Birth Certificate and Social Security Number
During your stay on the postpartum unit, you will be visited by a member of the hospital's clerical staff who will explain the procedures for obtaining your newborn's birth certificate and Social Security number. You will receive a birth certificate information form, which you must complete within 24 hours in order for your newborn's birth certificate to be processed. After your newborn's birth certificate is processed by the hospital, it will be filed with the Town Clerk of the Town of North Hempstead in Manhasset, N.Y.. The Town Clerk will mail the birth certificate to your home address or mailing address in approximately three weeks. Alll inquiries regarding a lost or duplicate birth certificate should be directed to the Town Clerk's Office at (516) 869-7651.
If you would like to have the hospital assist you in applying for a Social Security number for your newborn, you will be asked to sign your name on the appropriate form so that the necessary information can be forwarded to the Social Security Administration. Your newborn's Social Security card will be mailed to your home in approximately six weeks. However, if you have not named your newborn by the time you are discharged from the hospital or if you will need a Social Security number issued for your newborn in less than six weeks, you must contact your locak Social Security Office for assistance. To locate the nearest Social Security Office, call (800) 772-1213.
Please note: The Internal Revenue Service requires that all children over the age of one have a Social Security number to be claimed as an income tax deduction. Also, if you wish to open a savings account in your baby's name only, they must have a Social Security number.
If you have any other questions regarding birth certificates or Social Security numbers, please contact North Shore's Vital Statistics Office at (516) 562-8349 daily between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.