Who is Eligible to Apply for an Amended Certificate of Birth?

As provided by law (HRS §§338-17.7, 338-20.5), the following persons may apply for an amended certificate of birth:

• A person born in the State of Hawaii who already has a birth certificate filed with the Department of Health and
  
  
  1. has become legally adopted, or
  2. has undergone a sex change operation, or
  3. a legal determination of the nonexistence of a parent and child relationship for a person identified as a parent on the birth certificate on file has been made, or
  4. previously recorded information in relation to the person’s surname and/or the father’s personal particulars has been altered pursuant to law.
     
  
  
• A person born in a foreign country who has been legally adopted in the State of Hawaii.

For a person born in the State of Hawaii who already has a birth certificate filed with the Department of Health and has become legally adopted

• An amended birth certificate will be prepared upon receipt of a certified copy of a final adoption decree or an abstract of the decree, and after payment of any fees.

For a person born in the State of Hawaii who already has a birth certificate filed with the Department of Health and has undergone a sex change operation:

• An amended birth certificate will be prepared upon receipt of an affidavit of a physician that the physician has examined the individual and determined that the individual has had a sex change operation and the sex designation on the individual’s birth certificate is no longer correct, subject to further investigation and submission of additional information if deemed necessary, and payment of fees.

For a person born in the State of Hawaii who already has a birth certificate filed with the Department of Health and a legal determination of the nonexistence of a parent and child relationship for a person identified as a parent on the birth certificate on file has been made:

• An amended birth certificate will be prepared upon receipt of a final order, judgment, or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction that determined the nonexistence of a parent and child relationship for a person identified as a parent on the birth certificate on file and the person, and payment of any fees.

For a person born in the State of Hawaii who already has a birth certificate filed with the Department of Health and previously recorded information in relation to the person’s surname and/or the father’s personal particulars has been altered pursuant to law:

• An amended birth certificate will be prepared upon receipt of an affidavit of paternity, a court order establishing paternity, or a certificate of marriage establishing the marriage of the natural parents to each other, and payment of any fees.

For a person born in a foreign country who has been legally adopted in the State of Hawaii:

• An amended birth certificate will be prepared upon receipt of a certified copy of the adoption decree or the certificate of adoption, and payment of fees.

Note: Any additional application forms that may be required will be provided by the Department of Health after receipt of the necessary documents in support of the establishment of an amended certificate of birth.

To obtain more information about applying for an amended certificate of birth, you may:

1. Send a written letter of inquiry to:
   
   
   State Department of Health
   Office of Health Status Monitoring
   Registration/Vital Statistics Section
   P.O. Box 3378
   Honolulu, HI 96801

2. - or -

3. For information on an amended certificate of birth, call (808) 586-4541 during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. HST).
   
   

   Counter service is available Monday - Friday, except holidays, from 7:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Appointments are preferred.