Birth certificates and passports go hand in hand. Both are what are considered primary forms of identification. This means that they carry more weight than secondary forms of I.D. such as social security cards or driver's licenses. It also means that they are essential to certain financial transactions and to securing jobs.

For example, when you apply for a job, you're instructed to fill out a W-2 form. For this form, you must to display proof of identity, either in the form of a certified copy of birth certificate or a passport. Again, these are both primary forms of identification.

More about Birth Certificates and Passports

Birth certificates and passports are also intertwined in another way: it is virtually impossible to get a passport without birth certificate. This is because passports carry so much authority. Only with incontrovertible proof of identity such as a certified birth certificate can the passport process be guarded against fraud.

Birth certificates and passports are documents that are considered above question. Thus, should they ever fall into the wrong hands and used for fraud, it could be disastrous. This is why, these days more than ever, one should take extra care to ensure the security of one's own primary identifying documents.