Is there a deadline for signing a Voluntary Declaration of Paternity form?
No. Although the forms are provided at the time of a child’s birth for parents to sign, the forms may be signed at any time after the birth of a child. However, as long as both parents voluntarily agree to sign the form, there are benefits to signing at the time of the birth of the child. If the forms are filled out in the hospital or other facility where the birth occurred, the staff of the facility will file the completed form with the birth certificate information. Also, the only way to get the father’s name added to the original birth certificate when the parents are unmarried is to have the form transmitted with the birth certificate for registration. If parents obtain the form at a later date, they must file the form with the Department of Health, Vital Records and Statistics.
