Maybe you think you have your birth certificate but don't. Heads up:

[AverageOldGuy]

23. It's not that easy and be prepared to pay

I was born in Mississippi, wife in Alabama, married in Alabama, we now live in Virginia.

We can't walk into our local health department or courthouse and get birth certificate, marriage license, etc., from another state.

So -- went on line, searched for (1) Alabama birth certificate and marriage license, and (2) Mississippi birth certificate. Both states have farmed out the process to a third-party. Fill out forms online, submit photo of front and back of driver's license of the person whose documents you are ordering, pay fee, got the documents in a few days -- total cost was close to $200 for documents for the two of us. What we received were official versions complete with raised seal.

How many people do not now live in the state where they were born or married? How many will be able to go through the online process? How many can cough up the $$$$ ??

But wait -- it gets better.
--- Wife's birth name was T R G.
--- She was never called by the first name T, always called by middle name R, she did not like the first name T.
--- My last name is S.
--- After we were married, she called herself and signed all documents R G S .
--- That is, until we encountered Virginia DMV who told looked at her birth certificate and told her her VA drivers license would be issued to T G S -- a name she did not want.
--- So -- off to county courthouse, talked to Clerk of the Court -- filled out a form, submitted copy of birth cert and marriage license, judge signed off on name change from T G S (the DMV version) to R G S (her version), back to DMV for new DL.
--- Now, any time we have to show her birth cert and marriage license, we also show a copy of the court order changing her name -- at $5 for each certified copy they are a bargain.
---- We recently laid in a stock of birth certs, marriage license, her name change document along with passports and the passport card.