<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" citation="COMAR 10.03.01.03" title_num="10" subtitle_num="03" chapter_num="01" heading="Birth Registration.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Birth Registration Notice.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The Secretary may issue a birth registration notice to parents named on the certificate stating that the birth certificate of their child has been registered.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The notification in §A(1) of this regulation may not be an official copy of a birth certificate but may be used for proof of age at the discretion of any reviewing agency.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Name on Certificate.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Amendment to Change a Name.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The name of an individual born in this State may be changed on that individual's birth certificate once without a court order if, within 12 months of birth, the Department receives:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>A written request from both parents named on the certificate requesting the change of name; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>An affidavit from both parents sworn before a notary public stating that they are the true parents of the child and are making this request of their own free will.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>A subsequent change to the name within 12 months of the birth shall require a court order.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>A change to the name after 12 months of the birth shall require a court order.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Correction of Spelling of the Name.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>A name on a birth certificate may be corrected to its proper spelling at any time upon proof that the name as shown on the birth certificate is incorrect and that the requested spelling is the proper spelling.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Documentation required by §B(4) of this regulation shall be necessary proof for the change to be made.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Adding a Name.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>When a person has never had a first and last name placed on a birth record, a name may be added upon proof that the name is the name in use.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>If a first name has never been placed on a birth record by a parent and the last name is different than the name being used by the subject of the birth record, the Secretary shall replace the last name on the individual's birth certificate when adding the first name, if the individual provides proof that the name is the name used by the individual.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Documentation required by §B(4) of this regulation shall be necessary proof for the addition of a name.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Documents Needed to Correct or Add a Name.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>If the subject of the vital record is under 7 years old, one or more of the following documents shall be submitted:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>A notarized letter from a parent citing the correct name;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>A notarized letter from the hospital citing the correct name;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>A notarized letter from the attendant at birth citing the correct name;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>A notarized physician's office record of the birth citing the correct name.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The Department reserves the right to require more than one of the documents listed in §B(4)(a) of this regulation to be submitted as sufficient proof.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>If the subject of the vital record is 7 years old or older, two or more of the following documents citing the correct name shall be submitted:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Baptismal or other church records. To be acceptable, a baptismal record shall be an original certificate or book record made at the time of baptism, or a copy of the certificate or book record executed under church seal by the custodian of the church record, or a notarized statement attesting to the baptism and bearing the signature of the custodian of the church record or records.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Insurance policy.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Hospital or clinic record.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>Physician's office record of the birth.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(v)">
          <text>Pre-kindergarten record or grade school record.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vi)">
          <text>Family Bible record. The Bible shall be exhibited to the Secretary, State registrar, or local registrar for execution of a certificate of inspection upon a form supplied by the Secretary.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vii)">
          <text>Record of employment.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(viii)">
          <text>Record of military service.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ix)">
          <text>Marriage license.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(x)">
          <text>Record from federal census.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xi)">
          <text>Birth certificate of a child of the subject of the vital record.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xii)">
          <text>Social Security Administration record of the subject of the vital record's original application for a Social Security Number.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(xiii)">
          <text>Other pertinent records which meet the Secretary's approval and corroborate the name of the subject of the vital record.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>The Department reserves the right to:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Require more than two of the documents listed in §B(4)(c) of this regulation to be submitted as sufficient proof to correct or add a name;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Refuse to correct or add a name if the Department finds the documentation submitted unsatisfactory proof of the facts alleged.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Amending or Correcting Data on Birth Certificate Other than Name.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>To amend or correct data other than the name on a birth certificate, the following documents and information shall be submitted:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>For date of birth, time of birth, sex (other than changed by surgery), and place of birth of the subject of the vital record:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>A letter citing the correct data from the medical records director of the hospital in which the birth occurred;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>A letter citing the correct data from the physician, nurse midwife, or attending clinician in attendance at birth; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>A notarized letter citing the correct data from an attendant at birth other than the one set forth in §C(1)(a)(ii) of this regulation.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>For a parent’s data to be amended or corrected, at least two documents from among those listed below:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Parent's birth certificate;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Parent’s baptismal or other church records (refer to specifications under §B(4)(c)(i) of this regulation);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Parent's pre-kindergarten or grade school records;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>Other pertinent records which meet the Secretary's approval and corroborate the parent's data.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>For a parent’s name to be replaced by another individual’s name, the individual requesting the replacement shall obtain an order from a court of competent jurisdiction that orders that:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The currently listed parent’s name and any other information about that individual be deleted from the birth certificate; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>A specified individual’s name and other parent’s information as required for a birth certificate be added for the newly named individual.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The Department reserves the right to require additional documentation or to refuse to amend or correct information on a birth certificate if it finds the documentation submitted unsatisfactory proof of the facts alleged.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Method for Amending or Correcting Data on Birth Certificates.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Amendments and corrections under this regulation shall be made by:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Placing a line through the original data and entering new data in black ink; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Entering the amendment or correction on electronic media.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The individual who makes the amendment or correction shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Record the date the correction or amendment was made;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Record the microfilm number if the amendment or correction is made on a paper copy of a record; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Initial the record or provide an electronic signature.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Certificate for Adjudication of Paternity Record. If the child's name is to be changed, the court order or paternity decree shall state that the name is to be changed and provide the name as it is to appear on the record.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>Audit of Birth Records.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>All institutions that register births through the electronic vital records registration system shall be:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Subject to an audit of the accuracy of the birth records they submit, at an interval determined by the Secretary; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Required to make the medical records available for review by the auditor for comparison to the items captured on the birth record.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>All attending clinicians in charge of births outside an institution who register those births via the electronic vital records registration system shall be:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Subject to an audit of the accuracy of the birth records they submit, at an interval determined by the Secretary; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Required to make the medical records available for review by the auditor for comparison to the items captured on the birth record.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>