Maryland to provide free birth certificates to the homeless

Members of the homeless community in Maryland who don’t have a copy of their birth certificate will now be able to get it little more easily.

Legislation signed by the governor on Tuesday prohibits the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from collecting a fee for issuing a certified or abridged copy of a birth certificate to someone who is homeless.

DHMH will now accept a signed written statement from a homeless services provider in the state that confirms the person is homeless.

Celeste Savage of HALO Ministries says this a breakthrough for the homeless community and those who work closely with them, as cost is often a major barrier to getting a birth certificate. Not having a birth certificate becomes a hurdle of its own.

Savage goes on, “We’re wanting to move people forward and obviously the main items that we need right from the get go is a state I.D. You can’t get a state I.D. without having a birth certificate.” 

HALO Ministries helps about 200 people a year get birth certificates. 

This bill does not prohibit local health departments from collecting or setting fees when issuing birth certificates to the homeless.