Dover – The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to alert all drivers that the government of Puerto Rico has enacted a new law (Law 191 of 2009) aimed at strengthening the issuance and usage of birth certificates to combat fraud and protect the identity and credit of all people born in Puerto Rico.
Under the new law, all Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, will be invalidated so that new, more secure certificates can be issued.
After July 1, the Puerto Rico Health Department’s Vital Statistics Record Office will begin issuing new birth certificates incorporating technology to limit the possibility of document forgery. Until that date, all Puerto Rico birth certificates will remain valid.
Known as the “Law Prohibiting Public and Private Entities from Retaining, Storing, or Holding Certified Copies of Birth Certificates” the changes will impact all Puerto Rican natives across the United States, not just in Delaware. Once this new law goes into effect the Delaware DMV will not accept Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 as valid forms of identification for the purposes of obtaining a driver license and/or identification card.
The new law was based on collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address the fraudulent use of Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates to unlawfully obtain U.S. passports, Social Security benefits, and other federal services.
According to the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) it is important to understand that there is no need to rush out and get a new birth certificate on July 1. It is suggested that only individuals who have a specific need for their birth certificate for official purposes need request a new birth certificate right away.
Those who were born in Puerto Rico and now reside in the United States will be able to request and receive their new birth certificates through the mail. For more details visit the PRFAA website for a fact sheet – www.prfaa.com/docs/prfaafactsheetfaq.pdf.
