Whether you can use accent marks on a birth certificate depends on the state issuing it. Some states accept diacritical marks like é, ñ, and ü on vital records; others limit names to the 26 letters of the standard English alphabet. Even in states that do accept them, federal agencies will not carry the marks onto a passport or Social Security card, so the name on a child’s identity documents may not match perfectly across the set.
States That Allow Diacritical Marks
A growing number of states explicitly permit diacritical marks on birth certificates. Texas passed legislation in 2017 requiring state and local registrars to ensure that electronic and paper systems accommodate marks like acute accents, tildes, umlauts, and cedillas. Utah followed with a law directing the state registrar to record diacritical marks on vital records exactly as they appear on the application. Hawaii and Alaska allow symbols and diacritical marks tied to Native Hawaiian and Inupiaq languages. North Carolina permits accent marks, tildes, and hyphens in names. Kansas and Oregon have also adopted policies or system upgrades that support these characters.
States That Restrict or Prohibit Diacritical Marks
Several states still do not allow diacritical marks on birth certificates. Massachusetts limits names to characters available on a standard English keyboard, which excludes accented letters. Rhode Island disallows accented characters on birth certificates, though families can use them informally. Louisiana and Georgia restrict names to the standard English alphabet. Virginia bans special characters including umlauts and tildes.
California currently does not allow accent marks or certain other special characters on official documents, including birth certificates. A bill called the Identity Integrity Act has been introduced to change this, but as of early 2025 it had not been enacted. If a birth is registered in one of these states, the name on the certificate will be rendered without any diacritical marks regardless of the parents’ preference.
How Federal Documents Handle Accent Marks
Even in a state that allows them, federal agencies will not carry diacritical marks forward onto other identity documents.
U.S. Passports
The State Department’s internal procedures are direct about this. Diacritical marks are not supported in the department’s Travel Document Issuance System, and passport processing staff are instructed to cross out all diacritical marks on an application, even when those marks appear on the applicant’s evidence of citizenship or other identification.1U.S. Department of State. 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes A birth certificate reading “José” will produce a passport reading “Jose.” The machine-readable zone on any passport cannot include diacritical marks because they would confuse scanning equipment.2International Civil Aviation Organization. Doc 9303 Machine Readable Travel Documents Part 3
Social Security Cards
The Social Security Administration’s data entry system accepts only letters, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes when recording a person’s name. No accent marks, tildes, or other diacritical characters can be entered, and the name prints on the card exactly as it was entered.3Social Security Administration. RM 10205.125 Entering NH’s Name in SSNAP A child whose birth certificate reads “María” will receive a Social Security card reading “Maria.”
What a Name Mismatch Actually Causes
When a birth certificate includes an accent mark but the passport and Social Security card do not, the identity documents technically show different spellings of the same name. Most of the time this causes nothing. Government agencies and financial institutions are generally accustomed to minor variations.
Mismatches can still create friction in specific situations. A notary comparing an ID to a document being signed may flag a discrepancy if one shows an accent and the other does not. International travel can trigger confusion when a foreign passport displays diacritical marks but the corresponding U.S. visa or entry record does not, leading to name mismatches in border-control databases. Military personnel have reported similar issues with enrollment systems that strip not just accents but even hyphens from names.
The practical takeaway: if your state allows accent marks and you choose to include them, expect the passport and Social Security card not to match. Carry extra identification when a situation calls for exact name matching, and be ready to explain the discrepancy.
Adding or Correcting an Accent Mark Later
If a birth certificate was issued without diacritical marks and the state now allows them, or the marks were simply left off by mistake, you can request an amendment through the state’s vital records office. The process works the same way as correcting any other error on a birth certificate, though specifics vary by state.
- Contact the state’s vital records office, usually housed within the state health department, and request the amendment application form. Many states make this available online.
- Gather supporting documents showing the correct spelling with diacritical marks. A foreign passport, baptismal certificate, consular document, or other official identification will often work. Some states require a court order for what they classify as a name change rather than a correction.
- Submit the application and pay the fee. Amendment fees generally range from about $15 to $50 depending on the state, and some states charge separately for new certified copies.
- Wait for processing. Turnaround times vary widely, from a few weeks to several months if supporting documents need to be verified.
Some states require notarization of the amendment form, so confirm the requirement before submitting. If the state still does not allow diacritical marks on vital records, an amendment request will be denied regardless of the supporting documentation. The remaining options are to advocate for legislative change or to accept the anglicized spelling on the certificate while using the accented version informally.
Getting It Right at Registration
The easiest time to get the name right is at the beginning. For parents who want diacritical marks on a child’s birth certificate, a few steps before the hospital submits paperwork make the difference.
- Check the state’s policy first. Contact the vital records office or check its website before the birth. Knowing in advance whether the state accepts diacritical marks avoids a frustrating conversation in the hospital.
- Write the name out clearly on the birth registration worksheet, with every mark in place. Hospital staff entering the data may not produce these characters unless the request is explicit.
- Verify the certificate before it is filed. Most states give parents a window to review the birth certificate information before it becomes official. Catching a missing accent at this stage is far simpler than filing an amendment later.
- Understand the downstream effects. Even with a perfect birth certificate, accent marks will not appear on the Social Security card or passport. Decide whether that inconsistency is acceptable before finalizing the name.
For out-of-hospital births, parents are often responsible for registering the birth directly with the local registrar rather than having a hospital handle the paperwork. The same rules about diacritical marks apply, but parents may have more direct control over how the information is entered.