Supporting Documentation for Record Changes and Corrections
In addition to a signed, notarized amendment form, a copy of acceptable identification (ID), and payment, you must provide the required supporting documentation when changing or correcting a vital record. You must also be a person qualified to make a change or correction.
The type of supporting documentation you must provide depends on the type of record and the type of change or correction you are trying to make. You must provide valid, original documents (not photocopies) unless otherwise specified below.
Jump to: Birth Record Changes | Death Record Changes
Birth Record Changes (Form VS 170)
To find out what supporting documentation you must provide, select the type of birth record change or correction you want to make from the list below:
- Correct a hospital error/omission before child’s 1st birthday
- Correct a hospital error/omission after child’s 1st birthday
- Add or correct child’s first or middle name before child’s 1st birthday
- Add or correct child’s first or middle name after child’s 1st birthday
- Correct spelling of child’s last name
- Correct child’s date of birth, place of birth, or time of birth
- Correct child’s sex due to proven incompletion or inaccuracy
- Correct parent’s information (of parent currently listed on the birth certificate)
- Correct mother’s residence address at the time of the child’s birth
- Add a parent AND the parents were married before the child was born
- Change legal name
- Remove information from birth record
- Add/remove/replace a parent
Correct a hospital error/omission before child’s 1st birthday
Contact the hospital where the child was born. The hospital must sign and submit the application. No documentation required.
Correct a hospital error/omission after child’s 1st birthday
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
- Hospital or medical record at birth (admission/discharge or worksheet); or
- Letter from hospital or medical facility explaining correction needed.
Add or correct child’s first or middle name before child’s 1st birthday
No documentation required.
Add or correct child’s first or middle name after child’s 1st birthday
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
- Hospital or medical record at birth (admission/discharge or worksheet);
- Letter from hospital or medical facility explaining correction needed;
- Baptismal certificate - must be within first 5 years of birth;
- Numident printout from the Social Security Administration (SSA);
- Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate;
- Elementary school record - must be signed by custodian of school records based on earliest attendance;
- Federal census record;
- School census record; or
- Armed forces discharge papers (form DD 214) – photocopy accepted.
Correct spelling of child’s last name
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents, any of which must be dated prior to birth of child (except court order):
- Birth certificate(s) of child’s parent(s);
- Birth certificate of child’s older brother or sister;
- Certified copy of parents’ marriage license;
- Parent’s naturalization certificate (must include name change);
- Photocopy of parent’s domestic passport or parent’s foreign passport with U.S. Visa; or
- Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate (pre-date restriction does not apply).
Correct child’s date of birth, place of birth, or time of birth
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
- Hospital or medical record at birth (admission/discharge or worksheet);
- Letter from hospital or medical facility identifying the clerical error made and correction needed; OR
- Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate.
Correct child's sex due to proven incompletion or inaccuracy
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
- Hospital or medical record at birth (admission/discharge or worksheet); OR
- Letter from hospital or medical facility identifying the clerical error made and correction needed.
Correct parent’s information (of parent currently listed on the birth certificate)
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
- Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate;
- Birth certificate(s) of child’s parent(s);
- Birth certificate of child’s older brother or sister;
- Certified copy of parents’ marriage license;
- Parent’s naturalization certificate (must include name change); or
- Photocopy of parent’s domestic passport or parent’s foreign passport with U.S. Visa.
Correct mother’s residence address at the time of the child’s birth
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
- Hospital or medical record at birth (admission/discharge or worksheet);
- Letter from hospital or medical facility explaining correction needed; or
- Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate.
Add a parent AND the parents were married before the child was born
- Submit a certified copy of the parents' marriage license, and
- Both parents must sign Section 6 of the application in the presence of a notary.
Change legal name
Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate.
Remove information from birth record
Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the birth certificate.
Add/remove/replace a parent
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
- Certified copy of parents’ marriage license;
- Certified copy of the court decree establishing parentage;
- Copy of the Acknowledgment of Paternity (VS-159.1) filed with the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics office;
- Copy of the Acknowledgment of Paternity Rescission (VS 158) filed with the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics office; or
- A gestational agreement.
Death Record Changes (Form VS 172)
To find out what supporting documentation you must provide, select the type of death record change or correction you want to make from the list below:
- Correct deceased’s name
- Add one "also-known-as" or AKA to the deceased’s name (must be similar)
- Correct place of death
- Correct date-of-birth and/or age of deceased
- Correct deceased's sex
- Correct birth place of deceased
- Correct Social Security number (SSN) of deceased
- Correct marital status of deceased
- Correct surviving spouse’s name
- Correct informant’s information
- Correct deceased’s parent’s first, middle, or last name
- Correct deceased's residence street address
- Correct method or place of disposition
- Correct name of funeral facility
- Correct medical information (i.e., date-of-death and information at or below “Certified” line—items 26-41)
Correct deceased’s name
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If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
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Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
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No documentation required. |
Add one "also-known-as" or AKA to the deceased’s name (must be similar)
|
If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
|
Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the death certificate. |
No documentation required. |
Correct place of death
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
- Medical records; or
- Medical Examiner/Justice of the Peace, Police, or EMS reports.
Correct date-of-birth and/or age of deceased
|
If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
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Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
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No documentation required. |
Correct deceased's sex
|
If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
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Submit the following document:
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No documentation required. |
Correct birth place of deceased
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If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
|
Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
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No documentation required. |
Correct Social Security number (SSN) of deceased
|
If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
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Social Security card of deceased – photocopy accepted. |
No documentation required. |
Correct marital status of deceased
|
If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant: |
|---|---|
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Certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the death certificate. |
No documentation required. |
| To correct misspellings: Contact the informant or funeral director listed on the death certificate to make this change. | To correct misspellings: No documentation required. |
| For more significant changes: Must provide a certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the death certificate. | For more significant changes: Provide a certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the death certificate. |
Correct informant’s information
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If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
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To correct misspellings: Contact the informant or funeral director listed on the death certificate to make this change. For more significant changes: Must provide a certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the death certificate. |
To correct misspellings: No documentation required. For more significant changes: Provide a certified copy of a court order affecting the information shown on the death certificate. |
Correct deceased’s parent’s first, middle, or last name
|
If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
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Submit ONE (1) of the following documents:
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No documentation required. |
Correct deceased's residence street address
|
If you are the surviving spouse or surviving parent: |
If you are the informant or funeral director: |
|---|---|
|
Contact the informant or funeral director listed on the death certificate to make this change. |
No documentation required. |
Correct method or place of disposition
|
If you are the surviving spouse, surviving parent, or informant: |
If you are the funeral director: |
|---|---|
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Contact the funeral director listed on the death certificate to make this change. |
No documentation required. |
Correct name of funeral facility
|
If you are the surviving spouse, surviving parent, or informant: |
If you are the funeral director: |
|---|---|
|
Contact the funeral director listed on the death certificate to make this change. |
No documentation required. |
Correct medical information (i.e., date-of-death and information at or below “Certified” line—items 26-41)
Contact the medical certifier listed on the death certificate to make a change to medical information.