Montana Code Annotated
Part 2. Birth
50-15-221. Birth registration

50-15-221. Birth registration. (1) A certificate of birth must be filed as specified in this section with the department for each live birth that occurs in this state. Unless otherwise directed by the department, the certificate must be filed within the time prescribed by the department by rule after the birth. The birth certificate must be registered if it has been completed and filed in accordance with this section and rules adopted to implement this section.
(2) If a birth occurs in a health care facility, the birth certificate must be completed and filed by the attending physician or the physician's designee.
(3) If a birth occurs in or en route to a health care facility, the person in charge of the facility or the person's authorized designee shall obtain the personal data concerning the newborn child, prepare the certificate, and certify that the child was born alive at the place, at the time, and on the date stated. Certification may be by signature or by an approved electronic process. The person referenced in this subsection shall file the certificate as directed in subsection (1). The physician or other person in attendance at the birth shall provide the medical information required by the certificate within 72 hours after the birth.
(4) The department shall, by rule, determine what evidence may be required to establish the facts of birth if the birth occurs at a place other than a health care facility. In accordance with rules promulgated by the department, the certificate must be prepared and filed by one of the following persons in the indicated order of priority in subsections (4)(a) through (4)(e):
(a) the physician or the physician's designee or a midwife licensed pursuant to Title 37, chapter 27, in attendance at or immediately after the birth;
(b) a person in attendance at or immediately after the birth;
(c) the father or the mother;
(d) in the absence of the father and the inability of the mother, the person in charge of the premises where the birth occurred; or
(e) the local registrar, if 50-15-202 applies.
(5) When a birth occurs on a moving conveyance within the United States and the newborn child is first removed from the conveyance in this state, the birth must be registered in this state by a person listed in subsection (4) and the place where the child is first removed from the conveyance is considered the place of birth. When a birth occurs on a moving conveyance while in international waters or air space or in a foreign country or its air space and the child is first removed from the conveyance in this state, the birth must be registered by a person listed in subsection (4) in this state, but the certificate must indicate the actual place of birth insofar as the place can be determined.
(6) For the purposes of birth registration, the woman who gives birth to the child is considered to be the mother, unless otherwise provided by state law or determined by a court of competent jurisdiction prior to the filing of the birth certificate. Information about the father must be entered as provided in subsection (7).
(7) (a) If the mother was married at the time of conception or birth or between conception and birth, the name of the husband must be entered on the certificate as the father of the child, unless:
(i) other paternity has been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction;
(ii) the mother and the husband execute joint or separate affidavits attesting that the husband is not the father of the child. Affidavits must be notarized, and signatures of the mother and of the husband must be individually notarized on any joint affidavit. If affidavits are filed, information about the father must be omitted from the certificate.
(iii) the mother executes an affidavit attesting that the husband is not the father and names a putative father, the putative father executes an affidavit attesting paternity, and the husband executes an affidavit denying paternity. Affidavits may be joint or individual or a combination of joint and individual affidavits. Each signature on an affidavit must be individually notarized. If all affidavits are filed, the putative father must be shown as the father on the certificate.
(b) If the mother was not married at the time of conception or birth or between conception and birth, the name of the father may not be entered on the certificate without an affidavit of paternity signed by the mother and the person to be named as the father.
(c) If paternity of a child is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, the name of the father and surname of the child must be entered on the certificate of birth in accordance with the finding and order of the court.
(d) If the father is not named on the certificate of birth, information about the father may not be entered on the certificate.
(e) Affidavits required under this subsection (7) must be filed with the department.
(8) Either parent of the child, or another informant, shall verify the accuracy of the personal data to be entered on the certificate in order to permit the filing of the certificate within the time prescribed in subsection (1).
(9) A certificate of birth filed after the time prescribed in subsection (1) but within 1 year from the date of birth must be registered by the natural parents, the adoptive parents, or the person having legal custody of the child, on the standard form of live birth certificate in the manner prescribed in this section and by rule. The certificate may not be designated as delayed. The department may require additional evidence in support of the facts of birth.
History: En. Sec. 11, Ch. 515, L. 1995.