Registering your baby
After your baby is born you’ll
need to obtain his birth certificate and social security number. Although the
hospital will provide you with a record of your baby’s birth, it can’t be used
to apply for a passport or social security number.
Your baby’s birth certificate
If you have your baby in
hospital you’ll be given forms to fill in to send to your county or state to
get your baby’s birth certificate. If you can, try to decide on your baby’s name
before sending the form so you won’t have to contact your county or state to
update their records.
Your baby’s social security number
Getting a social security number
for your baby isn’t mandatory, but you’ll need it in order to claim him as a
dependent on your tax return, obtain health insurance for him, open a bank
account in his name or set up his college fund.
The easiest option is to apply
for it at the same time as you apply for his birth certificate – the form will
have a box you can tick to get his social security number. Alternately, you can
apply later at your local social security office. In order to apply later you
will need a copy of your baby’s birth certificate, which your local social
security office will need to verify with the office that issued it. Bear in
mind that this can take anything up to 12 weeks.
The information in this feature is intended for
educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the
health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a
doctor or other healthcare professional.