Adding or changing parents on a birth certificate
There are only two ways to add or change who is listed as a parent on a birth certificate: Acknowledgment of Parentage or Court Order.
- Acknowledgment of Parentage
The Acknowledgment of Parentage is an administrative process used to:
- Establish a parent-child relationship
- Add a second parent to the birth certificate
- Court Order
You need a court order if:
- There are questions about who is a parent of the child
- The parties do not agree on who is a parent of the child
- The parties want to add or remove parent(s) on the child's birth certificate.
To order a Parentage Verification Letter, submit the Parentage Verification Order form (DOH 422-163) (PDF) to the Department of Health.
- La forma en Español: Formulario Para Ordenar la Verificación de Paternidad (DOH 422-163) (PDF)
Note: This information does not apply to adoption or surrogacy situations. Visit the Adoption page or Surrogacy page for information.
- Submit the documents to the Department of Health
By Mail
Mailing Address
Center for Health Statistics
Department of Health
PO Box 47814
Olympia, WA 98504-7814
Questions
For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Contact us by email parentage@doh.wa.gov.
Ordering a certificate with a correction request
- Send completed certificate order form with your correction request. Include all required documents referenced on the certificate application instruction page.
- Certificate will be issued after the correction has been processed.
Birth Certificate Application (en español)
Death Certificate Application (en español)
Marriage & Divorce Application (en español)
Exchanging a certificate with a correction request
If you currently have a certified copy of a certificate that was issued less than one year ago, send in the certified copy of the certificate with your correction request; we will exchange the certificate at no charge.