My husband isn’t the most organized guy on the face of the planet, and somewhere during the breakup of his first marriage and subsequent moving around, he lost the older two kids’ birth certificates and social security cards. We know their social security numbers, but we have essentially no paper proof of their identities. This seems like a bad idea to me, and since I still need to get my name changed on my driver’s license, I thought I’d get this taken care of, as well.
So, my question is two-fold. 1) Who do I speak to about getting these documents? and 2) What sort of proof can I possibly provide that these children are who I say they are? Will the word of their father be enough? How about if I get their mom to swear to it, also?
I am in Houston,Texas, and both children were born here.
Start here: http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/departme/health/certificatespage.html
Once you get copies of their birth certificates, you should be able to get copies of their social security cards.
Your husband may have to show ID in order to get copies.
From Cillasi’s cite: You’re definitely a qualified applicant, as a stepparent. If you have a different last name, you must “show documentation of the relationship to the person named on the certificate”. I presume marriage license would suffice, if the father is named on the birth certificate. If not, you need a statement from their mother.
I’d advise getting the new license first, that will make the whole thing easier.
Yeah, I have a lot of legal stuff to work out, and my license has to be first anyway. I have to change my insurance, apply for WIC, register to vote, get my new SS card…
I ought to have done some of this months ago.