Do I Need My Baby's Birth Certificate to Fly?

I think you do. Check with your airline. Whether they ask to see it is another story....

1 mom found this helpful

Call the airline and see what they allow.

We were always asked for the birth certificate while our son was still a lap rider/free . Even though he's 4 now and we pay for his seat, we still bring the birth certificate, just in case. Call the airline to confirm.

As one poster said - get an official looking document from the hospital (and maybe get it notarized too). I think the airline has to confirm the child's age in order for the child to qualify for the lap/free status.

Also - make sure you order a few additional copies of the birth certificate. I ordered 5!
1) Your child will eventually need his/her own as he gets older. I keep mine in my son's scrap book.
2) Send one to a family/member or friend to hold on to just in case something happens to your house or if need them to send it in an emergency.
3) Keep one w/ you & your husband's passports so it's handy for travel.
4) Keep a copy w/ you & your husband's will.
5) And finally, an extra for "just in case".

Birth certificates are only $7 each in our county. So I figured $35 to be prepared for anything is worth it!

PS: Here's a tip for baby while taking off & landing, give your baby a paci or a bottle. The pressure will make baby's ears pop and it hurts the little guy! But sucking on a paci/bottle will relieve a lot of the pressure and hopefully prevents crying.

Sorry about the long post!
Good luck!

Our airlines always said we needed one. Maybe we were asked once, but I don't remember ever being asked. We flew a lot, too with lap kids! It doesn't hurt to have it. I think rules with TSA have changed on that since we last flew, so I'm not entirely sure. Last time I flew with a lap kid was March of last year. My son was so sick, I hardly had to show id. They were more concerned with all the meds I was taking on the plane. You didn't say how old your daughter is, but if she looks babyish, and not toddlerish, I'm sure you'll be fine, if they're only concerned with confirming her age.

If she is a lap child on a domestic flight - I would say you will likely be OK. They have never asked me for my kids. International is something different.

Best of luck!

Most airlines and the TSA will honor the immunization record as proof of age, and in my experience I offer to show them the immunization record and the decline to see it. I have used it once or twice though. It is usually need to prove the child is under 2 and able to sit on your lap. Have a great trip :)

We just flew over Christmas and no one even asked us anything about our kids. Ours are 4 and 8, but no one even asked us for anything proving they were our kids. I was thinking it would be very easy to take someone's elses kids on a plane.

Usually you do if you aren't buying a ticket. If the baby looks very young they may not ask, but get a letter from your hospital stating when she was born on official letterhead (they usually give you this when she's born) just in case you don't get the official certificate.

I never needed it but we also always bought a ticket for our daughter.

The best way to get the correct response is to ask your airlines.

we just traveled and we did need one. check with your airline, and see if they would take something else instead of the birth certificate (if u don't have it).

When I took my daughter many years ago I needed it.