HARRY HUGHES, Governor

2777

(House Bill 448)

AN ACT concerning

Birth Certificates - Change of Name

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene to change the name on a birth
certificate once, without a court order, within the
first 6 months of birth under certain conditions.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article - Health - General
Section 4-214(c)
Annotated Code of Maryland

(As enacted by Chapter ____ (H.B. 200) of the

Acts of the General Assembly of 1982)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(as enacted by Chapter (H.B. 200) of the Acts of the
General Assembly of 1982) read(s) as follows:

Article - Health - General

4-214.

(c) On receipt of a court order that changes the name
of an individual who was born in this State and on request
of the individual or a parent, guardian, or legal
representative of the individual, the Secretary shall amend
the certificate of the birth to reflect the new name[.],
HOWEVER, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE MAY
CHANGE THE NAME ON A BIRTH CERTIFICATE ONCE WITHOUT A COURT
ORDER IF, WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE BIRTH, THE DEPARTMENT
RECEIVES:

(1)  A WRITTEN REQUEST FROM BOTH PARENTS
REQUESTING THE CHANGE OF NAME; AND

(2)  AN AFFIDAVIT FROM BOTH PARENTS SWORN BEFORE
A NOTARY PUBLIC OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND STATING THAT THEY
ARE THE TRUE PARENTS OF THE CHILD AND ARE MAKING THIS
REQUEST OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL; OR

(3) A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM THE PARENT WHO HAS
CUSTODY OF THE CHILD REQUESTING THE CHANGE OF NAME; AND

(4) AN AFFIDAVIT FROM THAT PARENT SWORN BEFORE A
NOTARY PUBLIC OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND STATING THAT THE
PARENT:

(I) IS THE TRUE PARENT OF THE CHILD;