controversy. I cannot rely on CNN or any news organization to deliver the truth because they all have their own agenda, and furthermore, they are not eligible to obtain vital statistics documents in Hawaii. I cannot rely on Max either because he is too opinionated, intolerant and emotional :)

So, I have started my own research, and I have communicated with Hawaii Vital Records Department and should have some answers soon.

From Hawaii's official web site, here's who is eligible to apply for certified copies of vital records? You will see that neither CNN, nor FactCheck.org nor any other entity or person outside Obama's immediate family is eligible to apply for a certified birth certificate:

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http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/vital-records/elig_vrcc.html

Who is Eligible to Apply for Certified Copies of Vital Records?

A certified copy of a vital record (birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificate) is issued only to an applicant who has a direct and tangible interest in the record. The following persons are considered to have such an interest:

. the registrant (the person whom the record is concerned with);

. the registrant’s spouse;

. the registrant’s parent(s);

. a descendant of the registrant (e.g., a child or grandchild);

. a person having a common ancestor with the registrant (e.g., a sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or cousin);

. a legal guardian of the registrant;

. a person or agency acting on behalf of the registrant;

. a personal representative of the registrant’s estate;

. a person whose right to obtain a copy of the record is established by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction;

. adoptive parents who have filed a petition for adoption and need to determine the death of one or more of the prospective adopted child’s natural or legal parents;

. a person who needs to determine the marital status of a former spouse in order to determine the payment of alimony;

. a person who needs to determine the death of a nonrelated co-owner of property purchased under a joint tenancy agreement; and

. a person who needs a death certificate for the determination of payments under a credit insurance policy.

If you are not able to establish a direct and tangible interest in the record, you are ineligible and will not be issued a certified copy of the record.

Upon request, a letter of verification attesting to the existence of a requested record on file with the Department of Health may be issued. Instructions for applying for letters of verification are included in the next section and immediately follow the set of instructions on applying for certified copies. The same eligibility requirements apply for both ceritified copies and verification letters.

A search of the records on file with the Department of Health will only be conducted to process an application requesting either a certified copy or a letter of verification. If the search establishes that the requested record is not on file, you will be notified that no record has been found. No searches of the records on file with the Department of Health will be conducted prior to or outside of the receipt of an application and payment of fees.

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Here's how to apply for certified copied of Vital Records:

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http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/vital-records/vital_records.html

(you'll have to visit this link to read it ... it's not all that important to the issue)

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However, the following link is of key importance ... you can apply for a birth certificate in Hawaii after the fact ... plus, it is possible to amend a birth certificate.

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http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/vital-records/hawnbirth.html

Who is Eligible to Apply for the Issuance of a Late Birth Certificate in Lieu of a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth?

The Certificate of Hawaiian Birth program was established in 1911, during the territorial era, to register a person born in Hawaii who was one year old or older and whose birth had not been previously registered in Hawaii. The Certificate of Hawaiian Birth Program was terminated in 1972, during the statehood era.

Certified copies of a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth may be requested following the procedures for certified copies of standard birth certificates (see Certified Copies). The eligibility requirements for issuance of a certified copy of a standard birth certificate apply to Certificates of Hawaiian Birth. And the same fees charged for standard birth certificates are charged for Certificates of Hawaiian Birth. Copies of the set of testimony used to establish a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth may also be requested, and an additional fee is charged for each copy of the set of testimony.

Any person to whom a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth has been issued may submit a request to amend an entry, including a legal change of name, on an existing Certificate. A request to amend a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth will, however, be considered to be and treated as an application with the Department of Health for registration of a late certificate of birth in current use, unless a standard birth certificate for that person already exists in the vital records of the Department of Health. Should there be a situation of dual registration, the requested amendment will be made to the standard birth certificate on file if the required documentary evidence in support of the amendment has been submitted and evaluated to be adequate. If there is no standard birth certificate on file, an applicant is required to submit documentary evidence of the birth facts necessary to support of the registration of the late certificate of birth. If approved, the late birth certificate will be registered in place of the Certificate of Hawaiian Birth, which must then be surrendered to the Department of Health.

How to Apply for the Issuance of a Late Birth Certificate in Lieu of a Certificate of Hawaiian Birth

Upon receiving a request to amend an entry on an existing Certificate of Hawaiian Birth, the Registration Unit of the Office of Health Status Monitoring will send:

1. notification to the requestor that the amendment request is treated as an application for registration of a late certificate of birth, and

2. instructions on procedures for and submission of required documentary evidence in support of registration of a late certificate of birth.

If the amendment request is subsequently withdrawn, all documents received in support of the amendment will be returned. If the requestor elects to proceed with the application for registration of a late certificate of birth, the documentary evidence submitted in support of registration will be reviewed and evaluated for adequacy. If the application is approved, a late birth certificate will be issued and the original Certificate of Hawaiian Birth issued to the applicant must be surrendered to, for cancellation by, the Department of Health. No filing fee is charged for the late birth certificate.

Further Information and Assistance
For information, call (808) 586-4540 during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. HST).

Counter service is available Monday - Friday, except holidays, from 7:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Appointments are preferred.

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