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Birth Certificates: Corrections

Common corrections: Child's Name | Parent's Information | Adoptions | Gender Marker | Provider's Name

Apply By Mail or In Person Only

Corrections for birth certificates must be submitted by mail or in person. You cannot request a correction online.

There are unauthorized vendors charging customers high fees for help getting a birth certificate. If you ordered a certificate through an unauthorized vendor and would like to file a complaint, visit the NYC Department of Consumer Protection or call 311.


The following people can amend or correct a NYC birth certificate:

  • The person named on the certificate if at least 18 years old
  • A parent or legal guardian of the person named on the certificate if the person is younger than 18 years old
  • The parents or surviving parent named on the birth certificate of a child who is deceased

The New York City Health Code does not allow any other person to request an amendment or correction to a birth certificate for any reason.

All in-person orders require an appointment. Click here to schedule an appointment online. If you are unable to schedule an appointment and have an emergency request related to health care coverage, government services, military, housing or employment, call 311 or email correctionsunit2@health.nyc.gov. In your email, include current photo ID and documents showing that you have an emergency, such as a paid plane ticket, letter from an employer with a job start date, or letter from a government agency with an appointment date.

If your child is younger than 1 year, the fastest way to correct a birth certificate is to bring the original certificate and a completed birth certificate correction application to the hospital where your child was born.

When submitting a request, it is important to follow the below guidelines and provide the correct forms and documentation:


Common Birth Certificate Corrections

Requirements for Legal Name Change Court Order

If you live in NYC, you must go to Civil Court and request a legal name change. If you live outside of NYC, go to the appropriate court in your area and request a legal name change.

The certified legal name change court order must include the following:

  • Full name at birth (original name)
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Certificate number

If the court order does not have the four identifiers noted above, please submit the original name change petition to the court.

If the birth certificate amendment is for someone younger than 18, the certified legal name change court order must include the following:

  • Full name at birth (original name)
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Certificate number
  • Name of parent or parents on the birth certificate

Child's Name

Add/Correct a Child's First or Middle Name

You must provide one of the following:

  • Immunization record showing child’s first name, date of birth, name of parent listed on the birth certificate and the health care facility’s stamp. The record must be at least 10 years old.
  • First census record taken after birth (federal or state)
  • Letter from a physician showing your date of birth and correct name. The letter must be on official letterhead and indicate that you were treated by the physician 10 or more years ago. It must include the date of your first and last date of visit.
  • Letter from a school you attended showing your date of birth and correct name. The letter must indicate the dates that you were registered and must be from a school that you attended at least 10 years ago.
  • A letter or document from a religious institution showing your date of birth and correct name. The document must be at least 10 years old and on official letterhead.
  • Your life insurance policy showing your date of birth and correct name. The policy must be at least 10 years old.

Generally, a document must be from before the child’s seventh birthday, or it must be at least 10 years old.

Change a First, Middle or Last Name

You must have a certified legal name change court order. If you live in NYC, you must go to Civil Court and request a legal name change. If you live outside of NYC, go to the appropriate court in your area and request a legal name change.

The certified legal name change court order must include the date of birth, place of birth and certificate number.

Change the Last Name

You must provide one of the following:

  • Parent's birth certificate showing the correct spelling of last name. The certificate must be dated prior to the date of birth.
  • Passport of the parent showing the correct spelling of last name. The passport must be issued prior to the date of birth.
  • Parent’s original marriage record/certificate, if parents were married before the child was born.
  • Parent’s US Naturalization Certificate. The information on the naturalization certificate must match the parent information on the birth certificate. The parent's last name on the naturalization certificate must match the requested correction. The naturalization certificate must be dated prior to the date of birth.
  • Birth certificate of an older sister or brother with the same parents.

Parent’s Information

Correct a Parent's Name, Date or Place of Birth

You must provide one of the following:

  • Parent's original birth certificate showing the correct spelling of last name. The certificate must be dated prior to the date of birth.
  • Parent’s original marriage record/certificate, if parents were married before the child was born. This can only be used to correct a last name.
  • Birth certificate of an older sister or brother with the same parents.
  • Religious institution showing your date of birth, your correct name and parent’s correct name(s).
  • Naturalization certificate or marriage record before the child was born, may be used to correct last name only.

