How to file a late birth registration in Puerto Rico

Late registration is the procedure for recording with the Demographic Registry a birth that occurred in Puerto Rico but was never officially registered within the first year. Without that registration there is no birth certificate, and without a birth certificate there is no passport, no REAL ID, and almost no procedure that requires evidence of identity or citizenship. The process starts from the opposite end of what you might expect: first you must obtain a Negative Certification, the document in which the Registry states that it searched and did not find your registration. If the search turns up that you were in fact registered, they issue the Birth Certificate and that is the end of it.

It applies when a birth that occurred in Puerto Rico was not officially registered within the first year. The Registry refers to “the interested party” as whoever must start the process. The evaluation is done with original documents that reasonably prove the fact of birth in Puerto Rico and its essential circumstances, and there is a different rule for people aged 10 or under, for whom the birth record certified by the hospital or midwife, or a primary-school certification or record, are also accepted.

• Having first obtained a Negative Certification: the Registry states that for a late birth registration to proceed, a Negative Certification must have been obtained, which is Form RD-97.Verified against the official source
• Submitting a formal request to the Demographic Registry.Verified against the official source
• Submitting three (3) or more accrediting documents of your personal information establishing the name and surname of the person to be registered, the date and municipality of birth, and the parents’ names and surnames.Verified against the official source
• Signing the Sworn Declaration, Form RD-92: the Registry describes it as an indispensable requirement for late registration.Verified against the official source
• That all documents be originals. The Registry warns that if any submitted document is found to be fraudulent, the late registration will be denied, the documents will be retained, and it may carry legal penalties.Verified against the official source
• Going to the Central Office: the Registry states this process is carried out only at the Central Office, Metro Center, Calle Mayagüez #5, San Juan, PR 00910.Verified against the official source

• Documents that reasonably prove the fact of birth in Puerto Rico, as applicable: a church certificate of baptism or confirmation; a copy of an electoral registration document certified by the CEE; a military discharge (DD214); a marriage certificate; a literal birth certification of a child; a census certification; or the parents’ birth or death record.
• A list of siblings, with ages and addresses, which the Registry additionally requires.
• For people aged 10 or under, the Registry also accepts, in addition to the rest: a birth record certified by the hospital or midwife, and a primary-school certification or record.
• Form RD-97, Negative Certification, and Form RD-92, Sworn Declaration.

1. 1

   Step 1: First obtain the Negative Certification

   The Registry is clear about the order: for a late registration to proceed, a Negative Certification — Form RD-97 — must have been obtained. It is the document recording that your registration was searched for and not found. And there is one possible outcome worth keeping in mind: if the search turns up that you are in fact registered, the Registry issues the Birth Certificate and no late registration is needed. It is worth starting there before gathering anything else.

2. 2

   Step 2: Gather three or more original accrediting documents

   The requirement is quantitative: three or more documents establishing your name and surname, the date and municipality of birth, and your parents’ names and surnames. The Registry names which ones count: a church certificate of baptism or confirmation, CEE-certified electoral registration, a military DD214, a marriage certificate, a literal birth certification of a child, a census certification, or the parents’ birth or death record. All must be originals.

3. 3

   Step 3: Prepare the list of siblings

   It is a separate requirement and easy to overlook: in addition to the documents, the Registry asks for a list of siblings with their ages and addresses. Prepare it in writing before you go.

4. 4

   Step 4: Buy the five stamps in their exact denominations

   One of $30.00, one of $25.00, two of $10.00 and one of $75.00. The Registry lists them individually, so request them that way at the collector’s office rather than as a single amount. The alternative the agency mentions is a money order payable to the Secretary of the Treasury.

5. 5

   Step 5: Sign the RD-92 Sworn Declaration

   The Registry calls it an indispensable requirement for late registration. It is a sworn statement, so it is signed with the formalities that implies, and what you declare in it is under oath.

6. 6

   Step 6: Go to the Central Office in San Juan

   This process is not done at a local office. The Registry states it is carried out only at the Central Office: Metro Center, Calle Mayagüez #5, San Juan, PR 00910. Going to your town’s office is the most common wasted trip in this procedure.

Only at the Demographic Registry’s Central Office: Metro Center, Calle Mayagüez #5, San Juan, PR 00910. The Registry says so expressly for this process, unlike ordinary certifications, which can be requested at local offices, online or by mail.

• Going to your town’s local Demographic Registry office, when this process is carried out only at the Central Office in San Juan.
• Skipping the Negative Certification, which is the prerequisite for a late registration to proceed at all.
• Buying a single stamp for the total amount instead of the five stamps in the denominations the Registry lists: $30, $25, two of $10 and $75.
• Bringing photocopies: the Registry requires originals of the accrediting documents.
• Forgetting the list of siblings with ages and addresses, which is a requirement additional to the documents.
• Showing up without the RD-92 Sworn Declaration, which the Registry calls indispensable.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico

  Salud

  www.salud.pr.gov

• Demographic Registry — vital event certifications

  Departamento de Salud

  www.salud.pr.gov