What would I do if I had to prove my citizenship? I'd use my passport. What if, like more than half of U.S. citizens, I didn't have a passport?
Without a passport, an enhanced driver's license (or enhanced state ID card) will do. I don't have one of those, so I need to assemble the documents that will be required to get it.
I need to start by getting a copy of my birth certificate. I don't live in the county (or state) where I was born, so a trip to the courthouse is impractical. Fortunately, I can order one by mail.
If I was born abroad to U.S citizens, I could use a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. A copy can be obtained by mailing a notarized application form and $50.00. If I wasn't born a U.S citizen, but moved to the U.S. and became naturalized, my naturalization certificate would work. Most likely, I would have this in my possession. In fact, if I were a naturalized citizen I could probably use that certificate as proof of citizenship and just skip the enhanced driver's license. But I'm a citizen by birth, so I need to keep working on this.
My birth state has a website that offers a choice between an "informational copy" and a "certified copy." The informational copy will be stamped with the words "Informational, not valid to establish identity," so I need the certified copy. I can print an application form to fill out. I'll also need to fill out a sworn statement saying that I am who I am, and get it notarized.
The fee for the certificate is $29.00. I can get my application notarized at the UPS store three miles away for $10.00.
That's $39.00 plus postage for the birth certificate.
I mail the notarized statement with a check for $29.00. According to the state website, average processing time is 12-14 weeks. Yikes!
My current name is not the same as the name on my birth certificate, so I'll need to document that. The DMV will accept a passport (which, for purposes of this story, I don't have) or a certified copy of a marriage or divorce decree or court-ordered name change. Let's assume I changed my name when I got married. Getting the marriage certificate is a lot like getting the birth certificate. This costs $17.00, plus another $10.00 for notarization. If I've been married more than once, I need copies of all marriage certificates. The processing time is still 12-14 weeks. Let's hope I figured this out and mailed this application at the same time as the birth certificate request.
If I had legally changed my name by court decree, a certified copy costs $40.00.
Next, I need a proof of identity, which could be a passport, military ID, driver's license, government employee ID card, or certificate of naturalization. I'll use my current driver's license (assuming they'll accept it with an outdated address).
I now need to two proofs of my current address. These could include a bank statement, utility bill, vehicle registration, professional license, home ownership document, or some other kind of official document (as listed on the DMV website), or postmarked mail. I can use a document in my spouse's name if I also show a marriage certificate. This seems like it should be easy,but I'm finding it strangely difficult. I've lived in this house only a short time, and so far the only mail I've received is junk mail for the previous occupant. My bank account is online, and I don't yet have a printable statement with this address. My driver's license is two addresses behind, because the DMV doesn't issue a new license when an address change is reported. Since I'm waitng 12-14 weeks to get those birth and marriage certificates, maybe by then I'll have something I can use.
So far, I have spent $66.00 plus postage. Add another $27.00 for each additional marriage, if applicable. Don't forget the fee my state charges for a new driver's license. Fees are different in different states, and not all states or counties make it easy to order documents online or by mail. Typically, the fee is the same if the documents are obtained at the courthouse or hall of records. Some states do not consider vital records (birth, marriage, death) to be public records, and may require more than just a notarized statement to prove someone is allowed to receive the necessary certificates.
Three months after I started, my birth and marriage certificates arrive. Now I'm ready to visit the DMV with my pile of documents. Since the election is in Novenmber, it would be great if I had started this in July or August - maybe earlier, depending on my state's voter registration deadline.
Fees and procedures described above apply to the county and state where I was born. Some localities charge significantly higher fees or make it much more difficult to get copies of documents.
Note that, as of this writing, proof of citizenship does not always require an enhanced driver's license (aka Real ID), which is typically intended as identification for traveling by air. In many cases, a certified birth certificate is sufficient, provided the person's current name appearing on other forms of ID is
exactly the same as on the birth certificate. Changes in spelling (Janice vs. Janis, Stephen vs. Steven) or use of an alternate form (Mike vs. Michael, Dave vs. David) may require additional documentation, which is not necessarily possible to obtain. Common sense is not admissable. People who change surnames upon marriage need to provide certified marriage and/or divorce certificates.
Some people do not have birth certificates. This may be the case for people who were not born in a hospital or clinic. (It can also be a problem for older people born in rural areas where record keeping was not meticulous, or in cases where public records have been lost or destroyed.) In the case of home births, counties or states allow registration of the birth, but sometimes people simply don't bother to register a home birth. For people who have reached adulthood without ever having a birth certificate, it may be possible to obtain a "delayed birth certificate". This requires sworn statements from witnesses, such as the mother or someone else who was present at the time. My grandfather was never able to get one, becase at the time he applied, his parents were dead, and the bureaucrats did not accept his sister as a witness.
A Social Security card is not considered proof of citizenship. According to the Social Security Administration, proof is one of these: Certificate of Naturalization, birth certificate (or equivalent), U.S. Passport or Passport Card.
For more information on proof of citizenship or acquistion of important documents, see these links:
US Passports
Real ID
