Establishing Paternity

Every child has a father. But to be the legal father of a child born to parents who are not married to each other, paternity has to be legally verified by paternity establishment. This ensures that your child has the same rights and benefits as children born to married parents.

Paternity for a child with unmarried parents can be legally established and reflected in the child’s birth certificate as described in the Voluntary Establishment of Paternity (VEP) brochure link below.

Brochure: How to voluntarily establish paternity

Provided below are samples of Voluntary Establishment of Paternity (VEP) forms. If you would like to apply for the VEP,  please contact the Hawaii Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Corrections Section on Oahu or through the District Health Office locations.  (Please see the brochure: How to voluntarily establish paternity for contact information).