CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As back-to-school season arrives, parents are gathering important documents for registration, including birth certificates. For many families, especially those with children entering pre-K or kindergarten for the first time, obtaining an official birth certificate is a necessary step.
That hospital souvenir birth certificate won't be enough when registering your child for school - you'll need a certified copy.
"When a child is born what they have from the hospital is a souvenir copy," said Tina Belock, deputy registrar with Vital Records.
"Especially the littles, the ones going to pre-K or kinder for the first time. We see all those parents this time of year," Belock said.
Ron Shaw was among those parents seeking a replacement certificate before registering his daughter Kylee for school for the first time.
"We were in the middle of moving and I couldn't find it so I came to grab one real quick," Shaw said.
For Shaw, the process was straightforward with no appointments or complications.
"Just come right in, it took just a minute or two to do, that's about it," Shaw said.
"I think a lot of people think it's a government office and it's going to take forever," Belock said.
If you can't visit in person, online options are available. Online requests take about 24-48 hours to process, with certificates typically arriving in the mail within the same week. Parents shouldn't worry about short or long form certificates, as schools accept both versions.
"Any family that has moved to Corpus Christi and are now registering their kids in school, as long as those kids were born in Texas we can go into the state database and get those short forms for them and the schools will take them," Belock said.
Before visiting, you'll need $23 for the birth certificate and a valid photo ID.
"We take cash and debit and credit card," Belock said.
"The parent needs to be listed on that birth certificate. We will verify the name on the record with the ID provided to us," Belock said.
Vital Records is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and remains open during lunch hours for those needing to make a quick stop.
The office its located inside City Hall on the first floor to the left.
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