The government of Puerto Rico has invalidated all birth certificates issued before January 1, 2020, affecting more than 4 million Puerto Ricans living in the 50 United States. Although the government has taken this action, many are unaware their birth certificate became invalid on September 30, 2020, was granted by the legislature for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
The issue has increased in awareness following a policy change in Ohio where the Department of Motor Vehicles no longer accepts a Puerto Rican birth certificate when applying for a state id.
Those affected are Puerto Ricans that were born in Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans born in the United States or any of its territories are not effected. They need to obtain a new secured birth certificate from Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico took the step following identify theft concerns for its citizens. The US government has concluded that as many as 40 percent of identity theft cases involve Puerto Rican issued birth certificates.
The problem stems from the cultural practice of handing out certified birth certificates on a regular basis. It is not uncommon for someone with a Puerto Rican birth certificate to provide an original certified birth certificate as identification whenever asked. In fact, according to the Office of Management and Budget, the Puerto Rican Office of Vital Statistics certified more than 860,000 birth certificates while only 45,622 children were born in Puerto Rico.
The average Puerto Rican will request 20 certified original (copies) of their birth certificate according to Kenneth McClintock Hernandez, Puerto Rico's Secretary of State.
It is not necessary to go to Puerto Rico to obtain the new secured birth certificate. They can applied for online from the official website for the Puerto Rican government or by mail to Puerto Rico Vital Statistics Record Office (Registro Demográfico), P.O. Box 11854, San Juan, PR 00910.
The cost is only $5.
In Michigan the Secretary of State has not taken any action to alert those living in the state with a Puerto Rican birth certificate about the need to obtain a new certificate.
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Remember, this only applies to birth certificates issued before 1/1/2010 and does not take effect until September 30, 2010. There is no need to go back in time for transactions already completed.
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