Quick answer. At the hospital, say yes to the Social Security number on the birth certificate form. In the first month, add the baby to your health plan within its deadline and order certified birth certificates. In the first year, make a will that names a guardian, review life insurance, and update beneficiaries.
At the hospital
- Birth certificate application: the hospital helps you complete it. Check every spelling before you sign.
- Social Security number: the Social Security Administration says the easiest way is to say yes on that same form; it asks for both parents' numbers, but you can apply without them (SSA). The card arrives by mail after SSA verifies the record.
The first month
- Health insurance: a birth usually opens a special enrollment window to add the baby; check your plan's deadline, which is often short.
- Certified birth certificates: order a few. Passports, school enrollment and benefits each want one.
- Employer paperwork: leave forms, dependent care accounts and a new Form W-4 if your withholding should change.
The first year
- A will that names a guardian, so a court isn't left to choose who raises your child. See will witness requirements by state for how it's signed.
- Powers of attorney and health care directives for each parent, so the other can act if one is hospitalized. See power of attorney requirements by state.
- Life insurance and beneficiaries on retirement accounts and policies; ask an agent how to name a minor child.
- A passport if you'll travel; both parents usually need to consent for a child under 16.
- College savings, if you plan to start an account.
At tax time
Keep the Social Security card, childcare receipts with the provider's tax ID, and medical bills in one folder. They support the child-related credits and any dependent care account claims.
More for families: the store's picks for new parents and families.
General information checked November 10, 2026. A checklist, not legal, tax or insurance advice. We are notaries, not lawyers: we can witness signatures and notarize, but we can't tell you which document to sign or prepare one for you.