If the parents are unmarried at the time the child is born, ideally, the father must accompany the mother to the local district registrar, give his particulars and sign the registration form as father. If he does not do this, his particulars will not appear on the child's birth record.
To get his particulars on the child's record after this he would have to do a 'Status' or Addition of Father's Particulars. However, if both parents subsequently marry each other then they apply for a reregistration, not a status.
HOW TO DO A 'STATUS'
You must collect the 'Status' forms from The RGD's head office or any of the regional offices. The form may also be printed from the RGD website which is www.rgd.gov.jm.
The form in totality includes an application for a birth certificate and a declaration. The mother and father must sign the joint declaration in the presence of any of the following persons.
A Justice of the Peace
School principal
Midwife
Marriage officer
Clerk of courts
Minister of religion
Lawyer
Notary Public or equivalent official (if overseas)
The declaration signed by the mother states that she gave birth to the child on the date indicated and declares that the father's name given is the name of the child's father. The father's declaration states that he acknowledges and admits that he is the father of the child.
SIGNING THE DECLARATION
It is important that each party signs the declaration in the presence of a JP or one of the officials named above. In some cases the mother's signature may not be consistent with the signature on the original record, under such circumstances the RGD will need to check for identification to verify the identity of the person.
If one parent is overseas, he or she must sign in the presence of a notary public or equivalent and have the declaration stamped by this person. In some cases the RGD may request the identification card of the father and more rarely the mother.
DEATH OF PARENTS
If the mother is dead, you must present a death certificate along with the declaration signed by the father. If the father is dead, the RGD will be able to add his particulars only as directed through a court order.
