questions & answers

Question: I had my baby two months ago, she was "unnamed baby" on her birth certificate. I gave them her father's information. I went to give them her name at the Vital Records Office, but it couldn't be done because her father has to sign and noterize an affadavit. I don't know where he is and my daughter needs her birth certificate. I was told that I need a court order for her to be named, how do I go about doing that?

Answer:

The Office of Vital Records provides information regarding what steps must be taken to add a child’s name to a birth certificate. There are multiple courses of action to complete the process, which depend on various factors, such as the age of the child. The Office of Vital Records also provides the forms needed to amend a birth certificate. 

 Unfortunately, The Office of Vital Records does not include information for how to amend a birth certificate when a court order is needed. The Superior Courts of Arizona contain the necessary court orders. Any person required to submit such a court order may find one in a Superior Court website or in person at a Superior Court. This link provides a list of all the Superior Courts in Arizona. 

 Here is a link that provides the Maricopa County court order form for amending a minor’s birth certificate. The link also provides information on the procedure for submitting the court order. If the form is unavailable online, it can be acquired in person at the Superior Court within the county where the child resides. For more information on amending birth certificates, please refer to Title 36, Chapter 3, of the Arizona Revised Statutes.