Puerto Rico invalidates all birth certificates July 1st Published May 24, 2010 By 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Preventing fraud and identity theft is an ever growing problem all of us face and the Puerto Rican government is taking action against stolen identities of its people. By enacting Law 191, all Puerto Rican birth certificates issued prior to July 1, 2010, will be invalidated. By invalidating all birth certificates issued prior to July 1, 2010, Puerto Rico's Vital Statistics Record Office can incorporate new procedures to limit document forgery on newly issued birth certificates, and protect the identities of its citizens from those who are using stolen birth certificates. Starting July 1, members can apply for a copy of a new birth certificate. Once the application is complete, mail it to the Puerto Rico Vital Records office. The application and mailing address can be found at: www.salud.gov.pr./Programas/RegistroDemografico/Pages/RequisitosparasolicituddeNacimiento.aspx. "Military members need to have a valid birth certificate so they'll always be mission ready," said Joyce Hopper, Airmen and Family Readiness Center. "If they have an overseas tasking, they will need their birth certificate to get a passport. They should also ensure their family members have a valid birth certificate." Investigations showed a majority of Puerto Rican birth certificates were stored insecurely when used for official and unofficial transactions. This left the birth certificates easy targets for theft and highly desirable in the black market because of the common Hispanic last names. These birth certificates were unlawfully used to apply for U.S. passports, social security benefits and other federal services.
