Bringing a new person to life is an exciting, life-changing event that all parents want to cherish and remember. At this age, there are many ways to do so such as pictures and videos. However, The Birth Certificate is an excellent and unique way to capture the moment while still being a useful document that is needed in certain legal proceedings.
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What is a Birth Certificate?
A Birth Certificate is a legal document that is issued in order to prove the birth of a newborn. The Birth Certificate will typically contain information regarding the newborn such as their full name, gender, ethnicity, the full name of the parents, the date of birth, and any remarkable features that the newborn has, such as birthmarks. The Birth Certificate is usually required to be filed by the parents to the relevant governmental departments, such as The Vital Statistics Agency. The Certificate is required within a certain period of time after the birth of the newborn.
Note that: The birth certificate templates provided on our website are not to be used in legal procedures. The birth certificate templates we provide are only for personal use purposes such as for gifting or framing the certificate and hanging it on a wall etc. The templates that we are providing on this website are informal in nature.
What is the difference between a legal Birth Certificate and an informal one?
The Certificate of Birth is the informal shortened version. It will contain brief information regarding the child such as their full name, date of birth, and ethnicity. The Certificate of Birth does not usually contain information regarding the parents or the place where the child was born. This short Certificate of Birth can not be used as proof of parentage in legal situations.
The Certified Copy of an Entry is the formal version that will contain all the legally required information regarding the child. It can be used as a form of identification and as proof of parentage. The document is approved upon and notarised by a government official.
The two types of Birth Certificates can be used as a form of identification in order to support other documents, such as an Identification Card in order to verify the identity of the child. Governmental agencies usually request a Certified Copy of Entry over a Certificate of Birth. Thus it is important to make sure which is required from you when asked for proof of parentage.
What is the purpose of a Birth Certificate?
The Birth Certificate is an important legal document that is used by governmental agencies in order to maintain records of birth for a particular state or area. The document is also required in order to verify the identity of the child as well as issue legal documents such as a Passport or an Identification Card. Some states also require the Certificate of Birth when children are being admitted to school in order to confirm that the child is of an appropriate age. The Birth Certificate is usually issued by government agencies after the confirmation of personal details by the parents.
The Birth certificate can be used for other personal reasons. A decorated Birth Certificate with a nice frame can be a lovely gift as it can be hung on a wall for display. The Certificate can also serve as an emotional souvenir that can be kept in order to remember a significant day in a person’s life.
What should be included in an informal Birth Certificate?
The Birth Certificate will have information regarding the individual. Written in a brief manner while possibly using special fonts in order to customize the Certificate based on the parents’ desire. The details of the individual will include :
Name of the child: The full name that was given to the child is written, meaning: first, middle and last name.
Date of birth of the child: The date is essential in order to identify which day the child was born on and which date to celebrate.
Parents’ name: This will include the full name of both birth parents and any given titles. This can also include the mother’s maiden name in case the parents are married. The name of the parents can be useful to distinguish between other individuals with similar names.
Place of birth: Write down where the child was born. You can include the name of the hospital, the city, and the state or region.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity of the child is written here for identification reasons mainly.
Religion: If the parents are religious then write down the religion of the parents. If the parents do not identify with religion then information can be left out unless the hospital where the child was born has religious affiliations as many hospitals do, then the religion that the hospital affiliates with is written.
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Free Birth Certificate Templates
Types of informal and legal Birth Certificates
There are plenty of personal purposes that the Birth Certificate can be involved in, so for each of these purposes, there should be a different layout of the certificate. The different types of personal birth certificate templates depending on the purpose are:
Pet Birth Certificate:
This birth certificate template is designed to contain the information of a pet, whether it is yours or someone else’s. It will contain similar information regarding the pet such as their name and the owner’s name. It should preferably have an animal-friendly theme.
Adoption Birth Certificate:
This is a birth certificate intended for children that were adopted into the family. The Adoption Birth Certificate Template can essentially replace the Birth Certificate that was given at birth.
Baby Birth Certificate:
A normal birth certificate template for babies. This version can include the weight of the baby when they were born.
Related: Baby Registry Checklist (What to Include)
How to design a printable birth certificate?
- Firstly, start off by deciding on a blueprint for the Birth Certificate by choosing the correct birth certificate template. Choosing the appropriate template is important to give your birth certificate a unique, pleasing look. They can still be customized however you would like by changing the colors, fonts, sizes, and others.
- The birth cartificate template will have designated places for each of the required information so you can fill it out with the correct details of the newborn. Additional information can be added if it is felt necessary. Make sure to backup your document and save it in case a mistake was made or you want to revert back to an earlier version of the design.
- Change the colors and fonts of birth certificate template however you want. Make sure that you choose an appropriate collection of colors that complement each other while still being contrasting enough to be easily readable. Try out different combinations and find the one that suits your needs best.
- Add any pictures, stickers, or symbols to the certificate to add more character to it. Make sure to pick pictures that are fitting with the theme.
- Print the birth certificate template after deciding that no other changes are needed. Make sure to have it printed in color. A home printer can be useful for this or you can visit a shop or a company that specializes in printing.