You know that you were born in the United States. You even know when and where. You have not thought about your birth certificate in years. But you need a birth record for some reason and must obtain a state certified copy. You think that it is odd that you need one, particularly if you are middle age. What are some reasons you or someone you know may need a birth record?

• You are traveling out of the country and need a passport. The United States government requires you to show proof of residency before you are allowed to obtain a passport and travel out of the country.
  
  
• You have moved out of state and you need to obtain a new driver’s license. Most states require a copy of your birth certificate that has the official state or county seal before you will be given a new license.
  
  
• You are returning to college. A birth certificate is one of the many vital records you will need to bring before you can enroll.
  
  
• You don’t have a Social Security number. You must provide a copy of your birth certificate to get a Social Security card. Without a Social Security card, you will not be allowed to work in the United States if you were born there.
  
  
• You are applying for life insurance. Birth records are important to life insurance companies since rates are sometimes based on age. Even if you give the company a copy of your birth record, the agent may still conduct a records search of his own.
  
  
• You are applying for a job. Some employers want a copy of your birth certificate to prove that you were born in the United States. New federal laws targeting illegal immigration require more documentation, including the birth record. Sometimes a birth record is required before a position is offered.
  
  
• Sometimes an online birth record of one of your children will be required by the Internal Revenue Service to prove that you are the parent of the child and when the child was born.

You may need to search through county offices to find out where the birth record is kept. However, you can find out vital information if you use an online record search. You can find out where the birth record is filed and not spend hours searching for the information. Online search companies will allow you to find the information faster. This is also an inexpensive way to find birth records. Instead of keeping records for just one state, online search companies will give you access to birth records across the country. This is especially helpful if you moved across country as a child and you have no idea as to where and how to find the birth record. Many times if you only need to search for one record, you will pay as little as $10. Even if you need multiple searches, the cost could be as little as $100.