Replacing Lost or Damaged Papers 1
1. Birth and Death Certificates
Birth Certificates in Florida
To order a birth certificate by either mail or fax, provide a signed letter, which includes the following information:
1.Information about the person whose record is being requested:
a.Full name at birth and any subsequent name change that may have affected the indexing status of the birth record
b.Date of birth (month, day, year)
c.City of birth or county of birth
d.Father's full name and mother's full name, including her maiden surname
2.Information about the person making the request (By law, birth records can only be issued to the person to whom the record is filed, if at least 18 years old, or a parent, guardian or legal representative or upon court order.):
a.Full name
b.Relationship to the person named on the record being requested
c.Mailing address
d.Telephone number where you can be reached during our office hours
3.Send a check or money order made payable to the "Office of Vital Statistics." For current fees call Office of Vital Statistics at (904) 359-6900 Ext. 9000.
4.Send the information described above along with the appropriate fee to:
State Office of Vital Statistics
Attn: Customer Services
Post Office Box 210
Jacksonville, FL. 32231-0042
[A form containing this information can be downloaded at:<http://www.doh.state.fl.us/planning_eval/vital_statistics/birth_death.htm>]
Death Certificates in Florida
To order a death certificate by either mail or fax, provide a signed letter, which includes the following information:
1.Information about the person whose record is being requested:
a.Full name of the deceased person
b.Sex
c.Date of death (month, day, year or series of years to be searched)
d.City or county of death
2. Information about the person making the request:
a.Full name
b.Relationship to the decedent, if requesting cause of death information
c.Mailing address
d.Telephone number where you can be reached
3.Send a check or money order made payable to the "Office of Vital Statistics" For current fees call Office of Vital Statistics at (904) 359-6900 Ext. 9000.
4.Send the information described above along with the fee to:
State Office of Vital Statistics
Attn: Customer Services
Post Office Box 210
Jacksonville, FL. 32231-0042
[A form containing this information can be downloaded at: <http://www.doh.state.fl.us/planning_eval/vital_statistics/birth_death.htm>.]
Births outside Florida
If the birth did not occur in Florida, contact the vital statistics office in the state where the birth occurred. For a list of offices see the National Center for Health Statistics Web site at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm.
For birth records of those born abroad, or for consular death records of U.S. citizens who died abroad, write for replacement Form FS-240 from:
Department of State
Passport Correspondence Branch
1111 Nineteenth St. NW , Suite 510
Washington, DC 20522-1705
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_828.html
The fee as of 8/10/2002 is $30.00 for first copy and $20.00 for each additional copy.
2. Citizenship and Naturalization Papers
You can receive Form N-565 to request citizenship and naturalization papers from:
Department of Justice
Immigration and Naturalization Service
2800 Skyway Drive
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 449-5288
http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/N-565.pdf
The fee as of 8/10/2002 is $155.00.
3. Driver's License
In Florida -- You must go to your local driver license office and apply for a duplicate driver license. For a list of offices go to <http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/offices/ > or call 1-850-617-2000. The fee is $10 (as of 8/10/2002) and you must present two forms of identification. (NOTE: Proof of citizenship or legal presence may be required for renewal, duplicate or replacement licenses. Please come prepared to present an identification document as proof of citizenship or legal presence.)
4. Income Tax Returns
Federal Returns -- Ask for IRS Form 4506, one for each year's return you are requesting. You can find this form on the Web at: <http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf>.
For delivery via US Postal Service call 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676).
5. Insurance Policies
To replace lost or destroyed insurance policies, contact the agent or company providing the coverage. You may be required to complete a form, pay a fee for duplicate copies, or both. The policy number will expedite this request.
6. Military Discharge Papers
To obtain copies of military discharge papers, request Form 180 from any Veterans Administration Office, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Red Cross, Veterans Association or military recruiter office. Send the completed form to:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63132
If a veteran has filed for education or disability benefits, the Veterans Administration can furnish a copy of military discharge papers or a statement of service. Write:
Benefits Information and Assistance
Veterans Administration
Ft. Harrison
Helena, MT 59636
(800) 827-1000
If discharge papers were recorded in the county clerk's office at the time of discharge, they can be replaced by contacting that office (Registrar of Deed) in the county where they were recorded.
7. Marriage License, Marriage Dissolutions, Adoption Decree
Marriages in Florida
In Florida — To order a marriage certificate by either mail or fax, provide a signed letter, which includes the following information
(This applies only to marriage records dating back to June 1927. Records before this date are only available from the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the marriage license was issued.):
1. Information about the record being requested:
a.Full names of the husband and wife, including wife's maiden name
b.Date of marriage
c.City or county where marriage license was issued
2. Information about the person making the request:
a.Full name
b.Mailing address
c.Telephone number where you can be reached during our office hours
3. Send a check or money order made payable to the "Office of Vital Statistics" For current fees call Office of Vital Statistics at (904) 359-6900 Ext. 9000.
