Proof of Age

ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF PROOF OF BIRTH DATE

1. Original proof of age document, if issued by federal, state or provincial registrars of vital statistics in the country in which the Little Leaguer is participating.
2. If country of participation differs from the country of proof of age document, original proof-of-age document issued by federal, state or provincial registrars of vital statistics, or local offices thereof, are acceptable proof of age, provided the document was filed, recorded, registered or issued within one (1) year of the birth of the child.
3. An original document issued by federal, state or provincial registrars of vital statistics, or local offices thereof, listing the date of birth, with reference to the location and issue date of the original birth certificate, is acceptable. (The original birth certificate referenced must have been filed, recorded, registered or issued within one (1) year of the birth of the child.) Also issued by these agencies are photocopies of the certificated of live birth with the certification also photocopied, including the signature, and include the seal of impressed thereon. Such documents are acceptable without "live" signatures, provided the original filed, recorded, registered or issued date of the birth certificate was within one (1) year of the date of birth.
4. For children born abroad of a parent or parents who are U.S. citizens, any official government document issued by a U.S. federal agency or service, is acceptable. For military dependents, Department of Defense  identification cards and military hospital certificates are acceptable. These must be originals, not copies, and must refer to a filing, recording, registration, or issue date that is within one (1) year of the birth of the child.
5. A "Statement in Lieu of Acceptable Proof of Birth" issued by a District Administrator is acceptable. NOT ACCEPTABLE AS SOLE PROOF OF BIRTH: Baptismal Certificate; Certificate of Blessing; Certificate of Dedication; Certificate of Circumcision, etc.; Hospital Certificate; photocopied records.
    

Note: Little League International has authorized the Regional Directors for Latin America, Europe (including Middle East and Africa), and Asia/Pacific, to adopt a policy that excludes No. 1 above. Local Little Leagues and districts in those regions will be informed of the regional policy.

HOW TO OBTAIN ACCEPTABLE DOCUMENTS PROVING DATE OF BIRTH

Certified copy-of-birth records may be obtained from the Registrar of Vital Statistics of each state, province or local office where the child was born. For U.S.-born persons, addresses of these offices or bureaus, fees required, and other pertinent information are supplied by the United Stated Department of Health and Human Services (National Center for Health Statistics). A database listing the method for obtaining birth records from any U.S. state or territory is available at the following Internet address: http://www.cde.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm

Individual states may also have on-line instructions on how to obtain "rush" birth records. To find out a state's latest policies regarding birth records, go to the Internet site listed below and type "birth records" into the search field, designate the appropriate state, then click on "SUBMIT."
http://www.firstgov.gov

Persons in the U.S. who need a copy of a non-U.S. birth record should contact the Embassy of the nearest Consulate of the county in which the birth occurred. Addresses and telephone numbers for these offices are listed in the U.S. Department of State Publication 7846, "Foreign Consular Offices in the United State," which is available in many local libraries. Copies of this publication may also be purchased from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Such proof-of-birth records must meet the criteria for acceptable proof listed above.

HOW TO OBTAIN A "STATEMENT IN LIEU OF ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF BIRTH"

When an "Acceptable Proof of Birth" as described previously is not available, then the appropriate number of items in EACH of these FOUR groups are required so that the participant may obtain a "Statement in Lieu of Acceptable Proof of Birth," which is required for such a participant to be eligible for regular season or tournament play.

Group 1 - Any one (1) of the following, provided the date of birth is listed: a naturalization document issued by the United States Department of Justice;

• photocopy of birth certificate, original birth certificate of government record of birth if not containing a filing, recording, registration, or issue date within one (1) year of the date of birth; passport; PLUS...
• Group 2 - Any two (2) of the following, provided the date of birth is listed: Baptismal Certificate; Certificate of Blessing; Certificate of Dedication; Certificate of Circumcision; or any other religious-related certificate; Hospital Certificate; School Record (must be dated, and date of issue must be at least two years prior to current season); social Security document, Welfare Department document; adoption record. Any item in this group must be an original document, not a copy; PLUS...

Group 3 - Any two (2) of the following:

• A written, signed and notarized statement from...
• the doctor who delivered the child;
• a hospital administrator where the child was delivered
• the principal of headmaster of the school the child attends;
• a Social Worker with personal knowledge of the child's date of birth;
• Priest, Rabbi, Minister, Mullah, or other titled religious figure with personal knowledge of the child's date of birth;
• the child's pediatrician or family doctor.

NOTE: In each statement in Group 3, the writer must describe his/her responsibilities or his/her relationship to the child, and must attest to his/her personal knowledge that the child was born on the date claimed; PLUS...

Group 4 - A written, signed and notarized statement from one or both parents, or the legal guardian (as appointed by a court jurisdiction), attesting to the date of birth claimed.

The league president will forward the above documentation to the District Administrator (or, if the team is traveling, the Tournament Director). If in the opinion of the District Administrator, such evidence is satisfactory, a0 "Statement in Lieu of Acceptable Proof of Birth" will be issued. This statement will be considered to be acceptable proof of age from that point forward, throughout the child's Little League experience, provided all the information submitted is accurate. (Note: If the District Administrator is unable to review the documents, they may be submitted to the appropriate Regional Headquarters.)

NOTE: Situations where players use the name of an adopting family or the name of the family with whom they live, but whose births are recorded under the surname of the natural father or mother, will be handled as follows: The president of the league will obtain from the parents of guardian a document that qualifies under Proof-of-Age Requirements, as well as a copy of the adoption papers (if the player has been legally adopted. If the player was not adopted, a notarized statement from the mother and/or father or legal guardian (as appointed by a court of jurisdiction), saying that the player living under one of the other of their surnames is the same player for whom the birth certificate was issued is also required.

These documents will be submitted to the District Administrator. If the documents are found to be acceptable, a "Statement in Lieu of Acceptable Proof of Birth" will be issued and all original documents returned. The information submitted will be kept confidential.

Little League Baseball does not limit participation in its activities on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual preference or religious preference.

01-011-04 rev 10-05-07 Previous editions of this document are obsolete