Birth Certificate Copy

[gk10002000]

Just passing on some information.  As I get ready to punch out, I have been gathering all my important records.  I actually still had an original birth certificate with the seal, and all that stuff from 1957! But it has fallen apart on the folds, and is in 4 pieces and my last employer, while reticent to accept it did, but said that won't fly next time.  So I just went online and ordered one from my birth place Rhode Island.  They apparently subcontract that out to some firm, and I did it online.  They add a few fees, say it will take 35-45 days by regular mail, and recommend UPS air.  When the dust cleared, a certified copy cost $59 bucks.  There was no way to waive the "agency expedite fee".  That is a default and no way out.  Having grown up in RI and dealt with state services there in the 70s such as the DMV where I am sure the writers of zootopia got their sloth idea from, I guess it is OK

 

Birth Certificate : xxxxmyname	$25.00(USD)
Agency Expedite Fee:	$7.00(USD)
Processing:	$10.00(USD)
Shipping:	$17.50(USD)
Tax:	$0.00(USD)
Total	$59.50(USD)

[lungbing]

I've still got my UK original one from 1948.

[Pib]

I've got my original U.S. birth certificate, social security card, and even my elementary thru high school report cards.   Always kept them in a dark, secure place over many, many years.

[gk10002000]

I had all my report cards, boy scout merit badge little blue forms, my original Air Force dog tags, etc.  Boeing mover/shipper lost them in a move, along with 4 boxes of technical books I had collected and saved over the years.  15 years later I got a call from an old friend that said his daughter, (my goddaughter) got some contact on facebook saying person xxx had bought up a storage locker and stuff with my name on it was in there!  OK, plausible, especially since those storage locker shows have been on TV a lot.  I would normally in the old days followed through, would have been happy to pay some nominal price for the stuff, but it started sounding suspicious.  So I let it go.  Nothing there I needed.  It was a small little box of stuff.

 

  I do have my original Social security card. I kept that on my little personal fanny pack of really important stuff, along with my Air Force DD-214 service records, birth certificate and a few other things.  A few years ago I rounded up my college BS and MS transcripts and got copies of my diplomas, driver license, and everything and scanned them all in and emailed them to myself on two separate email server accounts and downloaded to my computer an Thumb drive.  The Email thing has come in handy when I was on the road and not near my computer.  I was able to get to a computer, log in to my email, send copies one of my employers needed while I was on the road.  I put a simple password on the WORD and PDF file documents so that a simple hack wouldn't get the information.  As a contractor it was not unusual for me to have to provide all this stuff once a year to some agency, or to re-complete the details in my SF-86 security update which thankfully won't have to be done until like 2021, by which time I probably won't care.

 

  The email thing could come in handy in an emergency if I am traveling, all stuff is lost or stolen, etc.  As long as I can get to a computer I can access stuff to help get temporary passport, etc.

[nausea]

Mine is locked in a household (cheap) safe with my 90 year old father in the UK. Long forgotten the combination and I guess the batteries would've worn out by now. Can I use my mother's birth book instead, contains a lock of my (long lost) blond hair, they could do a DNA test. Ha! Incidentally, I understand that these safes are really easy to crack, which might be useful, if I really need it.

[gk10002000]

14 hours ago, nausea said:

Mine is locked in a household (cheap) safe with my 90 year old father in the UK. Long forgotten the combination and I guess the batteries would've worn out by now. Can I use my mother's birth book instead, contains a lock of my (long lost) blond hair, they could do a DNA test. Ha! Incidentally, I understand that these safes are really easy to crack, which might be useful, if I really need it.

interesting thought about leaving some biological sample.  A modern thing to consider.  I do have my dental records from my recent complete scans from my dentist.