4. Send the information described above along with the fee to:
State Office of Vital Statistics
Attn: Customer Services
Post Office Box 210
Jacksonville, FL. 32231-0042
[A form containing this information can be downloaded at:
<http://www.doh.state.fl.us/planning_eval/vital_statistics/marriage.htm>.]
Marriages outside Florida
Contact the vital statistics office in the state where the marriage occurred. For a list of offices see the National Center for Health Statistics at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm
8. Passport
Lost in the U.S.
If your passport is lost or stolen in the United States, report the loss or theft immediately to the Department of State, or to the nearest Passport Agency. The loss or theft should also be reported to local police.
Lost Abroad
If your passport is lost or stolen while you are abroad, it should be reported immediately to the nearest United States embassy or consular office.
A passport is a traveler's principal means of identification abroad, and its loss is very serious. Whether lost or stolen in the United States or overseas, you can request a replacement passport from:
Department of State
Passport Correspondence Branch
1111 Nineteenth St. NW, Suite 510
Washington, DC 20522-1705
9. Property Deeds
You may be concerned if the deed to your home or other property is destroyed or lost in a disaster. The deed you receive is really just a certification to you that your transaction has been established as public record; the true declaration of your ownership is held at the county courthouse. Your original deed cannot be replaced, but you can obtain a certified copy of your deed at your county courthouse. You will not need any identification because you are requesting a public record, but you will need to know the property holder's name and there will be a small charge for the copying.
For more information, visit:
http://www.myfloridacounty.com/services/ officialrecords_intro.shtml
If the deed is being held by a bank or mortgage company, check with the current deed holder to be sure that any deed they are holding until full payment has been made is safe. If damage has occurred, work with your lending/mortgage organization to find out how they can replace these critical documents.
10. Social Security Card
Visit your nearest Social Security Administration office. To find your nearest office, visit:
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/FOLO/fo001.jsp
or call 1-800-772-1213. File an application for a duplicate with two pieces of identification such as a driver's license and a birth certificate.
11. Savings Bonds/Notes
To get your bond replaced, complete Form PD F 1048 from the U.S. Treasury Department Bureau of Public Debt. This form is at
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/forms/sav1048.pdf
or call 304-480-6112. On this form, provide the approximate issue date along with the complete names, addresses, social security number that appeared on the bond, and the bond serial number. If you don't know the serial number or denomination, just write "unknown" in the space provided. If the bond owner is a minor, the form should be signed by both parents and the minor's age and social security number should be included. Mail the completed form to: Bureau of the Public Debt, Parkersburg, WV 26106-1328. Replacement bonds will show the original issue date.
12. Vehicle Title
In Florida -- To replace a lost vehicle title, contact the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles Application and request a Duplicate or Lost in Transit/Reassignment for Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home or Vessel Title Certificate. This request form can be found at
http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/forms/duptitle.html
or call 850-617-2000. Information on fees is found at
http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/hsmvdocs/Fees-01.pdf
or call 1-850-617-2000.
13. Will
If your will is misplaced or destroyed, contact the attorney who prepared it. If your circumstance has changed, a new will may be appropriate.
Sources of This Publication
Replacing Those VIPs (Very Important Papers)
Marsha A. Goetting
MontGuide #199513
Montana State University Extension Service
Access on the Web at:
http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt9513.pdf
Footnotes
This document, IFAS publication DH0505, was published June 1998, revised May 2003. It is part of The Disaster Handbook, a component of the Comprehensive Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Education Module. For information about products and ordering, please visit: http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu. All UF/IFAS Extension publications are available at the EDIS Web site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
Regina Fegan, student, Levin College of Law, University of Florida; and Michael T. Olexa, professor, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
Note: This publication is designed to provide accurate, current, and authoritative information on the subject. However, since the laws, regulations, administrative rulings, and court decisions on which it is based are subject to constant revision, portions of this publication could become outdated at any time. This publication is distributed with the understanding that the authors are not engaged in rendering legal advice or opinions, and the information contained herein should not be regarded, or relied upon, as a substitute for legal advice or opinion. For these reasons, the utilization of these materials by any person constitutes an agreement to hold harmless the authors, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and the University of Florida for any liability claims, damages or expenses that may be incurred by any person as a result of reference to or reliance on the information contained in this fact sheet.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal
Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational
information and other services only to individuals and institutions
that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed,
color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital
status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.
For more information on obtaining other extension publications,
contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy,
Interim Dean.
