Important Information

Puerto Rico: new birth certificate law

Birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 valid through October 30, 2010

Birth certificates issued by the Puerto Rico Department of Health before July 1, 2010 will be invalidated under a new law passed by the government of Puerto Rico to combat fraud and protect the identity and credit of all persons born in Puerto Rico.

As of October 31, 2010, the MVC no longer accepts Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 as proof of identification. New, more secure certificates are available online at pr.gov or by mail.

Hudson County birth certificates

If you were born in 1965 or later, you can still use your certified Jersey City/Hudson County birth certificate to renew your license. More detailed information is available here. You may also call the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry at 609-292-4087.

If you were born in 1965 or later, you have two options:

• Obtain a new, certified copy of your birth record from the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. A $25 fee will apply. This copy will be valid for all identification purposes.
• Obtain a letter of authenticity from the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. This letter is only valid with the MVC and will not serve as a certified copy of your birth certificate. There is no fee with this option.
• To obtain a letter of authenticity, you must appear in person at the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry and present the original certified copy of your birth record and a valid ID.

All documents must be original or certified copies and have the required municipal and/or State seals. To obtain certified copies of New Jersey records, contact the municipality that originally issued the document and/or contact the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry by visiting www.nj.gov/health/vital or by calling 609-292-4087.

Lost your identification documents? Need new copies?

If you do not have your original civil identification documents or certified copies you need to pass the 6 Points of ID verification process, there are numerous ways for you to obtain them. Some requests can take six to eight weeks or longer to complete so please plan accordingly. Here is how to obtain civil marriage certificates and birth certificates:

If you were born in New Jersey, you have three options:

• Contact the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry at 609-292-4087 or go to their website to review instructions on ordering vital records.
• Contact the municipality where you were married or born. See the complete list of New Jersey municipalities here; or, search by name here.
• Contact VitalChek. This is a private company that is not affiliated with the state of New Jersey or the New Jersey MVC.
• For a replacement SSN card visit: www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount

If you are a US Citizen born or married outside of New Jersey, contact the municipality in the state you were born.

If you were born outside the US, contact the U.S Department of State.

Note for Married Women and others with Name Changes

You may need more than a marriage certificate to verify your name change! Please check the Names Must Match page to ensure your documents will work for REAL ID.