Acknowledgement of Paternity
The Acknowledgement of Paternity is an important document in a child support case. The document serves as confirmation from the father of their relationship to the child in question. CSSD cannot proceed with setting up a support order without legal confirmation of paternity, and having a completed Acknowledgment of Paternity allows us to move forward. If you have access to a completed acknowledgement, please make sure you provide it to our division as soon as possible when applying for services.
Establishing Parentage
If the mother was unmarried at the time of the child’s birth and no other name is listed on the certificate of birth as the father, the biological father’s name may be added to the birth certificate by filing an Acknowledgment of Paternity Statement form. Each parent must sign in the presence of a Notary Public, and a Notary must notarize each signature. This form can be completed at a New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS) office, a CSSD field office, or privately in the presence of a Notary Public. The completed form must be submitted to the New Mexico BVRHS to become validated and official.
Legal Ramifications
A valid Acknowledgment of Paternity is the equivalent of a judicial adjudication of paternity of this child [NM Stat ? 40-11A-305 (2018)]. The parents may rescind this acknowledgement by means of a judicial proceeding within a 60-day time limit as explained in; a challenge to the acknowledgement is permitted only under limited circumstances and is barred after two years.
Information and Acknowledgment of Paternity
Acknowledgement of Paternity Brochure
Reconocimiento de Paternidad Folleto
Information on the Acknowledgement of Parternity process
Acknowledgement of Paternity Form
New Mexico Department of Health Acknowledgment of Paternity Form
