How to Amend a Birth Certificate in Ohio
Parents and guardians of children, and adults, in Ohio can petition to have a birth certificate amended. Changes are made to accommodate minor children whose names have been changed due to an adoption. Changes also are made through a legal petition to have a name change. A birth certificate also can be amended to correct errors made when it initially was issued.
Amending the birth certificate
To alter or correct an Ohio birth certificate, you must first have several forms. If you do not have the original birth certificate, you must request one from the Ohio Department of Health. If the name change is due to an adoption, you must have the original court order designating the change, the name prior to the change, the changed name, the name or county of the court, the case number, the final date of the change of name and the signature of the probate judge or deputy clerk. If you are altering paternity, you must bring a notarized Ohio Department of Health Vital Statistics Declaration form.
If the parents are not married, you may not alter the birth certificate through the probate court process. To add or remove the father's name in this case, you must first meet with representatives from the Ohio Child Enforcement Agency.
Ohio probate courts decide birth certificate amendments. Visit the magistrate's assistant in your county courthouse to have your application to alter the birth certificate notarized. A date for a hearing may be set, or the magistrate may decide to hear the case immediately.
The magistrate will decide, based on the evidence presented, whether to amend the birth certificate.
You must pay the appropriate fees to the cashier. Paperwork will be filed after fees are paid.
The docket clerk will process the paperwork. You should receive a certified copy of the Order Correcting Birth Record within two business days.
Warnings
- If you are adding or removing a father's name from a birth certificate in Ohio and the parents are not married, you must first contact the Child Support Enforcement Agency. The father's name can not be removed through a probate court proceeding; you must contact the Ohio Department of Health directly. The state of Ohio will not accept personal checks. Cash, Visa or MasterCard, money order or certified check are acceptable.
Tips
- You can obtain a certified copy of the amended birth certificate from the Department of Health approximately six months after the amendment has been filed. There is a fee to obtain the corrected, certified copy of the birth certificate. If your witnesses can not appear on the date of the hearing, be sure to have the notarized affidavits of their testimony.
- State of Ohio How To page
- State of Ohio Vital Records Department
- State of Ohio Procedure to Amend Birth Certificate
- Ohio State Vital Records Frequently Asked Questions
- Detailed Instructions from Hamilton County, Ohio, Probate Court
- You can obtain a certified copy of the amended birth certificate from the Department of Health approximately six months after the amendment has been filed. There is a fee to obtain the corrected, certified copy of the birth certificate. If your witnesses can not appear on the date of the hearing, be sure to have the notarized affidavits of their testimony.
- If you are adding or removing a father's name from a birth certificate in Ohio and the parents are not married, you must first contact the Child Support Enforcement Agency. The father's name can not be removed through a probate court proceeding; you must contact the Ohio Department of Health directly. The state of Ohio will not accept personal checks. Cash, Visa or MasterCard, money order or certified check are acceptable.
Sherrie Voss Matthews is a freelance writer based in San Antonio, Texas. She has expertise as a writer/editor/researcher. She has edited multiple books and has written for Planning magazine, 417, and MomsLikeMe.
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