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In December 2009, the Puerto Rican government in collaboration with U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, enacted Law 191 of 2009 which states that all Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 will be invalidated. This law is in response to the fraudulent use of Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates to unlawfully obtain U.S. passports, Social Security benefits, and other federal services. Puerto Rican birth certificates are increasingly popular on the black market, their value ranging between $5,000 and $10,000. Potentially, anyone using a stolen Puerto Rico birth certificate could enter and move about the U.S. more easily, which could also pose security problems.
It is important to understand that there is no need to rush out and get a new birth certificate on July 1. It is suggested that only people who have a specific need for their birth certificate for official purposes need request a new birth certificate right away. Those Puerto Rican-born living in the states will be able to request and receive their new birth certificates through a simple process by mail. The fee is $5, but will be waived for people over 60 and veterans.
For more information, please see these websites: Fact sheet and frequently asked questions: http://www.prfaa.com/docs/prfaafactsheetfaq.pdf http://www.prfaa.com/birthcertificates/ http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Puerto-Rican-Birth-Certificates-Invalid-After-July-1-85988872.html
To apply for a new birth certificate, fill out this form:
http://www.salud.gov.pr/Programas/RegistroDemografico/Documents/Birth%20Certificate%20Application.pdf (English) http://www.salud.gov.pr/Programas/RegistroDemografico/Documents/Solicitud-nac.pdf (Spanish)
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