1. Download and complete the amendment application form.
   • Birth Amendment (for self or only one parent on certificate)
   • Birth Amendment (two parents on certificate)
   • Birth Amendment Application (by court order)
   • Birth Amendment Child Never Named
   • Death Amendment Application
   • Death Amendment Application (by court order)
   • Death Amendment Application for Funeral Directors
   • OCME Death Amendment Application
2. Have your signature(s) on the form authenticated by a notary public.
3. Prepare select your preferred payment method and directions will be provided upon amendment approval. fee made out to “DC Treasurer.” Please note that you must pay both the amendment and certificate fee if you wish to obtain a copy of the amended certificate.
4. Mail in copies of the required remote amendment identity documents and supporting documentation to the
   DC Health Vital Records Division, Customer Service and Certification Operations Unit
   2201 Shannon Pl. SE, 1st Floor,
   Washington, DC 20020
   .

If you are unable to meet the requirements, the DCVRD will issue you a rejection letter stating why the request could not be processed. This letter will be required should you decide to petition DC Superior Court to order the DCVRD to make the amendment as requested.

You must mail in clear and legible photocopies of the required identity documents to ensure that DCVRD employees are able to verify your identity.

For a printable version of the below requirements, please review our Identity Guidelines Information Sheet.

If the name on your identification does NOT match the name on the certificate, you must prove evidence of a legal name change. This may include a certified marriage certificate, certified divorce decree or a certified legal name change court order that reflects the history of the changes to the name(s) on the certificate(s) requested.

All applicants must provide any combination of THREE (3) forms of identification from the Primary and Additional identification options. At least ONE (1) of the THREE (3) forms must be from the Primary list and all identification must show full name, current address, and/or signature if appropriate.

• State-issued driver’s license or non-driver’s ID card
• Passport or passport card
• Permanent resident card
• Employment authorization card
• Department of State card
• Military ID Card
• Law enforcement ID (must also present DC Superior Court subpoena)
• Government employee ID (applies only to licensed social workers or government representatives with pre-existing approval from the State Registrar)

• Signed Social Security card or Social Security Disbursement Statement
• Vehicle registration/title
• Utility bill (dated within the last 60 days)
• Sealed court documents
• W2 from the previous year
• Hospital Newborn Discharge document related to a birth occurring within the last year
• Official correspondence from US Citizenship and Immigration Services

What information are you allowed to amend?

For birth certificates, you may be able to:

• Amend the child’s name
• Amend the baby’s weight, date of birth, time of birth or place of birth (hospital or birth facility)
• Amend Sex or gender designation
• Remove, add, amend the father/second parents name
• Remove, add, amend the mother’s name
• Amend the mother or father/second parents date of birth
• Amend the mother or father/second parents place of birth

Birth Amendment Requirements

All supporting documentation not presented in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. If any of the above documents cannot be obtained, you may petition DC Superior Court (DCSC) to order the DCVRD to process the amendment as requested. With the exception of a legal name change order, orders obtained from other jurisdictions must be domesticated through DCSC.

*** Birth certificate fields may only be amended if those fields are included in the current DC birth certificate format. If you have an older birth certificate format that contains fields not available on the current DC birth certificate format, you may request to have your certificate converted to the current format. Please note that if this request is not made at the time your order is placed, you may be assessed a fee to replace the certificate

**** An amendment to the parents’ name may only be applied when the request is to correct a minor misspelling or apply a legal name change. If the request is to change the names of the mother or father/second parent, the applicant must petition DC Superior Court** to make the amendment. If the request is to change the identity of the mother of father/second parent, the applicant must petition DC Superior Court** to make the amendment. If the request is to add a father or second parent when none had previously been recorded, the following rules apply:

1. For mothers or fathers unmarried at the time of birth, the father may acknowledge parentage and be added to the birth record by completing an Acknowledgement of Paternity form. The form must be completed in person* at the DCVRD with both parents present.
2. For parents married at the time of either conception or birth, or between conception and birth, and the child is born during the marriage or domestic partnership, or within 300 days after the termination of marital cohabitation by reason of death, annulment, divorce, or separation ordered by a court, or within 300 days after the termination of the domestic partnership ) the name of the father/second parent may be added to the certificate upon presentation of the marriage license/domestic partnership certificate to the DCVRD and completion of a Presumption of Parentage form (D.C. Code § 16–909). Fathers may also be added to the certificate if, after the child’s birth, he and the child’s mother marry or attempt to marry, (with the attempt involving some form of marriage ceremony that has been performed in apparent compliance with law), though such attempted marriage is or might be declared void for any reason, and he has acknowledged the child to be his (D.C. Code § 16–909(a)(3))..

What information are you allowed to amend?

For death certificates, you may be able to correct or amend:

• Amend Sex or gender designation
• Remove, add, amend the father/second parent’s name
• Remove, add, amend the mother’s name
• Amend the decedent’s marital/domestic partnership status
• Amend informant’s name or relationship to decedent
• Amend the decedent’s level of education or occupation
• Amend decedent’s military discharge status
• Amend decedent’s Social Security Number
• Amend decedent’s Cause and Manner of Death

Death Certificate Amendment Requirements

All supporting documentation not presented in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. If any of the above documents cannot be obtained, you may petition DC Superior Court (DCSC) to order the DCVRD to process the amendment as requested. With the exception of a legal name change order, orders obtained from other jurisdictions must be domesticated through DCSC.

*** Death certificate fields may only be amended if those fields are included in the current DC death certificate format. If you have an older death certificate format that contains fields not available on the current DC death certificate format, you may request to have your certificate converted to the current format. Please note that if this request is not made at the time your order is placed, you may be assessed a fee to replace the certificate.

What information are you allowed to amend?

For domestic partnerships, you may be able to:

• Amend city and state of residence
• Amend the legal name of the partner(s)

All supporting documentation not presented in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. If any of the above documents cannot be obtained, you may petition DC Superior Court (DCSC) to order the DCVRD to process the amendment as requested. With the exception of a legal name change order, orders obtained from other jurisdictions must be domesticated through DCSC.

*** Domestic partnership certificate fields may only be amended if those fields are included in the current DC domestic partnership certificate format. If you have an older domestic partnership certificate format that contains fields not available on the current DC domestic partnership certificate format, you may request to have your certificate converted to the current format. Please note that if this request is not made at the time your order is placed, you may be assessed a fee to replace the certificate.

Birth

Gender Designation Instructions, Application, and Model Letter

If you have any questions about Gender Designation, please call us at (877) 572-6332- option #5.

Death

Death Gender Designation Application

If you have any questions about Gender Designation, please call us at (877) 572-6332- option #5.