Correcting a Birth Certificate
You may not need a court order if you only want to correct a "mistake" on your birth certificate.
An example of a "mistake" is correcting Dauid to David. This requires written proof of the mistake which may include:
- a letter from the hospital
- immunization records
- doctor's records
- school admission letter
- religious document
- life insurance policy
If you want to change your name, you need a court order. An example of a name change is changing June to Edna. You can use the DIY Form to make your court papers.
How to Correct a "Mistake"
If you were born within the five boroughs of New York City, contact the Department of Health, Office of Vital Records at 212-639-9675 or 311 or email correctionsunit2@health.nyc.gov.
If you were born in New York but outside of New York City, contact the Department of Health, Vital Records Section, Correction Unit at 855-322-1022 or email vr@health.ny.gov.
If you were born outside of New York, contact the vital statistics office in the State or area where you were born.
To correct the birth certificate of a child under 12 months of age, bring the original birth certificate with an application directly to the hospital where the child was born.
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