Don't Have a Birth Certificate for Flying?

I've traveled a lot with all three of my kids and have never been asked for a birth certificate. The only reason I can think of for them to ask is to make sure people aren't taking advantage of not having to buy a ticket for kids under two.

In fact I'm flying US Airways to MA in two weeks and didn't plan on bringing a certificate.

1 mom found this helpful

We flew several times last year and never needed a birth certificate.

Hi S.,
My son flew to NY with us just before he turned 2 yrs old (a year ago) and no one asked us for a birth certificate.
Have a safe trip!
T.

Never ever. My daughter has probably been on plane 20-30 times and never once have I been asked for anything.

Hi S.,
I've flown with my now 17 month old a total of 4 times cross country and have never needed a certificate for her. As a matter of fact, we just got back from AZ 3 weeks ago and didn't have an issue. Have you spoken with a rep from the airline to be sure that you need one?
Good luck!

I would say call the airlines to make sure but when I flew with my babies I used their shot records - the one you get from the dr. We just flew with my youngest in November and she was 13 months. Hopes this helps - have fun!

I've flown 4 times in the last year (to Mass also!) with my 2 small boys (both under 4) and we've never had to have ID's for either of them...even when purchasing their own seat. And on multiple airlines. I think you'll be fine. We never had any ID for them, come to think of it!!

I do not know if anything changed, but I just flew with my then 9 month old in January and we were not asked for anything, but to let the airline know that we will be flying with an infant so they can accommodate. When we flew overseas with him we did not need a birth certificate either, we had to get a passport for him though.

goof Luck and God bless,

Try going to or contacting the health dept of the county where your daughter was born (hopefully it's the same county you live in now since time is of the essence!) and ask them for a copy of her birth certificate. I had to do that when enrolling my son in kindergarten - it only cost $5 and it's now in our safe deposit box at the bank in case we ever need it again. Hope this helps!

I had the same problem with the small birth certificate getting my daughter in school. Maybe you could call they city hall where she was born and get it mailed overnight or something.
BTW, we have a lot in common. I'm from MA and have a 15,13 and 2 year old. I was an office mgr for some time before I had the third and now I work at home. Send me a message sometime if you would like to chat.

When I traveled with my son at that age no one asked for a birth certificate. But when he turned one some airlines asked for it. I would take one just to be on the safe side. I went down to my health department and they issued me a birth certificate right there, it took about half an hour to get, most of that time was spent feeling out the paperwork. Good luck flying.

Hi there,

I have a 9 month old and a 2 1/2 year old and we fly about every three months and I have just now recieved my full sized birth cert. for my 2 1/2 year old. When I first flew with her I was told the same thing. My father in law is a Captain for US Air, he said take the birth cert. we had and we would be fine, several flights and years later still fine!! They never even asked us to see any info for either one of our children. All we had to do was register them on the flight. Take the birth cert. you have and you should be fine. Hope you have happy travels.

I flew with my baby when she was 8 mo. old, this was about a year and a half ago but we didn't need her birth certificate. We flew American. I also flew with her again when she was about 14 months on Delta and we didn't need her birth certificate then either. All I would suggest is call the airline and ask them but, I've never heard of needing the birth certificate before.

I just flew at the end of March with my now 9 mo old and 2 yr old kids. We did not have to show anything for them.

Go to the court house in the county your child was born in and ask for one. It will cost a little but is easy to get.

I actually just flew. If you bought a seat for her, you probably do. I did not buy a seat for my son and just sat him on my lap because he is under 2. They did not ask for a birth certificate. I brought it but they never asked for it.

What airline are you flying with? I have taken my son who is now 11 1/2 months, on 2 plane trips, the first to Maine when he was 3 months and no one asked for a birth certificate, the second trip was to san Juan in which we had a passport for him. If you go online to the airline's website you are traveling it should tell you what you will need. I hope you get the answers you are looking for. Safe flying

S.,
First call the air line directly to see what you need. Second - contact the county your child was born in - sometimes the county can work faster than the state to get copies for you. Third - I flew once with my infant, and all I had was the "mother's copy" of the birth certificate - the airline accepted in fine. In the past I have had birth certificates with me, and not been asked to show them - but I always have them with me just in case.
T.

