Kim

My daughter and I are ready to apply for our passports to go to Paris in late May. Question: When we bring our certified birth certificates to the passport office, do they keep the certified certificate or do they verify it as "original", take a copy of it for their records, and then return the "original" to you?

Thanks.
Kim.

Meghan

Kim,

The passport office does keep your original birth ceritificate, but will mail it back when they mail your passport.

greg gallagher

Be careful though. I had some ding bat official spill mustard on mine. And than wiped it up with her shirt. Humorous now ,but definitely not then. And yes they mail it back to you.

gail

Agree with above - they must keep it. I am sure it has happened that birth certificates are lost, but I have never heard of it. Some reassurance is that the State Dept passport people can tell you status of your application if a passport does not appear in a reasonable amount of time (we had to do that with our son). Also, although people get very protective of their birth certificates, it is easy to get a new one from public records dept. of city of birth - usually costs 10-20 dollars.

greg gallagher

Unless of course you are an American citizen born in a foreign country. Then it is almost impossible.