Putative Father Registry
What do I do if I think I am a father and my name is not on the child's birth certificate?
If you haven’t taken any legal action of your own already, you can file a Claim of Paternity Affidavit which protects a father's right to receive notice of a pending adoption, termination of parental rights, or possibly other legal proceedings, and the right to request a hearing to prove paternity, if those actions should occur.
The Claim may be filed prior to the birth of the child but must be filed prior to the birth mother's parental rights being voluntarily surrendered or involuntarily terminated. Upon the filing of an adoption proceeding, the court will check the Registry for a Claim, and will issue the required notice to the provided address. The NH Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) can request this information as well. Failure to timely register a Claim of Paternity shall bar the alleged father from thereafter bringing an action to establish his paternity of the child.
Return the completed, notarized form to:
Bureau of Child Support Services
Putative Father Registry
129 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3857
To see if there are other options available to you concerning your claim of paternity, you may wish to speak to a lawyer.