S. W,

Either go on-line to the TN department of health and click on birth certificates or call the department of health and they can assist you in getting a certified copy of your little girl's birth certificate. There is a small fee involved for this; I think it is around $10.00. Good luck to you and have a good trip.

C. K

I fly with my children all the time from when they were babies to now 4 & 2. All you need is a copy of their shot records you can get from the doctor. I have never been asked for the birth certificate in fact I have never brought one with me. Have fun!

I've flown about 3 times with my daughter, who is now 2 1/2, and no one has ever asked me for a copy of her birth certificate. In fact, I don't think I've even brought it with me to the airport!

Call the airline and ask. They will tell you all the requirements. You may also want to ask about carry on items such as a stroller too.

My daughter, now 3, and I have been flying around the world since she was two weeks old. We have never needed a birth certificate for her when flying domestically. We use her passport when flying internationally. I regularly fly from Charlotte to Boston (Logan) on various airlines and have never been asked for identification for her.

Best bet, call your airlines to be sure.

Happy travels!

I flew to Boston this past January with my then 2 year old and didn't need to show any form of ID for her (I even bought a seat for her). Did you check with the airline?

You should be able to go to the Health Dept. of the county your baby was born in and get a full size copy of the birth certificate. I did this before my son got his driver's license since I couldn't remember where his original birth certificate was. D.

My daughter in law did not have any problem. She brought along the birth certificate but they did not ask for it. It may be because she did not purchase a seat for the baby. Now as my granddaughter got bigger and heavier, we purchased a seat for her but they did not ask for it that time either. I would suggest that you call the airlines for their policy on children and flying.

No one asked me for my son's birth certificate. I just made a photo copy of his birth certificate and had it in my wallet just in case. I had no problems getting on the plane and going through security with him. Call the airlines and ask them what their policy is.

Kinda scary if you think about it though, anyone could have your kid and could easily get on a plane with them and no one would ask for any ID.

Hope that helps.
A.

I believe you only need a birth cert IF flying out of the country. You should be fine. I'd call your airline to make sure, but we've flown with our son who is now 3 many times starting when he was 4 months old and have never needed anything.

I haven't heard about this, but I know you can get a birth certificate quickly. If the baby was born in Mecklenburg County, NC, you can go to uptown Charlotte to the government building at Stonewall and I believe it is Caldwell. It doesn't take long and they are ten dollars a piece. Check the county offices on line wherever the baby was born. Hope this helps. P

I flew with my daughter when she was 18 months. I think you need the certificate if they think the child is over 2 years old. I didn't need it.

Hi S.!

I flew with my four-month-old last week. We flew with her as an "infant in arms" and did not purchase her a ticket. The airline did require her birth certificate at check-in. (They used it to verify her age/identity for the boarding verification document that was then stapled to my boarding pass.)

I would suggest calling the airline you are flying with and asking them if the birth card would suffice.

Happy travels! :)

I just flew with my two and a half year old dd, and did not need her birth certificate even though she was in her own seat. The only time they told me I may need it is when I flew right before her second birthday to prove she wasnt two yet because she was sitting in my lap. Otherwise I've never had to show it. Hope that helps! Otherwise double check with the airline your flying with!

Hi! You will probably be ok. I flew with my then six month old and I never even gave them the chance to ask if I had any documents. She seemed pleasantly surprised that I had it all ready. If you have some type of document I can't imagine them turning you away. It's a domestic flight and you have some paperwork. Maybe bring a pic of you both???

Good luck!

S., you can go to your states vital records online site and order it and get it mailed to you..

I noticed you were from SC, so here is the site:
http://www.vitalrec.com/sc.html

You may have to make some phone calls ASAP but this was also on the site:

Each of South Carolinas counties has a vital records office in the county health department.

YOU CAN ORDER IT ONLINE....

Office of Vital Records
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
###-###-####
Fax: ###-###-####

OK: I just found all of this too which is crucial for you.

