Is it illegal to laminate your birth certificate?
Asked by: Aiyana Zboncak | Last update: December 16, 2025Score: 5/5 (28 votes)
Can I laminate my US birth certificate?
No. Laminating your document will invalidate it because it will destroy security features.
What happens if you laminate a certificate?
First, lamination can damage the certificate. The adhesive in the lamination can interact with the paper, leaving a residue on the certificate. This can make it difficult to read, and can even damage the ink. It can also cause the paper to become brittle over time, making it more susceptible to damage.
What documents cannot be laminated?
While you should not laminate items such as thermal paper, original legal documents or certificates, and sensitive historical documents or photos, lamination can protect virtually any other document.
Is tearing up a birth certificate illegal?
You could be charged in California with forgery for altering the document. Here are the forgery statutes. Forgery is a wobbler, meaning it could be a misdmeanor or a felony.
Why Births & Deaths Registry Warns Never To Laminate Your Birth Certificate
Am I allowed to fold my birth certificate?
Protective Measures for Your Birth Certificate
Handle Gently: Take care not to crease the paper when folding it, and make sure the folds are as gentle as possible to avoid causing permanent lines or damage.
Can your parents legally keep your birth certificate from you?
While your mother might have had the right to hold onto these documents when you were a minor, withholding them from an adult child could be problematic. If she refuses to give them to you, you can obtain duplicates.
Can you laminate your SSN card?
Do not laminate your card. Lamination prevents detection of many security features. However, you may cover the card with plastic or other removable material if it does not damage the card.
Can I laminate my marriage certificate?
Lamination can make it difficult to detect alterations or tampering, which may raise concerns during verification processes. It's generally recommended to keep original documents in their original, unaltered state to avoid potential issues during verification. Fakery. Lamination of certificates may make them look fake.
What are you not allowed to laminate?
Medicare and the Social Security Administration (SSA) advise against laminating a Medicare card or other official document, such as a Social Security card. This is because lamination may interfere with the card's security features, such as the ability to scan certain details or detect tampering.
How do you remove lamination from birth certificate?
Use an Iron
Well, you can start by placing a rag or piece of cloth over the plastic, so that it doesn't melt, and the heat from the iron will warm the plastic. Once the iron has ran over the cloth a few times, the steam from the iron will help peel the lamination off from the paper.
Is it okay to laminate your citizenship certificate?
Laminating original documents like birth certificates, certificates of citizenship and even Social Security cards is considered altering or damaging the documents. Many government agencies will not accept the documents.
Is it okay to laminate your degree?
It may seem easy and aesthetically pleasing at first, but lamination will yellow and destroy your precious degree in the long run. It's one of the worst ways to display diplomas.
Can you use a laminated birth certificate for a cruise?
Guests may obtain a copy of a birth certificate by contacting: The Department of Health and Vital Statistics at: www.vitalchek.com. If the guest has laminated their birth certificate, it is acceptable.
Can you tape a birth certificate?
It's also not illegal to tape up, draw funny faces on, or straight up burn your birth certificate. If you feel the one you have if not in good enough shape you can obtain a certified copy from the vital records office of the county in which you were born.
Can I remove lamination of my certificate?
Use a hair dryer on a low heat setting to gently warm the lamination, making the adhesive more pliable. You can also hold the document over a pot of gently steaming water to soften the adhesive. Once the lamination starts to loosen, carefully peel it off using a plastic card, moving gradually to prevent tearing.
Can a birth certificate be laminated?
As explained above, not only government offices but most organizations do not accept laminated birth certificates. If you want to use your birth certificate as proof of your identity and/or citizenship, then you should not laminate it. However, documents destined to non-official uses can be laminated.
Is it okay to laminate a certificate?
Lamination is not deemed a safe conservation procedure because, throughout the application, the method can potentially degrade a document leading to high heat and strain.
Does USCIS accept a laminated birth certificate?
You can't use laminated documents with USCIS. You should Never laminate official documents.
Will the DMV accept a laminated Social Security card?
However, the acceptance of a laminated Social Security card can depend on the policies and practices of your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or licensing agency. To ensure that your laminated Social Security card will be accepted, I recommend contacting your local DMV or licensing agency directly.
Is it legal to laminate your Medicare card?
The Medicare card is a sensitive document, but it's important enough that you should keep it nearby. While you are technically allowed to laminate your Medicare card, the Social Security Administration does not recommend it. Laminating your card can compromise some of the security features of the Medicare card.
Can an employer accept a laminated Social Security card?
Documents that Establish Employment Authorization
Social Security account number card that is unrestricted. A laminated card is acceptable. A card that includes any of the following restrictive wording is not an acceptable List C document: NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT.
Who legally owns your birth certificate?
Birth certificates are government records. The original belongs to the government entity that created it. Copies belong to whoever bought them or to whoever they were given, just like any other piece of paper.
Can you give a baby the father's last name without his consent?
Usually, both the father and the child's mother will have to agree to the name change. If there's a dispute or disagreement over this aspect of a child's life, you will have to go to court. If negotiations between the parents fall apart, court proceedings are common. A name change will then require a court order.
Can you sue someone for withholding your birth certificate?
If it is impossible for you to get new copies for whatever reason, you can always go to your local district court and sue her in small claims court for $1 and a court order in this matter ordering her to turn over your birth certificate and DD 214.