[martymartinez]

I have lived in California since 3 and was born in Puerto Rico. All my records from DMV to school records are a different name than the one on birth certificate. I need to get a copy of the original certificate with original name. Problem is my ID is the name I legally go by here, and someone told me they won't issue a copy because of the different name. HELP!!

[AK lawyer]

Contact the Puerto Rico vital statistics office, but my guess is that what you were told is not accurate. Explain the situation to the person at the VS office, but my guess is that if you send them an affidavit explaining that you are the same person shown in their records (and perhaps also explaining how your ID shows a different name), they will send you a birth certificate.

[ScottGem]

You contact the PR bureau of Vital Records for a copy of your birth certificate. Your legal name is what is on the birth certificate. What is different about the name you are using? Why do you think you need to change it? Why do you think a legal name change will be expensive?

{Mod Note: threads merged}

[martymartinez]

You contact the PR bureau of Vital Records for a copy of your birth certificate. Your legal name is what is on the birth certificate. What is different about the name you are using? Why do you think you need to change it? Why do you think a legal name change will be expensive?

{Mod Note: threads merged}

Hi,
I've been praying and asking God for wisdom, and He gave me this website. I hope you can help me.
All I am trying to do is to get a copy of my Birth Certificate. I was born in Puerto Rico; I have lived my whole life in California. My 'LEGAL' name in California, (School, Social Security, DMV, etc) is different than the one on my Birth Certificate. I was told by an agency on line that because of the name difference, I would have to legally change my name (of all my records) to the name on the Birth Certificate. That is expensive, and everyone in my whole life (I am 62) have known me by my California, United States name.
Thank you for shedding any light on this.

[ScottGem]

Did you read what AK and I said?

You can go here: https://www.vitalchek.com/birth-cert...ment-of-health and order a copy of your birth certificate.

And, if we ask you questions please answer them so we can help. What agency told you this? And why?

[martymartinez]

Sorry, the name of the company that told me is called 'Vital-Chek'

[ScottGem]

And under what circumstances did they tell you this. The link I just gave you is to vitalchek. I'm not at all clear why you were told this.

[martymartinez]

When you begin the application on line and follow through all the way past the credit card info, it leads you back to proof of identity. If I type in my 'California' name at the beginning and type in the birth name, it doesn't accept two different names. The Mailing address name and Birth Certificate name must be the same. They also check the credit card to see if the name on the card is the same as birth certificate is the same.

[ScottGem]

Ok, now its starting to make sense. So why do you need your birth certificate? How different are your names?

[martymartinez]

Quite different...

[ScottGem]

I have asked several times why you need your birth certificate. Again, if you don't answer our questions how do you expect us to help you? So if your name is very different how did you get a Social security card, Drivers License, etc. in your current name?

[AK lawyer]

It appears to me that OP is trying to use a commercial BC place. Contact the PR governmental agency itself, as I previously suggested. And try to get a live voice, instead of trying to use an Internet site.

[ScottGem]

Vitalchek is a clearing house for BC copies. I've used them myself. Lots of vital statistics depts farm out the work to them to the point that they have an exclusive on it. That doesn't mean the OP shouldn't try to directly contact the proper department in PR. May take some effort to do so. And, unless he can prove it is his BC, he might still have the same problem.

But it appears that the OP has sufficient documentation of his identity. So the question of why he needs the BC still remains.

[AK lawyer]

...
But it appears that the OP has sufficient documentation of his identity. So the question of why he needs the BC still remains.

BCs are often required for any number of reasons; passport applications for example.

[ScottGem]

BCs are often required for any number of reasons; passport applications for example.

Yes that's true but if we know why, we may be able to provide suggestions.