Ohio Department of Health Ohio.gov

For the Record: Your Baby’s Birth Certificate

Here are Some Important Things to Know about Your Baby’s Birth Certificate:

  • The hospital will provide you with a birth certificate worksheet to complete. The worksheet will ask for many things including your child’s legal name. 
  • The worksheet must be completed in order for a birth certificate to be processed and registered with the local registrar and the state Office of Vital Statistics at the Ohio Department of Health. 
  • The worksheet will ask if you would like a Social Security number for your child. If you check that box, your child’s information will be automatically sent to the Social Security Administration. A Social Security card will be sent to you for your child in about 12 weeks. If you do not select this box, you will be responsible for applying for a Social Security card for your child. 
  • You can go to your local registrar within four to eight weeks or to the State of Ohio’s Office of Vital Statistics within eight to 12 weeks and get a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate. There is a cost of at least $16.50 for the certificate. The cost varies with where you ask for the birth certificate. 
  • You cannot get a legal copy of your child’s birth certificate through the hospital. 
  • Remember to add your baby to your health and/or life insurance policy.

This page last updated on 3/17/08.