Race information on a US birth certificate is usually added during birth registration. In most cases, parents report their own race on the Certificate of Live Birth. However, this doesn’t always appear on the standard birth certificate you use for ID purposes.
Any racial information declared when a baby is born is used for demographic and public health statistics, but it isn’t usually a legal determination of a person’s race.
Here, we explain more about how race details relate to birth registration and certification in the United States.
Does a Birth Certificate Contain Racial Information?
Whether racial information appears depends on the type of birth record or certified copy issued.
The Certificate of Live Birth, which is completed when a baby is born, usually contains race and ethnicity information about the parents, which is collected for public health purposes, along with medical and delivery details.
Medical sections of the Live Birth Certificate are usually completed by hospital staff or the birth attendant. Parent details, including race information, are usually provided by the parents themselves.
However, the copy of the birth certificate you receive may not always show all this information.
A long-form birth certificate is more likely to include detailed parent and birth registration information. A short-form copy may only show basic details such as the person’s name, date of birth, place of birth, and parents’ names.
If you need a long-form version of your official birth certificate, you can order one on this site in just a few minutes. We explain what’s required in your state for convenient home delivery, so you can avoid hassle and delays.
Is Race Determined by the Mother or the Father?
A child’s race is not determined only by the mother or the father on a US birth certificate. Race and ethnicity data on vital records is based on reported information, not on a fixed legal formula or genetic percentage.
During birth registration, each parent usually reports their own race separately. This information may be used later for statistical reporting.
The child’s race is not usually recorded as a separate field on their birth certificate. Parental data is not used to apply a fixed legal race category to the child.
Birth Certificate: Single Race or Multiracial?
A baby’s birth record may include more than one race category, depending on the state, the form used, and the information reported. In most cases, race information is collected only about the parents.
Before 2000, many US government forms that collected race data, including the US Census, generally required people to select only one race category. This created problems for people from mixed racial backgrounds, who were accurately represented by a single option.
In the last decades, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) expanded its race and ethnicity codes to allow multiple-box-checking for racial data.
For the first time in Census 2000, people were offered the choice to self-identify with more than one race. This option remained available in the 2010 and 2020 Censuses, allowing for more accurate reporting.
How is race recorded for mixed-race or biracial children?
Race information is usually recorded based on what each parent reports during birth registration. If a child has parents from different racial backgrounds, both the mother's and the father’s reported race may be included in the demographic data collected.
For example, if one parent identifies as Indian or Asian and the other identifies as Black or African American, both parents’ reported race information will be used for statistical reporting.
However, this doesn’t mean the child is assigned those race categories as a separate legal classification on their birth certificate. Later in life, you can self-identify with one race, multiple races, or a different identity entirely, without causing paperwork issues.
There’s no national rule stating that a person must have a certain percentage of ancestry to identify with a race on general self-identification forms.
What Are Race Categories?
Race categories are the options currently available to define a person’s race in the United States, mostly for administrative reporting. This is based on self-identification, not genetics.
The 5 categories for data on race in the US are:
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
- White
The US Census Bureau follows the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards on race and ethnicity. These standards guide federal agencies in classifying responses to race information.
According to the OMB, each racial category is defined as follows:
American Indian or Alaska Native, when you have origins in any of the original peoples of the following and maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment:
- North America
- Central America
- South America
Asian, if you have origins in any of the original peoples of:
- The Far East
- Southeast Asia
- The Indian subcontinent, including Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam
Black or African American, when you have origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, when you have origins in any of the original peoples of:
- Hawaii
- Guam
- Samoa
- Other Pacific Islands
White, if you have origins in any of the original peoples of:
- Europe
- The Middle East
- North Africa
What’s the difference between race and ethnicity?
Race and ethnicity are related, but they are not the same thing.
In US vital records, race generally refers to broad categories used for statistical reporting, such as those listed above.
Ethnicity usually refers to whether someone identifies with a shared cultural, national, regional, or ancestral background.
In federal reporting, Hispanic or Latino origin is often collected separately from race. This means a person may be recorded as Hispanic or non-Hispanic and also identify with one or more race categories.
For example:
Someone whose family is from Mexico might identify their ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino, while also selecting White, Black or African American, Indigenous, more than one race, or another race category.
Another person might have one parent who identifies as Hispanic and White and another parent who identifies as Black or African American.
This is why birth registration forms may ask separate questions about race and ethnicity. The goal is to collect more accurate demographic data, not to decide a person’s full identity from a single checkbox.
How are race and ethnicity used in birth certificate data?
In birth certificate data, race and ethnicity are mainly used for statistics, not to define a child’s legal identity.
The information collected during birth registration helps public health agencies understand population trends, birth outcomes, and health disparities across different communities. It’s also sometimes used in state and federal vital statistics reports.
The exact way this information is grouped on the forms filled out at birth varies. Some states use their own reporting systems to combine or categorize the parents’ reported race and ethnicity data for statistical purposes.
For example, Texas uses specific rules for grouping parents’ race information and the mother’s Hispanic origin status in vital statistics reporting.
Federal and state vital statistics systems may also record more specific Hispanic or Latino origin details, such as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or another Hispanic background, depending on the form used.
When Did They Stop Putting Race on Birth Certificates?
There’s no single date when race stopped appearing on all birth certificates. The way race and ethnicity information is collected, coded, and displayed has changed over time, and the rules vary by state.
Modern birth registration forms generally collect parents’ race information for public health statistics. However, these details are not necessarily included on your certified birth certificate, which is the version you use for paperwork, like ID verification.
In most states, long-form birth certificates still give detailed information, like your parents’ full names, birthplaces, and race or ethnicity information. Short-form certificates tend to just give the basic information.
Race terms on older birth certificates
Older birth certificates may use racial terms that are now considered outdated, offensive, or inappropriate, such as “Colored,” “Negro,” “Mulatto,” or “Oriental.”
These terms reflected the racial classification systems used at the time the record was created. They don’t necessarily reflect how a person would describe themselves today, and they should be understood in historical context.
If your birth certificate includes an outdated race term, it’s usually possible to update or correct it.
Can You Change or Correct Race or Ethnicity on a Birth Certificate?
In some cases, yes. If the race or ethnicity information on a birth certificate is incorrect because of a recording or clerical error, or the term used is now considered offensive, you may be able to request an amendment.
This process is done through the vital records office in the state where the birth was registered. Rules vary from state to state, but in most cases, you’ll need to:
- Review what race or ethnicity information is recorded on your current birth certificate. If you can’t find a copy, you can order a replacement online.
- Complete a birth certificate amendment form to request a change to the listed details and provide documentation that supports the correction.
- Submit your application, supporting documents, and any required fee to the appropriate state vital records office.
If the request is not to correct an error, but to change race or ethnicity based on self-identification, the rules can be more complicated. Some states allow changes under certain conditions, while others don’t offer a clear process for this type of amendment.
Need a long-form copy of your birth certificate? Order an official copy online for home delivery with US Birth Certificates in just a few minutes. It’s the most convenient way to get the paperwork you need.
