Important Information Documents
There are a few important identification documents you need to have as an adult. These documents are important for you for things like: getting a job and cashing your paycheck, signing leases, and getting health insurance. When you leave children and youth care at age 18 or older, the agency should provide you with any permanent documents, like your birth certificate and social security card, that are in your family case file. If you end up getting these documents on your own, here is how you do it.
Birth Certificate
You request your birth certificate from Division of VItal Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The request can be made by mail, in person, and over the internet (if you have a credit card). If you were born in Pennsylvania, to request your birth certificate, you need:
- to be at least age 18, or
- if you are under age 18, the request must be made by a family member, lawyer, or caseworker
- if you do not have the required identification listed below, the request can be made by a family member, lawyer, or caseworker
To make the request, you also need to provide the following information:
- Your name
- Date of birth
- City and county you were born in
- Your parents' name
- Your signature
- Government issued picture i.d. (if you are under 18, the requestor must provide the picture i.d.)
- A $10 fee
For more information on requesting your birth certificate see the http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?a=168&Q=202219
To download the application for a birth certificate click on www.health.state.pa.us/health/lib/health/old_dir/Birth_by_mail.pdf
Social Security Card
You request a social security card from the Social Security Administration. You need to make the request in person at your local Social Security Office. CLick on https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps6z/FOLO/fo001.jsp to find your local office. To get your social security card you must:
- be age 18 or older
- picture id (this should be state id, but an employee or school id with a picture may be accepted--check http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10120.html for more information on what id will be accepted)
To download the application for a social security card see www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ss-5_rev.pdf. There is not fee to get your social security card.
PA State ID
You can get your state id and driver's license from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. To find your local office, click on here. To get your state id card, you need the following identification information if you age 18 or older:
- Your Social Security Card
- A $10 fee
- One of the items from List A ((to show identity) AND
- One of the items from List B: (to show residency)
List A
- Official birth certificate
- Certificate of US citizenship
- Certificate of naturalization
- U.S. Passport
- U.S. Military Photo ID Card
List B
- Tax records
- Lease agreements
- W-2 Forms
- Current Utility Bills
PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have any of the items in List B to show residency, you can have a caseworker write a letter that explains your housing situation, that you are a PA resident, and provides a mailing address. In most cases, this is sufficient.
You can download the application for PA state ID at http://www.dot10.state.pa.us/pdotforms/dl_forms/dl-54a.pdf