re: #622 Dianna

As someone who has dealt with birth certificates in an official capacity for the last 14 years — I work for Social Security — this is what is required in a short-form certificate:

Baby’s name
Birthdate
Father’s name
Mother’s maiden name
Birthplace (city and state)
Seal and address of the issuing authority.

What is included in the long-form certificate depends on the issuing agency. It may or may not include the name of the hospital, the name of the attending physician, the time of the birth, and the race and religion of the parents and child (newer forms tend to omit this last).

In either case, certificates are printed on safety paper with special features to deter counterfeiters. This may or may not include special inks, holograms (Montana has an especially cool hologram), raised seals, and features that can only be seen under blacklight. Which features are included are up to the issuing authority and the features referred to are need-to-know items.

If, for instance, you know someone who has a green card (I-551), get yourself a magnifying glass or a microscope and take a look at the back of the card. What you find might be (ahem) illuminating.

:)