How do you have a birth certificate corrected because of a misspelled last name?

Answer 1

You can obtain an application to amend a birth certificate from the office of vital records that issued the birth certificate. You may also need to have this notarized, depending on the state.

If the birth record is recent (an infant less than 1 year old) you may not need to provide any proof or other records. If it is an older birth record, you will be required to supply a record that shows the correct spelling, such as a school record, marriage license, medical record, etc. If you are a minor, you will need your parents to sign the application. They may need to provide supporting records, as well.

Answer 2

If it is a simple misspelling, such as "Smiht" instead of "Smith," (two letters accidently transposed), you can usually have it corrected by the following: 1) Obtain another legal document, such as a marriage certificate, or passport, that bears the correct spelling. 2) Take it to the office of vital statistics that issued your misspelled birth certificate. 3) They should issue a new birth certificate for you. In some States, the new certificate will indicate it was amended on the document itself. In other States, there is no indication. If the office that issued the birth certificate will still not correct it, there is another option:

Present an "Affidavit to Amend a Record" to the office that issued the document itself. You can obtain the Affidavit through your local county clerk's office or via an attorney.

Answer 3

Contact the department of vital records in the state in which the person was born and the birth certificate issued.