We are considering adding birth certificates as an item we can accept as one of the pieces of CIP verification. What we want to know is, do birth certificates contain information that (in some situations) we have no business acquiring, such as race, etc? I can see that mine doesn't, but I imagine the birth certificate an elderly person has contains information that is different than what they are issuing today. Do the contents of a birth certificate differ by county, state, and have they changed significantly over the years? Thanks for any help.

Jap,

We will only accept a birth certificate for a minor opening an account jointly with a parent or guardian. For an elderly person or someone without sufficient identifying information due to religious beliefs, we will acquire a consumer credit report as a secondary for of identification. But as for primary identification, we require a state or federally issued phot identification.

You elude in your inquiry about retaining documentation. There is not a requirement to do so and we have elected not to just in case a photo identification got into the incorrect hands.