on a passport for entry.</p>
<p>I guess I wasn’t clear. We did renew, it got her stuck with a 5vs 10 yr passport because of that 6 month rule.</p>
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<p>Wow, I have the exact same situation! I was nearly 7 when my mom married my step-father. I also think it is rather weird that my step-father is listed on my BC, as my mom and he didn’t meet until several years after my birth.</p>
<p>I’ve never had a passport and I don’t really anticipate traveling outside the country. However, this thread has convinced me to get one, simply because I am starting to worry about whether my existing identity documents are going to be sufficient in the future if they keep “upgrading” the requirements. It sounds like a passport trumps everything, am I right?</p>
<p>skyhook - I think everyone should have one. How will you be spontaneously be whisked away for a romantic weekend in paris, caribbean, etc if you don’t have one?</p>
<p>eyeamom–
From your lips to God’s ears…</p>
<p>Another reason to get a passport: if your child is overseas on a trip or foreign study and you need to make a quick trip out of the country due to an emergency with him or her, you will not be able to leave without a passport. You will have to travel to a city and appear in person with all your documentation M-F, 8-5.</p>
<p>Best to have it in hand.</p>
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<p>Most excellent point. One that immediately engages my motherly heart. I will do it today. Thanks, everyone.</p>
<p>Re the 6 month requirement: the US Passport office now recommends renewing the passport about 9 months ahead of expiration. They say that with renewal by mail it should take 4-6 weeks to get the passport. My guess is that they recommend the longer time frame to leave plenty of time to address various glitches along the way. My old one expires in September, so I’m not following the advice myself. The main thing it means for me is that they clearly will accept a renewal application submitted 9 months ahead of time.</p>
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Hmmm, what if the step-father isn’t a USA citizen but rather, a citizen of another country? It seems that could have implications for the kid. What if the mother was a foreign national originally married to a USA citizen dad but then they split and the step-father is a foreign national and they do this? I wonder what issues that might cause? The kid would still be a USA citizen if born on USA soil but what it the kid was born in another country to the USA dad and foreign mother before this split up? Would the kid ever be able to prove they were a USA citizen if the BC was changed like this?</p>
<p>Just some random thoughts.</p>
<p>It still seems weird to me to ‘change’ the BC. I can understand an amendment, but not a change as if the first father never existed.</p>
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Better yet, maybe your kid will do a study abroad in Europe or someplace and will invite you to go visit them for a week or two. It’s best to be prepared.</p>
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<p>It seems weird to me, too, but that’s what apparently happened in my case. An adoption in 1971 in PA somehow triggered a birth certificate in NJ from 1964 to be “retrofitted” so it looked like it was filed at that time. Like I said, I don’t think I’d ever really have a way to prove my biological father, and this birth certificate wouldn’t pass any birther controversies easily. Thank goodness I’m not famous :-)</p>
<p>I know it is pretty weird. To me, it’s as if those first 6 years (when I was “Mary Jones”) never happened. It is especially frustrating to me as I did not have a good relationship with my step-father, and would rather not be associated with him at all.</p>
<p>Text from d; “passport will be ready Tuesday 5/29/2012 AM”. </p>
<p>Apparently it is in order of departure date, and not based on number angsty posts by mom on college confidential. </p>
<p>D has made friends at the passport agency, on the ferry, and among other public servants who helped her get home yesterday when she took the wrong ferry. She says "I’m getting ti Tuesday…I don’t see what the problem is. </p>
<p>Stiff upper lip emoticon.</p>
<p>When does your plane leave and from where? That is really pushing the envelope because I assume you have to pick it up?</p>
<p>Does she have to pick it up in LA? Are your flights the 29th as well?</p>