TN 20 (01-04)

A. Types of Public Records

For purposes of this section, treat the following types of records as public records of birth:

1. A record of birth maintained by a governmental entity charged to maintain the record system, including States, counties, parishes, and boroughs

2. A hospital birth record (see GN 00302.530). This does not include souvenir hospital certificates (see GN 00301.050D. for instructions about souvenir certificates of age and marriage).

3. A Notification of Birth Registration (see GN 00302.515)

4. Seneca Indian tribal census records and Bureau of Indian Affairs tribal census records of the Navajo Indians (see GN 00302.630 - GN 00302.640).

5. Forms FS-240 (Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States) and FS-545 (Certification of Birth).

B. Policy

A public record of birth is preferred evidence only if it was established before age 5.

Follow the instructions in GN 00302.057 and GN 00302.058 to determine the availability of birth records from U.S. states and foreign countries and whether to ask the claimant to obtain his/her public record of birth. See GN 00307.190 for instructions about the acceptability of foreign evidence and whether to request it.

C. Cross-References

1. See RM 10210.200 regarding potentially fraudulent birth certificates from various States and counties. Also review PolicyNet (http://policynet.ba.ssa.gov ) for Emergency Messages (EMs) and other POMS instructions about stolen documents.

2. See GN 00302.500 concerning birth records issued by a State other than the State of birth.

3. See RM 10210.700 for verification procedures involving U.S. Virgin Islands birth records.