Franklin Joseph & Associates - 1-888-575-4511
Proof of Citizenship

 You can prove your US citizenship with one of the following:

  • Original Birth Certificate (if born in the United States);
  • or Old (undamaged) passport;
  • or Original Certificate of Citizenship or FS-240, DS-1350 ( if born outside the US );
  • or Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Office.

Note: A certified birth certificate has a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar's signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth.

A Delayed Birth Certificate filed more than one year after your birth may be acceptable if it:

  • Listed the documentation used to create it and
  • Signed by the attending physician or midwife, or, lists an affidavit signed by the parents, or shows early public records.

If you changed your legal name by way of marriage or otherwise you will need to provide evidence of the name change: a certified copy of either
- A marriage certificate, or
- A name change court decree.



If you do not have a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate, you will need:

  1. Letter of "No Record" issued by the State with your name, date of birth, which years were searched for a birth record and that there is no birth certificate on file for you and
  2. As many of the following as possible:
  • baptismal certificate
  • hospital birth certificate
  • census record
  • early school record
  • family bible record
  • doctor's record of post-natal care

Note: These documents must be early public records showing the date and place of birth, preferably created within the first five years of your life. You may also submit an Affidavit of Birth, form DS-10, from an older blood relative (i.e. parent, aunt, uncle, sibling) who has personal knowledge of your birth. It must be notarized or have the seal and signature of the acceptance agent.

There is no way of finding out who is a citizen and who is not through some database. Documents such as a US passport or birth certificate can be forged. If the person was born in the United States, then county records will verify whether or not a person was born in that county. Some counties can have this information viewed publicly, some will not. If the US Citizen was naturalized, the only way of finding out is with USCIS records. These records are supposed to be obtained only by the person naturalized or by the original petitioner if there was an immigrant visa given back in the days as a non-citizen; a FOIA request can be made to get that info. Of course there's always means to obtain information if you know the right people, but I'm sticking with the most ethical means.

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