[exDemMom]

The certificate that my son has, and that Ted Cruz most likely has, is not the form FS-240. Apparently, the FS-240 has been issued since 2010, and is only a report, not a certification. The certificate that my son has looks just like this one:

Except that his says Rota, Spain, not Okinawa, Japan, etc.

It kind of looks to me like the form FS-240 is meant to dilute the definition of a US citizen, in that it is only a report, not a certification. I do not know what kids born abroad after 2010 are supposed to use for birth certificates.

[Cboldt]

FS-240 and FS-545 are equivalent. Both are evidence that a claim of US citizenship has been adjudicated and found valid. FS-545 was dropped in November 1990, FS-240 has been used since November 1990.

-- It kind of looks to me like the form FS-240 is meant to dilute the definition of a US citizen, in that it is only a report, not a certification. --

No dilution whatsoever. Both rely on whatever the statutes are at the time the claim the adjudication takes place. It is pretty strong evidence the named person is a US citizen.

Neither FS-240 nor FS-545 are birth certificates. The state department is not a recognized vital statistics custodian.