Special Birth Certificate Requirements for TX, CA, and PR
The U.S. Department of State has special requirements for birth certificates from TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, and PUERTO RICO. Please read the information on this page carefully to avoid a delay in processing your passport application.
Texas
Texas issued birth certificates must have a hospital name listed. Generally, long-form birth certificates will have a hospital name listed, but are acceptable without. However, typically short-forms do not list a hospital.
Short-form Texas birth certificates are accepted ONLY if there is a letter “I” printed next to the date filed. The US Department of State will not accept short-form birth certificates without the “I”.
| ✅ Long-Form (Acceptable) | ❌ Short-Form of Birth (Not Acceptable without I) |
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If you need to order a new long-form Texas birth certificate, please visit the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics website at https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vs/.
If you were born in Brazos County you can obtain a long-form birth certificate from the following places. College Station City Secretary or Bryan City Secretary Vital Statistics.
If you were not born in Brazos County, you can get a short form from the College Station or Bryan City Secretary Offices, however, there is no guarantee the "I" will be printed on your certificate. They do not have a print preview option.
California
California issued birth certificates must have a hospital name listed. Generally, long form birth certificates will have a hospital name listed and are acceptable.
| ✅ Long-Form (Acceptable) | ❌ Abstract of Birth (Not Acceptable) |
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If you need to order a new California birth certificate, please visit the California Department of Public Health website at CA department of Public Health.
