RM 10210: SSN Evidence Requirements

Effective Dates: 05/02/2011 - Present

TN 8 (08-10)

A. Policy

Complimentary, goodwill or other “alternative” birth records are not acceptable as evidentiary documents. These documents have no probative values.

B. Procedure

Look for documents from the following organizations which print unacceptable documents.

1. World Service Authority Central

Do not accept any document from World Service Authority as evidence of age, identity, citizenship, alien status, or marital status for either claims or enumeration purposes, because this firm issues several kinds of documents at an individual's request. Do not accept the following documents issued by World Service Authority Central Registry:

World BCs
World Passport
World Donor Passports (leather-bound)
World Citizen Cards
World Identity Cards
World Marriage Certificates

NOTE: These certificates are based on whatever documentation the individual supplies, including a notarized statement.

2. Keepsake certificate

Be aware of hospital record-keeping practices in the FO area. (See GN 00302.530 for guidelines concerning when to verify hospital BCs.)

NOTE: Some hospitals provide blank or partially completed hospital BCs as “keepsake” certificates. Often, the signature of the hospital administrator and/or attending physician and/or the seal of the hospital are affixed to the blank certificate before giving it to the public to complete.

Check RM 10210.700 for specific reports of fraudulent hospital records.

3. Complimentary Livingston, New Jersey BCs

Do not accept short-form Livingston, NJ complimentary BCs as evidence for either enumeration or claims purposes.

NOTE: In 1965, the Township of Livingston began issuing complimentary BCs to any resident who requested one, whether or not the individual was born within Livingston Township. Three to four thousand of these BCs were issued before the practice was discontinued.

4. Birth certificates, St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church, Glendale, California

Do not accept St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church (Glendale, California) statements bearing the legend “Birth Certificate” as evidence for either enumeration or claims purposes. See C.1. below.

NOTE: These statements, which are unnumbered, are issued to members of the congregation who were born and baptized in a foreign country. The statement is based solely on the allegation of the individual. The actual church record from the foreign country is generally no longer available.

Accept a numbered St. Mary's “Certificate of Baptism.” See C.2. below. St. Mary's has baptismal records only for individuals baptized at St. Mary's.

5. Novelty BCs

Do not accept a BC prepared on a blank novelty form preprinted by the Cardinal Publishing Company in Jacksonville, Florida. See example in C.3. These BC forms do not show a filing date, issuing authority signature, the name of an issuing office or a form number. (The outer circle of the seal states “County and State of Residence” with the word “seal” centered in the circle. The forms are stamped “NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT.” However, the stamp is positioned so that the word “NOT” is under the seal.)