New Birth Certificate Based on Parentage

A change in parentage on a birth record requires an examination of your application and supporting documents. An application cannot be filed until all aspects of your application and documents have been examined. If filing is not possible, Texas Vital Statistics will send you a letter explaining the situation. To add, remove, or change a father on an original birth record, you will need to submit:

• A completed Application for New Birth Certificate Based on Parentage
  The application to add or change the father's name must be signed by both parents in the presence of a notary public. When paternity is established by a court decree, only one parent must sign the application in the presence of a notary public.
• Application fee of $25
• One of the following supporting documents:
  • Certified copy of a marriage license that occurred AFTER the birth of the child
  • Acknowledgment of Paternity
  • Certified copy of court order
• $22 for each certified copy of the amended record requested

The application packet (application and supporting documents) should be mailed to the mailing address of the Vital Statistics office in Austin. Supporting documents will not be returned and parents should keep copies of certified documents for their records.

After a Change is Approved

VSS will create a new record based on paternity to replace the original birth record. A copy of the newly filed record will also be sent to the local registrar where the birth occurred and will replace the original record in the local registrar's files. The application packet and original birth record will be placed in a sealed paternity file upon acceptance for filing. This sealed file can only be opened by a district court or a court with family-law jurisdiction.