Remove a father's name from a West Virginia birth certificate.
If you can legally establish that the father listed on a child’s birth certificate is not the biological father, the father’s name may be removed from the birth certificate. For birth records originating in West Virginia, changes are requested through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Vital Statistics Office.
Affidavit of Nonpaternity
To remove the father’s name from a child’s birth certificate, West Virginia law requires a notarized Affidavit of Nonpaternity completed and signed by both parents currently listed on the birth certificate.
Establishing Paternity
Changes in the father’s name will be enacted upon filing an Affidavit of Nonpaternity only if a Paternity Affidavit is also completed by the biological father or with an existing court order that establishes paternity of the child.
Time Frame
Both the Affidavit of Nonpaternity and the Paternity Affidavit are submitted to the Vital Registration Office of the West Virginia Health and Human Resources Department within one year of the child’s birth.
Alternate Documents
A divorce decree that clearly states that the father listed is not the biological father of the child may be returned with the Affidavit of Nonpaternity at any time during the child’s life.
Paternity Services
Services to assist in establishing paternity are available through the West Virginia Bureau for Child Support Enforcement.
Tags: West Virginia, Affidavit Nonpaternity, birth certificate, biological father, child’s birth, father’s name, child’s birth certificate