Add a Second Parent's Name

The requirements to add a second parent's name to a birth certificate depend on the marital status of the mother. Marriage records or other documents must be submitted with the application. In cases where the parent has been married more than once, divorce records also must be submitted.

  • Mother not married; Mother not married during pregnancy but now married to biological father: Complete an Acknowledgement of Parentage (PDF) form (also available in Corrections Department lobby and with applications ordered by mail), or go to Family Court for an Order of Filiation.
  • Mother married during pregnancy: Complete Section 4 on page 3 of the Birth Certificate Application.
  • Mother married after birth but not to biological father: Go to Family or Supreme Court for an Order of Adoption.
  • Same sex parents (any gender), married or not married: Go to Family or Supreme Court for an Order of Adoption.

Adoptions

If your child was born within the five boroughs of NYC and you have completed an adoption, follow the instructions below to amend their birth certificate. Ensure that all documents are accurate and complete to avoid delays.

Adoptive Parents/Attorneys must submit all of the following documents:

  1. Notification of Order of Adoption (NOA)
    • You must provide an original certified NOA issued by the court. The NOA must have an official seal or stamp. We do not accept electronic versions or copies.
    • The NOA must include all of the following:
      • Child’s name as it currently appears on their NYC Birth Certificate
      • Child’s date of birth
      • Child’s place of birth
      • Full names of adoptive parent(s), including the mother/parent maiden name, if applicable
      • Place of birth of each adoptive parent
      • Address of adoptive parent(s) at the time of adoption
    • Ensure that any other information in the NOA matches the information on the child’s current birth certificate.
  2. NYC Birth Certificate Corrections Application
    • Complete Section One (top of page 2) of the NYC Birth Certificate Corrections Application. This will provide us with contact information if we need to contact you.
    • Section One can be completed by an adoptive parent or an attorney listed on the NOA. We will contact the person listed in Section One as needed. You do not need to complete any other sections of the application.
  3. Processing Fees
    • Include a payment of $40 for processing, plus $15 for each birth certificate requested. You can pay by check or money order.

If the adoption took place outside the US, in addition to the documents listed above, you must include an apostille. If the adoption order is not in English, it must be translated by a certified service. The certified translation should include a letterhead with the translator service's name, address and telephone number.

Mail completed applications to:

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
125 Worth Street, Room 144, CN-4
Attention: Group A
New York, NY 10013

Gender Marker

As of 2019, people born in New York City can change their gender marker on their birth certificate to “X”. It is no longer required for you to have a letter from a provider to change the gender marker on a certificate.

The gender marker correction application is for individuals who do not identify with the gender they were assigned to at birth or do not want to conform to a specific gender identity. If the hospital made an error with the gender listed on the birth certificate at the time of birth you should not complete this form. Instead, fill out the form: Application for the Correction of a NYC Birth Certificate (PDF)

To change your gender marker, you must submit:

For more information about how to change a gender marker on a birth certificate, email tgnyc@health.nyc.gov.

Mail completed applications to:

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
125 Worth Street, Room 144, CN-4
Attention: Group A
New York, NY 10013

To learn about transgender health and resources in NYC, visit Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Non-Binary and Gender Expansive Health.


Remove Provider's Name

You must get a State Supreme Court Order, unless the hospital where the child was born made a mistake and the child is 12 months of age or younger.

Instead of the court order, you can also get:

  • Letter from the hospital where the child was born stating that the hospital made the error. The letter must include the child's correct name, date of birth and parent's name.

A health care provider's name can be removed from a birth certificate if their medical license has been surrendered or revoked by the New York State Department of Health Office of Professional Medical Conduct. You will need to provide a printout or hardcopy showing that the provider's license was revoked.

You can request the removal of a provider's name if:

  • Your name appears on the record and you are 18 or older
  • You are a parent of the person named on the birth certificate
  • You are the legal representative of the person named on the birth certificate

The completed application and documents should be mailed or delivered to:

Attention: Anthony Romain
Corrections and Amendments Unit
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
125 Worth Street, Room 144
New York, NY 10013


Chat: For more help ordering a certificate, you can chat online with an operator, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.