Home Births

Public Health Law 4101 Charges the local Registrar with the enforcement of complete and

accurate vital statistics registration.  Therefore, before a home birth is registered, the local

registrar must determine when, where and to whom the child was born.

Parents will be asked to provide positive identification, proof of residency, and supporting

documentation from a prenatal or postnatal health care provider, the Department of Social

Services or other government agency familiar with the family and the mother’s pregnancy.

Except in rare situations, the local registrar will require that the parents and child personally

appear at the registrar’s office.

In the case that the mother is not married, the putative father’s name may be entered on the birth certificate only if he and the mother submit a correctly executed Acknowledgement of Paternity (DOH-3732/DSS-4418).  In accordance with Public Health Law 4130(2), a Certificate of Live Birth is to be filed with the local Registrar within five days of the date of birth.

If more than one year has elapsed since the birth of the child, the registrar will process the birth as a “Delayed Birth”.

Copies of Birth Certificates

A Certified Copy or a Certified Transcript of a birth certificate may be issued only:

            1.  To a person with a New York State Court Order

            2.  To the person named on the birth certificate, if 18 years of age or older

            3.  To the parents of the person named on the birth certificate.

            4.  To the lawful representative of the person named or the parents of the person

   named on the birth certificate.

            5.  To the Commissioner of Health

            6.  To a municipal, state or federal agency when needed for official purposes.

A Certification of birth may be issued:

            1.  To the person named on the birth certificate; if under 18 years of age

            2.  To a person over 18 years of age, if a certification is what they prefer

            3.  To a person who can demonstrate the record is required for a Judicial or other

                 proper purpose.

To obtain a Certified Copy or Certification, you will need:

            1.  A completed DOH-296A (Application to Local Registrar for Copy of Birth Record)

            2.  Proper government issued photo identification

            3.  $10.00 cash or check, payable to “Town of Wappinger”

            4.  If requested by mail, the applicant should also write a brief request for the copy

                 with a notarized signature.