NO
That might have started with Social Security
Numbers assigned at birth.
..................Doesnt someone have to produce a valid birth
certificate to acquire a US passport?
NO
Absolutely yes! For my first passport about 30 years ago, I had to visit the Queens Co NY vital records dept, wait around, wait around, wait around, until the shuffling employee produced a duplicate copy of my Birth Cert.
Then I had to present that to the Passport officials, and wait around, and wait around, and wait around, until I finally got a passport.
Maybe it’s easier now. Maybe if you speak broken English and show up wearing a shirt and shoes, you’re deemed passport material!