Parentage

Adding or changing parents on a birth certificate

There are only two ways to add or change who is listed as a parent on a birth certificate: Acknowledgment of Parentage or Court Order.

  1. Acknowledgment of Parentage
    The Acknowledgment of Parentage is an administrative process used to:
  • Establish a parent-child relationship
  • Add a second parent to the birth certificate
  1. Court Order

You need a court order if:

  • There are questions about who is a parent of the child
  • The parties do not agree on who is a parent of the child
  • The parties want to add or remove parent(s) on the child's birth certificate.

To order a Parentage Verification Letter, submit the Parentage Verification Order form (DOH 422-163) (PDF) to the Department of Health.

Note: This information does not apply to adoption or surrogacy situations. Visit the Adoption page or Surrogacy page for information.

  1. Submit the documents to the Department of Health

Mail    In-Person

By Mail

Mailing Address  

Center for Health Statistics
Department of Health
PO Box 47814
Olympia, WA 98504-7814

Questions

For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Contact us by email parentage@doh.wa.gov.

Ordering a certificate with a correction request

  • Send completed certificate order form with your correction request. Include all required documents referenced on the certificate application instruction page.
  • Certificate will be issued after the correction has been processed.

Birth Certificate Application (en español)

Death Certificate Application (en español)

Marriage & Divorce Application (en español)

Exchanging a certificate with a correction request

If you currently have a certified copy of a certificate that was issued less than one (1) year ago, send in the certified copy of the certificate with your correction request; we will exchange the certificate at no charge. A copy of your photo ID and, if necessary, documentation verifying proof of relationship are required.