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In Indiana, the state regulations clearly specify what the protocol procedure is that must be followed when registering a newborn when their parents are not married and the child’s paternity has not been legally established.
In these cases, the father’s surname may not be passed on to the baby nor will it be reflected in the official birth certificate.
Children will be registered only with the mother’s surname in these cases
When a child’s parents are not legally married at the time of birth and the father has not formally established his relationship with his child, the baby will be registered only with the mother’s surname.
On the contrary, if paternity has already been established, parents will have the option of having the child registered with the father’s surname, although the mother’s surname may also be chosen.
Father’s surname: when can it be passed on to children
According to state regulations, the ways to establish paternity with a child are the following
Marriage
- If the baby’s parents are married at the time of birth
- If the baby is born within 300 days of the parents’ divorce
Affidavit of paternity
- At the hospital: the document may be signed within the first 72 hours after birth. It must be signed by both parents
- At the Department of Health: completing the document at this facility before the child is emancipated (19 years old) or when no parent is listed on the birth certificate
- Court determination: when a paternity action is filed in court
“Information about your child’s paternity and the process by which you establish paternity will be treated confidentially by hospital employees, the Prosecutor’s Office and the attorneys," the authorities indicate.