3 Ways to apply for a birth certificate
Option 1:
Walk-in: Average processing time is 30-45 minutes
Requirements:

* A completed application form (pdf)
* A $12 non-refundable standard searching fee; $3 for each additional copy
* Photo ID

Services:

* State office – Processes long-form birth certificates (required for travel) and birth cards
o 2600 Bull St., Columbia, SC 29201
* County offices – Process birth cards and applications for corrections

Option 2:
Mail: Average processing time is 2-4 weeks (standard), 3-5 business days (expedited)
Requirements:

* A completed application form (pdf)
* A $12 non-refundable standard searching fee; $17 for expedited service
* Photo ID

Mailing address:

* 2600 Bull St., Columbia, SC 29201

Required information for mail requests

* Full name of person whose record is being requested
* Full date of birth
* County of birth
* Father's full name
* Full maiden name of the mother

Option 3:
Phone and online orders: VitalChek is not affiliated with the State of South Carolina and a $12.95 charge in addition to state fees is applied.

* Call 1-877-284-1008 (toll-free) or visit VitalChek 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
* Average processing time is 5-7 business days

I haven't needed one for flying but I did need a large one one just recently. If you live in or near the county where the baby was born, you can just go down to the records building and request a copy and usually get it the same day. If you are far away or can't get down there, you can contact an outside company and pay something like $60 to get one in a week or so from Raleigh. Here is the website that is on the NC vital records page.

http://vitalrecords.dhhs.state.nc.us/vr/rush/

If thats not quick enough you may try Googling how to get one faster and a few companies will pop up.

I was asked for a birth certificate once when my child was close to two, but not before. If the child is in an infant seat you might not even need a birth certificate. Make sure your ticket says you are flying with an infant or they will have to print another ticket or write it on there. I would think that the mothers birth certificate should be enough, but I would call the airlines and explain the situation to them. Make sure you get the name of the person you talk to. As I am sure you know, the answers are always different depending on whom you talk with at the airlines.

I flew with my son a couple of months ago and i took a copy of his just in case but i never needed it. I think what they would need it for is to make sure the child isnt 2 if you didnt buy a seat for your baby(you know how some people might try to pull off their 2.5 year old as 23 months) but your baby is young enough that they arent going to question her age. You should be fine. Bring a copy of that card just in case.

The Airline needs proof the baby is old enough to fly. (Like over 6 weeks or something) As obvious as it is, it is like stores carding if you look younger than 40. I have flow w/out, & lucked out, but my baby is almost 3 now. They might be more strict.

If you have time, you can order a legal copy of her birth certificate from:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm

Or find the number for the vital Statistics Department of the state your baby was born in. You can usually have one overnight delivered. To have it mailed it is $12. Overnight is going to be $25-$35. you should not have a problem! Good luck!

Call the airlines. I have flown many times with both of my kids (6mos, and three). Some airlines don't require anything and some will accept a letter from your pediatrician verifying their age. The only time you really need one is when their age (are they still under the age of two?) could come into question. To my knowledge Delta and Northwest don't require anything. SW will take a ped. letter or your small birth certificate. Good Luck.

Some states now only have birth certificates in a card form (laminated). That is fine as long as it is certified. You should be able to see a seal on it. My 5 year old just flew to NY and they did not ask for a BC. Which I thought was mandatory now. If you are not sure if you have a certified one then you can call the county where your son was born and they will issue you a new Birth Certificate for about $10. It is fast and easy.

My son is going to be 2 in July. When he was 4 months we went to a funeral in Fl. (we live in Tn). Then when he was 6 months we went to visit his grandma in Las Vegas. Every time we needed his Birth certificate. They even suggested bringing his vaccine records just in case it was needed. I think its only when you share a seat with your baby that you need that. If you bought a seperate seat they may not hassle you.

I flew at Christmas with my 6 month old baby and no one asked me for any documentation. I didn't bring anything with me for such a request. You should notify the airline you're traveling with you'll be traveling with an infant. Otherwise I'd not spend time worrying unless you'll be flying out of the country and of course then you'll need a passport.