2016 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 24 - Health and Safety
Article 14 - Vital Statistics
Section 24-14-16 - Judicial procedure to establish facts of birth.

24-14-16. Judicial procedure to establish facts of birth.

A. If a delayed certificate of birth is rejected under the provisions of Section 24-14-15 NMSA 1978, a petition may be filed with a court for an order establishing a record of the date and place of the birth and the parentage of the person whose birth is to be registered.

B. The petition shall allege that:

(1) the person for whom a delayed certificate of birth is sought was born in this state;

(2) no record of birth of the person can be found in the bureau;

(3) diligent efforts by the petitioner have failed to obtain the evidence required in accordance with Section 24-14-15 NMSA 1978;

(4) the state registrar has refused to register a delayed certificate of birth; and

(5) any other allegations as may be required.

C. The petition shall be accompanied by a statement of the registration official made in accordance with Section 24-14-15 NMSA 1978 and all documentary evidence that was submitted to the registration official in support of the registration. The petition shall be sworn to by the petitioner.

D. The court shall fix a time and place for hearing the petition and shall give the registration official who refused to register the petitioner's delayed certificate of birth ten days' notice of the hearing. The official or the official's authorized representative may appear and testify in the proceeding.

E. If the court finds from the evidence presented that the person for whom a delayed certificate of birth is sought was born in this state, it shall make findings as to the place and date of birth, parentage and other findings as the case may require and shall issue an order to establish a record of birth. This order shall include the birth data to be registered, a description of the evidence presented in the manner prescribed by Section 24-14-15 NMSA 1978 and the date of the court's action.

F. The court shall determine the parent-child relationship of the mother and father pursuant to the New Mexico Uniform Parentage Act [40-11A-101 through 40-11A-903 NMSA 1978].

G. The clerk of the court shall forward each order to the state registrar not later than the tenth day of the calendar month following the month in which it was entered. The order shall be registered by the state registrar and shall constitute the record of birth from which copies may be issued in accordance with Sections 24-14-28 and 24-14-29 NMSA 1978.

History: 1953 Comp., 12-4-38, enacted by Laws 1961, ch. 44, 16; 1981, ch. 309, 10; 2009, ch. 215, 16.