Declaration of Paternity

The Declaration of Paternity is a legal form that, when signed by both parents, says the man is the legal father. Signing the form allows an unmarried father's name to be placed on the child's birth certificate.

If an adult child is over the age of twenty-three (23) and the birth certificate does not designate a father, a Joint Declaration must be filed in the county where the father lives, if the father is a resident of the state of Ohio. If the father is not a resident of the state of Ohio, he may also file the Joint Declaration in this county.