Establish Paternity

You Can Voluntarily Establish Paternity In the Hospital

Unmarried parents have the opportunity to sign a form called the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) prior to discharge from the hospital.
This is a no cost, simple and convenient method used by most unmarried parents in Virginia to place the father’s name on the child’s birth certificate.
Parental permission is not needed for minors to voluntarily establish paternity in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
You do not need to be a US citizen to sign this form and your information is confidential.
Signing an AOP form does not affect benefits such as TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or Medicaid.
Paternity establishment and custody are two separate issues. Under most circumstances, when a child is born to unmarried parents, the child lives with the mother and she maintains legal custody. Either parent may seek visitation rights through the Juvenile & Domestic Relation Court system at any time.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, you may name your child anything you like regardless of your marital status.
You will need a current proof of identification as the AOP form must be notarized to complete the process.

Acknowledgment of Paternity Form

Please be sure to review the information above prior to submission.

Cost and Mailing Instructions:

Both pages must be returned together to VPEP, P.O. Box 80548, Raleigh, NC 27623; originals only! The fee for amending the birth certificate (AOP) is $10.00 and the cost per certificate is $12.00. Make checks or money orders payable to: The State Health Department. DO NOT SEND CASH through the mail. METHOD OF PAYMENT - CHECK or MONEY ORDER ONLY.

Only fill out this form after the child is born and if you were not married at the time of your child’s birth. If you were married to anyone, even if your husband is not the father of your child, you must go through the courts to have the biological father’s name added to the birth certificate.

This is a legal document and needs to be treated as such. This means, no cross-outs or whiteout on any portion of the document and you must use black ink. Please fill the form out completely, to ensure that the Division of Vital Records approves it.

Fill out the name of the child exactly as it appears on the birth certificate on line 1

Required elements for both Mother and Father are the dates of birth, places of birth-State or Foreign Country, Social Security Number (fill in all 9s if you do not have one) and race.

Line 22- If you do not want to change the last name of the child, then fill in the same name as in line 1.

If the child is less than 31 days old, the parents may change the last name of the child from the mother’s last name to the father’s last name. For example: If the mother’s last name is Smith and she named the child John Smith at the time of birth and now wants to change the child’s last name so that it is the same as the father’s, she may do so in line 22.

Simply fill in the last name of the father in line 22. Line 22 is what the name will appear as on the birth certificate. If the child is more than 31 days old the parents must petition the court in order to have the child’s last name changed.

You must have your signature notarized at the bottom of the form. Do not sign the form unless you are in the presence of a Notary of Public or the Office of Vital Records will not approve the form. A photo ID is required when you go to the notary.

Once you have completed the form, you may send the form to PO Box 80548, Raleigh NC 27623 or go back to the hospital where the child was born to have the Birth Registrar send it to the appropriate offices. The Birth Registrar is also a good person to notarize the form for you.

The fee for amending the birth certificate (AOP) is $10.00 and the cost per certificate is $12.00. Make checks or money orders payable to: The State Health Department. DO NOT SEND CASH through the mail. METHOD OF PAYMENT - CHECK or MONEY ORDER ONLY.

If you have any other questions, please call us toll free at 1-866-398-4841.

The father’s name is not automatically added to the birth certificate unless a simple acknowledgment of paternity (AOP) form is completed.
You may name your baby after the father or anyone you like, but this does not make him the legal father unless you both complete the AOP.
The hospital staff will be there to help you fill out the AOP; please bring a valid ID.
It’s free if the AOP form is completed before leaving the hospital.
No DNA or blood tests are necessary if you both know he is the father.
Ask your doctor for the name and telephone number of the birth registrar at the hospital where you plan to deliver your baby. Give them a call if you have any questions.

Each parent must understand the following rights and responsibilities before voluntarily acknowledging paternity: I understand that my signature on the Acknowledgment of Paternity form establishes that I am the natural father of the named child for all legal purposes.

1. I understand that my signature on the Acknowledgment of Paternity form establishes that I am the natural father of the named child for all legal purposes.

2. I sign the Acknowledgment of Paternity voluntarily and understand that I am under no obligation to do so. No pressure has been placed upon me to sign.

3. I understand I may take the following actions instead of signing this form:

Request that DNA testing be taken

Seek the advice or representation of legal counsel

Have paternity determined by the court

4. I understand I will have the responsibility to provide support for my child.

5. I understand I will be responsible to pay such support until the child turns 18 years of age or beyond if required by law.

6. I understand after paternity is established, I have the right to request visitation with the child. Custody and visitation are decided in legal actions separate from the issues of paternity or child support.

7. I understand the Acknowledgment of Paternity may be used in any legal proceeding regarding this child.

8. I understand I have the right to talk to a staff person to clarify information on this statement and to ask any questions I have. I understand I have the right to rescind this acknowledgment within sixty days from the date of signing unless an administrative or judicial proceeding involving this child has taken place earlier.

9. I understand the Acknowledgment of Paternity may be used in any legal proceeding regarding this child.

If you do not understand or need to ask questions, please ask for the birth registrar.

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