I am not married, Do I have to put the birth father’s name on my child’s birth certificate?
The short answer is No! There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the issue of single mothers regarding birthfathers, and birth certificates. First, you should know that legally including the father’s name on a state-issued birth certificate requires his participation.
If he happens to be unavailable—or he does not want to be involved with the child or he does not want his name on the birth certificate, you can leave the birth father’s name as UNKNOWN on the birth certificate.
Ultimately, the decision of whether to include your baby’s father on the birth certificate is a intensely personal one, it is NOT required if you are not married. Consider the conversations you’ve had with your baby’s father thus far about his intentions to be involved after the baby is born. If you are considering adoption for your child and the birthfather is unknown or does not want to participate in the adoption, you can choose to leave the birthfather off of the birth certificate.
It is common for a unmarried, single mother to leave off the birth father’s information on the child’s birth certificate. Especially if the birth father has shown no interest during her pregnancy or shown no excitement of being a father.
In Ohio, if a mother is not married at the time of her child’s birth, Ohio does not recognize a father. This means
a father cannot be listed on your child’s birth certificate until paternity is established either through DNA or a statement of paternity.