As of the first of this year, NYC birth certificates have a new option available for gender identity. Adult residents have the option to change their existing birth certificate or choose the new option for their newborns.

When it suddenly becomes necessary to produce a legal birth certificate, do you know where your documentation is and what makes it an official legal document? If not, it might be time to order a birth certificate for Texas or your state of birth.

A certified birth certificate is an official document that contains a person’s personal information. As a legal document, it can be used as identification for getting a driver’s license, getting a marriage certificate or passport, and for other important situations. Since birth certificate information contains legal information, it should be kept securely at home or in a bank vault.

Whether you are getting ready to adopt a child or were adopted yourself, you may have questions about what happens to the original birth certificate of the adopted child. Initially, when the child is born, an original birth certificate is created, showing the birth mother and information about the child. The birth father may or may not be listed, depending on the circumstances.

When the child is adopted, the original birth certificate could be sealed away. In its place, a new birth certificate is created and made the officially registered one. The adoption birth certificate shows the same types of information as the original birth certificate, but it is updated to reflect the adoption as follows:

• The name of the birth parents is replaced with the name of the adoptive parents.
• The last name of the child is often changed to that of the adoptive parents.
• Sometimes the adoptive parents also change the child’s first name.

Other details on the birth certificate may be changed or remain the same.

Traveling can be a headache—itineraries, tickets, IDs—and it doesn’t take much to derail a well-planned trip. Yet traveling with kids can take on a whole new slew of issues. You know not to forget the itineraries, tickets, and IDs, but what else do you need? Here’s a list to keep you sane pre-flight. Don’t panic! You can order a birth certificate online and save yourself the worry!

It's usually assumed that completing a child's birth certificate is a simple, straightforward administrative task. Mommy, daddy, and baby all have their names added to the document, a copy is furnished to the parents, and the file is tucked away in the state records. In reality, however, some certificates end up with only two names or the name of someone other than the biological father.

The process of getting a copy of your birth certificate is much easier today than it was in the past. Today, all you have to do is request the copy of the birth certificate online. You fill out an application form, provide a few details and, a few clicks later, your birth certificate request is processed. In the past, depending on when you were born, things could be much more challenging and time-consuming.

A birth certificate is a very personal document with some pretty basic information. Encryption is used every day for online purchases and secures everything from your name and address to credit card information. So, how do they mesh in cyberspace?

Your birth certificate is your most important document. It’s how you prove your citizenship, how you verify you really are who you say you are, and even what you need to replace nearly all of your other documents.