1. Acknowledged Parentage
To establish parentage of an illegitimate child, an alleged genetic father must submit
an Acknowledgment of Parentage (“AOP”) form to the state registrar of vital statistics
that complies with certain statutory requirements set forth in RCW 26.26A.200 through
26.26A.265. See WAC 246-490-305. Among other requirements, an AOP must be in a notarized or witnessed
record signed by both the woman who gave birth and the individual seeking to establish
a parent-child relationship. See RCW 26.26A.205. If there are no competing claims
of paternity or similar reasons for the AOP to be considered invalid, a properly executed
AOP is effective upon the birth of the child, or the filing of the document with the
state registrar of vital statistics, whichever occurs later. RCW 26.26A.215.
When all statutory requirements are satisfied, an AOP is equivalent to an adjudication
of parentage and confers all parental rights and duties on the acknowledged parent.
RCW 26.26A.220. As a result of a properly filed AOP, the acknowledged parent’s name
will be added to the child’s birth record. WAC 246-490-305.
2. Adjudicated Parentage
A court order from a court of competent jurisdiction is also sufficient to establish
paternity of an illegitimate child. See RCW 26.26A.400, 26.26A.515. Following a court’s adjudication of parentage, the court
order is submitted to the Washington State Department of Health, and then the child’s
birth record is modified accordingly. See RCW 26.26A.510; WAC 246-490-310.