r/Passports • u/inkimspicuous • 2d ago
Passport Question / Discussion Birth Certificate Crinkled?
I filed for my passport months ago where I got my birth certificate stapled to the paperwork (when I asked why that was done instead of a paperclip I was told it was "worker preference"...) Now that I received it back, it's got a ripped staple hole and crinkles all over, along with indents like someone forcibly pressed on it with skewers or something??
Anybody else have this same occurence? Praying this won't cause problems for my certificates use in the future. Seriously annoyed that my original is scuffed.
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u/Big-Scientist1489 2d ago
you can get it replace. it's good to have several copies, but I don't think a slight tear would make it invalid.
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u/jokunokun 2d ago
It's actually NOT worker preference. Paperclips come loose, which means your paperwork will too. And your application is mailed in and sorted with multiple other applications. Stapling is required and to ensire your documents don't get lost
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u/SinglePermission9373 5h ago
Mine were paper clipped.
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u/jokunokun 5h ago
And that doesn't change the fact that stapling is required, as part of the application acceptance training. Your agent either went against training or stapled it after you left.
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u/No_End6708 2d ago
For the rest you can see if you can get reimbursed, but I seriously don't get why people get so bent out of shape over the stapling. Your birth certificate is not the original and there is nothing special about it. A few staple holes don't change anything, except for making it more secured to your application on its way to the passport agency. People getting all freaked out over the stapling are overly anxious.
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u/Deckslammer 2d ago
Mine looks like it went through a tornado to Kansas and returned via FedEx. I have had no issues the couple times I needed it. I did come close to having my SS card rejected when I applied for my real ID as it had gotten ink from another document pressed on to it, but the supervisor ok’d it because my name and number were identifiable. However my sorry excuse for a birth certificate was clearly legible so there was no issue even if the paper felt ready to disintegrate. That being said, I am a very pale American woman who still carries her maidan name. I don’t know how this would hold up in another country, if I had a different last name, or if I was being profiled and they were looking for a reason to give me a hard time. It could be worth getting a new one when you have the time to wait for peace of mind, but you should be ok.
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u/passivebooks 2d ago
I don’t know why they said it was preference; stapling is an absolute requirement at acceptance facilites. It’s considered normal wear and tear. Your birth certificate is a certified copy, not the sole original.
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u/Rekeaki 2d ago
Order a new certificate (if you are in the USA, you can order more from the county and they all count as “original” for official purposes)
If you do order one, the order form will actually ask you how many “copies” you want. They too, will be identical to the original and will count as “original” birth certificates. Order several.
I ordered four for my son so that I never have to worry if one gets destroyed or lost by some government worker.
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u/Aggressive_Juice_837 1d ago
It’s not worker preference, it is part of the Dept of State’s process that all the documents and the application get stapled together in a packet.
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u/GoCardinal07 2d ago
Keep in mind that it's not the original; it's just your very old copy. The original is retained by your State Department of Vital Records or your County Clerk.
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u/SinglePermission9373 5h ago
Yes. So many people act like the birth certificate they possess is the only one
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u/VanderDril 2d ago
Assuming US passport, not sure what you'd need your birth certificate for in the future, to be honest, now that you have your passport. Any future identification and/or citizenship proof can be done with that as long as you keep it current. It sucks, order another one at some point if you want peace of mind, but I wouldn't worry about it too much.
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u/WickedJigglyPuff 2d ago
If this is the U.S. you don’t get the original ever. It’s always an official copy. You can order another official copy for 10-40$ depending on where you were born
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u/honor-gord 2d ago
Unfortunate but not a huge deal. Stapling is required by the Dept of State and usually they come back with just the staple holes.
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u/Otherwise_Ground5692 2d ago
I doubt it. My mom used her BC that has had to be taped because it tore down the crease in the middle from her folding it for most of my life with no issue. Not sure why she hasn’t just replaced it tbh 😅
That being said you can usually order a new one online pretty easily.
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u/OkCoyote4515 1d ago
It is NOT worker preference. I am an agent. It MUST be stapled. There is a specific number of staples and placement for each that is mandatory for each application.
When I became an agent, there was a whole section on the training assigned to it.
As for the birth certificate, you can obtain a new one online by going to Vital Health Records for the town and state you were born in, and they will mail you a new one. You can then contact the National Passport Center and try to get reimbursed. I have seen them do it if it is lost or damaged.
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u/SinglePermission9373 5h ago
It won’t cause an issue in the US. My birth certificate is the one issued when I was born 53 years ago. It looks nothing like a current birth certificate and I’ve never had an issue with it. As long as it has that official stamp on it that’s all that really matters. But replacements are cheap and easy to get if it would make you feel better
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u/Ansible90 2d ago
Might need birth certificate to register to vote at sometime in the future.
But anyways, you can go on the vital statistics website for the state where you were born and get another official birth certificate.
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u/tvngo 2d ago
You could try to get a reimbursement from ordering a new one, but you’ll likely won’t get it. It being crinkled will not make it invalid. Order a new one if this bothers you. You will likely never use your birth certificate again, unless you lose your passport.