Prove your citizenship: born in the U.S. with no birth certificate

If you were born in the U.S. and have no birth certificate, learn how to get documentation to prove you are a U.S. citizen.

Contact the vital records office in your birth state so they can search for a record of your birth. If they cannot find your birth record, they will issue you a Letter of No Record, which includes:

  • Your name
  • Your date of birth
  • The years searched by the vital records office to find your birth record
  • Confirmation that they were unable to find a birth certificate on file

You may also need secondary evidence of citizenship to prove your birth in the U.S. This could include:

  • A hospital birth certificate
  • A baptism certificate
  • Census records
  • Early school records

LAST UPDATED: September 27, 2024

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