How HR and payroll teams request a birth certificate from employees
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
HR usually asks for a birth certificate to add a child to the health plan, as proof that the dependent is eligible. Ask for a copy of each enrolled child’s certificate. For Form I-9 a birth certificate is a List C document, but the employee chooses what to present, in original, so never request it for the I-9.
Why HR and payroll teams need a birth certificate
Benefit plans can require proof that each dependent qualifies, and the insurer may audit enrollments. A birth certificate shows the child’s name, date of birth and parents, which ties the child to the employee. Keep that request apart from the I-9: asking a new hire for a birth certificate to prove work authorization can count as demanding a specific document.
What exactly to ask for
A copy of the state or county birth certificate for each child being enrolled, with the parents’ names visible. For a stepchild or a child under guardianship, the plan may also ask for a marriage certificate or a court order. Collect them within the plan’s enrollment window.
What to check when it arrives
- The child’s name and date of birth match the enrollment form.
- The employee, or their spouse on the plan, is named as a parent, or another document shows the relationship.
- The certificate is government-issued, not a hospital keepsake.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Birth certificates to add your children to the health plan
Hi [Client name],
Thank you for enrolling your family in our health plan. To add your children, the plan asks for proof that each child is your dependent, so I need a copy of each child’s birth certificate.
Please send a scan or clear photo of the certificate issued by the state or county, with your name visible as a parent. Keep the originals.
Could you send them by [date], so your children are covered from the start? If a certificate is missing, tell me and we will find another way.
Thank you, [Your name]
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a birth certificate or an unreadable or blurry scan. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.