ID checking guidelines for Standard/Enhanced DBS check... · Guidance on Checking Documents

Checking a birth certificate

id checking guidelines for standardenhanced dbs check applications from 22 april 2025 guidance on checking documents checking a birth certificate · in force: unknown

Captured source text (L5)

Checking a birth certificate

Birth certificates are not evidence of identity and are easily obtained. Although certificates issued at the time of birth may give more confidence that it belongs to the individual, unlike a recently issued certificate, they will not show if any information has been corrected or superseded by a new registration.

Check the quality of paper used; genuine certificates use a high grade. There should be a watermark visible when the document is held up to the light. Any signs of smoothness on the surface would indicate that original text might have been washed or rubbed away. There should be no signs of tampering, changes using liquid paper, overwriting, or spelling mistakes.

The following list provides some general information about certificate completion which may help to establish whether the certificate and/or the details have been falsified. This is provided solely as a guide and is not exhaustive:

- The certificate format used should be appropriate for the year of registration - Only the surname should be entered in upper case, not the forename(s) - Dates of birth should be shown with the day and month in words and the year in figures

The following information might indicate that the certificate has been altered:

- Spacing between falsely added particulars might be irregular compared to original information. ‘Thick’ or ‘thin’ spacing might infer particulars have been added - False particulars might not have been aligned with other words - Characters may not be of the same size or shape with the rest of the particulars - Movement of handwriting may look mechanical and does not flow with the rest of the particulars - Changes might not be consistent e.g., parents’ surnames might be altered, but not the signatures - The area around falsely added or removed particulars may react differently under an ultraviolet light i.e. show signs of staining. In addition, such areas of paper may appear thinner where the paper fibres have been disturbed by abrasion

For more information on checking birth certificates, please refer to [HM Passport Office document General Register Office guide to birth certificates.](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-tree-guide-to-birth-certificates/guide-to-birth-certificates-accessible-version)

Full captured verbatim text

Birth certificates are not evidence of identity and are easily obtained. Although certificates issued at the time of birth may give more confidence that it belongs to the individual, unlike a recently issued certificate, they will not show if any information has been corrected or superseded by a new registration.

Check the quality of paper used; genuine certificates use a high grade. There should be a watermark visible when the document is held up to the light. Any signs of smoothness on the surface would indicate that original text might have been washed or rubbed away. There should be no signs of tampering, changes using liquid paper, overwriting, or spelling mistakes.

The following list provides some general information about certificate completion which may help to establish whether the certificate and/or the details have been falsified. This is provided solely as a guide and is not exhaustive:

- The certificate format used should be appropriate for the year of registration
- Only the surname should be entered in upper case, not the forename(s)
- Dates of birth should be shown with the day and month in words and the year in figures

The following information might indicate that the certificate has been altered:

- Spacing between falsely added particulars might be irregular compared to original information. ‘Thick’ or ‘thin’ spacing might infer particulars have been added
- False particulars might not have been aligned with other words
- Characters may not be of the same size or shape with the rest of the particulars
- Movement of handwriting may look mechanical and does not flow with the rest of the particulars
- Changes might not be consistent e.g., parents’ surnames might be altered, but not the signatures
- The area around falsely added or removed particulars may react differently under an ultraviolet light i.e. show signs of staining. In addition, such areas of paper may appear thinner where the paper fibres have been disturbed by abrasion

For more information on checking birth certificates, please refer to [HM Passport Office document General Register Office guide to birth certificates.](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-tree-guide-to-birth-certificates/guide-to-birth-certificates-accessible-version)

What this provision means

Model summary, checked against the text on the left.

Relevance to Signicat: 3/3 · detailed summary (L4) Status: not needed for a short provision · Stored artifact; current recipe verification unavailable

ID checkers must verify birth certificates by inspecting paper quality, watermarks, lettering format, and potential alteration indicators.

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Verification findings (60)

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 introduction

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-introduction

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 right-to-work

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-right-to-work

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 identity-check-rules

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-identity-check-rules

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 how-to-view-id-documents

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-how-to-view-id-documents

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-how-to-view-id-documents-option-one

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 what-if-there-are-discrepancies

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-what-if-there-are-discrepancies

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 transgender-applicants

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-transgender-applicants

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 applicants-who-have-been-adopted

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-applicants-who-have-been-adopted

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 the-3-route-id-checking-process

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-the-3-route-id-checking-process

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 document-lists

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-document-lists

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 guidance-on-checking-documents

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-guidance-on-checking-documents

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 what-should-you-do-if-you-suspect-false-identity-or-documents

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 where-to-go-for-help-to-check-non-uk-issued-identity-and-travel-documents

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 external-verification-service

synthesis coverage: missing evaluation uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025#id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025-external-verification-service

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 how-can-i-access-an-external-id-verification-check

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 how-do-i-decide-whether-an-applicant-has-passed-or-failed-an-external-id-verification-check

synthesis coverage: missing/unverified L2 easy-five-step-guide-to-accessing-an-external-id-verification-check

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Instrument: uk:govuk/dbs-id-checking-guidelines-2025
Part: Guidance on Checking Documents
Version: febaa24e10df10d6ffbae7c3…
Content hash: sha256 8596ccb5f3f673c182490e40…
Source: gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-identity-checking-guidelines/id-checking-guidelines-for-standardenhanced-dbs-check-applications-from-22-april-2025