No matter how old you are, the chances are good that either you or your parents have a copy of your birth certificate. Parents receive this certificate from the hospital after the mother gives birth. If your parents adopted you, they can request that the government issue a new certificate that lists them as both your mother and your father.  Some adopted children do not learn until later in life of their adoptions because their parents never told them and they had new certificates issued.

You need a birth certificate for a few things but mainly to prove your identity. If you ever lose your social security card, the government will ask for two forms of ID such as a driver’s license and a birth certificate. You may also need a birth certificate to get a passport for traveling out of the country. In addition to your own birth certificate, you might look for your loved ones’ birth certificate as you work on a family tree. Those records are available from a few different sources and are sometimes available online too.