Every application for a railroad retirement annuity must be accompanied by documentary evidence that supports the claim for benefits. The sections in this part discuss the types of acceptable evidence. If you are unable to secure the necessary information, please contact the nearest field office of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). The people there will be glad to assist you.

General Information

Evidence submitted in support of an applicant's claim should be:

• an original document; or
• a copy of a public record certified by the custodian of the record; or
• a facsimile, if it is sent to the RRB by the official custodian of the record.

Documents which have been altered in any way do not qualify as original or certified copies. Therefore, they cannot be used as evidence.

Proof Of Marriage

The best proof of a ceremonial marriage is the original marriage certificate. If you cannot locate your original certificate, the following proofs are acceptable:

• A copy of a public record of the marriage certified by the custodian of the record. This record can be secured by contacting the Clerk of the Court in the city or county where the marriage license was obtained or the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the state in which you were married.
• A copy of a religious record of the marriage certified by the custodian of the record. This record can be secured by contacting the church where the marriage took place or the clergy who performed the service.

NOTE: A marriage license is NOT an acceptable proof of marriage. If no marriage ceremony took place, contact the nearest field office of the RRB.

Proof of Divorce

The best proof of divorce includes:

• the original decree of the final or absolute divorce or divorce a vinculo matrimonii; or
• a certified copy of the divorce certificate by the custodian of the record.

A certified photocopy of one of the documents shown above is acceptable. If you are unable to obtain any of the documents listed above or if the decree is not for final divorce, absolute divorce, or divorce a vinculo matrimonii, contact the nearest field office of the RRB. The people there will be glad to assist you.

Proof Of Age

Various types of acceptable proofs of age and the places to secure them are listed below. If you are unable to obtain one of these documents, you should contact the nearest office of the RRB. The people there will be glad to assist you.

Older records are generally considered the best records. Try to secure evidence made at or near the time of your birth. Any document to be used for proof of age must show the person's name, age, or date of birth, and preferably, the date on which the record was established. Any document submitted as proof of age or date of birth must be based on a record that was established more than 5 years before the date on which you filed an application for an annuity or Medicare coverage with the RRB.

The best proofs of age include:

• a civil record of your birth, which can be secured from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state capital of your state of birth;
• the church record of your birth or baptism, which can be secured by contacting the church where you were baptized or confirmed;
• notification of registration of birth, which can be secured by contacting the county or city Health department in the city or county in which you were born; or
• the hospital birth record or certification.

Churches usually do not destroy their records and if there was a record of your date of birth made when you were an infant or a child, it is probably still on file at the church. Even if the church building is no longer in existence, the records may be available at a diocesan, state, or regional office of the denomination.

Our field offices have a complete list of addresses and fees for public birth records in the United States and in many foreign countries. Call or write the nearest field office to find out where to write and how much to send to obtain your birth record.

Proof Of Death

Proof of the death of the railroad employee is required with all applications for benefits as the survivor of the railroad employee. If the death occurred inside the United States, the best proofs of death include:

• a certified photocopy of the death certificate, which can be secured from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or Department of Health for the city, county, or state in which the death occurred;
• a signed statement of death by the funeral director on RRB Form G-273a or SSA's Forms SSA-721 or SSA-2872;
• a copy of the coroner's report of death; or
• the verdict of the coroner's jury of the state or community where death occurred.

A certified photocopy of any of the documents described above is acceptable. If you are unable to obtain any of these documents, contact the nearest field office of the RRB. The people there will be glad to assist you.

If the death occurred outside the United States, the proof of death can include:

• a report of death from a United States consul, or other agent of the State Department, bearing the signature and official seal (you can secure this report from the United States consulate or embassy);
• a certified copy of the public record of death; or
• a signed statement of death by a funeral director.

Proof Of Military Service

Proof of military service may be a certificate of discharge, or any official military record that shows the dates of service. If you cannot locate the military service record, contact the RRB for help.

Proof Of Relationship

Proof of relationship must be given by each person applying for benefits as the child, parent, brother, sister or grandchild of the former railroad employee. The best proof of relationship is a certified copy of the civil or religious birth record of the person filing for benefits showing the parent's name.

When the relationship involves a legally adopted child or the parents of a legally adopted child, the best proof is a certified copy of the decree or order of adoption.

It may be necessary to submit more than one document to prove the relationship to the employee. The following situations are examples of when this may occur.

• A stepchild must show he or she is the child of the person married to the employee.
• A grandchild must show who his or her parents are and prove that his or her parent is related to the employee.
• A stepparent must show that the person he or she is married to is the employee's parent.