New Policy: The Common Manual Policy Committee has added guidance to section 3.5.F of the Common Manual to list documents that can be used to change or correct an individual’s date of birth or first name. The language is as follows:

The lender must retain a copy of the document substantiating the SSN, date of birth, or first name change or correction.This documentation may be requested in a program review or may be required in a claim submission.The guarantor reserves the right to request this or other supporting documentation or information before changing a Social Security number, date of birth, or first name on its system.

If a lender identified an SSN, date of birth, or first name discrepancy, exhausts its efforts to verify the correct information, and fails to obtain a copy of an acceptable source document, the lender should notify the guarantor of the discrepancy.The guarantor may be able to offer assistance.

If a lender learns that the SSN, date of birth, or first name is incorrect due to a data entry error, the lender may change the incorrect information using the original documentation submitted.The lender must document the reason it made the change.

Acceptable Source Documents for Reporting the Correction of a Date of Birth

A guarantor considers any of the following documents a valid source for reporting the correction of a date of birth:

• Birth certificate
• Current driver’s license (if it contains a birth date)
• State ID (if it contains a birth date)
• Passport
• Unexpired U.S. military ID

Acceptable Source Documents for Reporting a First Name Change

A guarantor considers any of the following documents a valid source for reporting a first name change:

• Court order
• Marriage certificate
• Certificate of Naturalization

Acceptable Source Documents for Reporting the Correction of a First Name

A guarantor considers any of the following documents a valid source for reporting the correction of a first name:

• Social Security card
• Current driver’s license
• Birth certificate
• State ID
• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
• Court order
• Marriage certificate
• W-2 form
• Passport
• Unexpired U.S. military ID
• U.S. military discharge papers (Form DD214)
• U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561)
• Alien Registration Card (Form I-551 or I-151)

Prior Policy: Prior Common Manual policy did not include information on date of birth and first name changes, but did contain information on what can be used for a Social Security Number change.