Parents of children born in Jefferson County since September may want to take a look at their newborns’ birth certificates.
Jefferson County received the brunt of an error when a statewide system was implemented that altered the way birth certificates are produced by the state.
Now, county officials are urging the parents of children who received birth certificates between Sept. 8 and Dec. 16 to return to the office of Vital Records for an updated document.
“The birth certificates are missing a barcode,” said Kodi Bryant, spokeswoman for Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment. “We haven’t been able to get a number of how many were issued in that time, but there were thousands. We’re trying to get the word out now.”
In 2008 the state office of Vital Statistics implemented a software program — on which it had worked for five years — that added two barcodes to birth certificates for added security.
“With all the concerns about identity theft we thought it was the prudent thing to do,” said Ron Hyman, state registrar of vital statistics. “It’s a complex piece of software.”
However, when the program was implemented, an error in the font of the computers printing the certificates omitted a barcode. Jefferson County has stated that parents with the faulty birth certificates can come in for a new one at no charge.
“While the birth certificates are still legally valid documents and will be accepted for most uses and by most agencies, those that seek verification with Social Security may encounter problems,” said Marc Smith, with Jefferson County Vital Records, in a press statement. “By having the certificates reissued, our customers will be able to prevent any future problems.”
Need To Know
For more information about the errant birth certificates, call the Jefferson County Vital Records office at 303-271-6450, or visit it at 800 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 1300.