Agreed, although I would have gone more along the terms of '*****', but assholes works too.

Most lamination can be undone. If it is the kind that can be undone, cut along the sides, taking care to not damage the certificate itself.

Also, you can always just get a new one. I've currently got two cos I lost the first, got a new one then found the original. They're not irreplaceable you know.

I agree with you...lamination isn't permanent.

YDI...it says right on any of the old Ontario Birth Certificate (don't know about other provinces but wouldn't surprise me) that "Lamination or alteration voids this certificate"

Wait a sec, void? So people will no longer believe that the info is true just because you felt the need to protect it? Note: Above is sarcasm, though I can't think of a reason why protecting a document with lamination could void it.

You should sue them.

The OP can get a replacement birth certificate, it's just a hassle. OP: That was shitty of them not to tell you until afterwards, but YDI a little since it's fairly common knowledge.

You can get another birth certificate...

Fairly common knowledge that you can't laminate a Canadian birth-certificate? Clearly no one's told anyone I've ever known, because I've never seen one that wasn't laminated. If nothing else, order a new one - I'm pretty sure it'll come laminated.

You know, I never understood why laminating stuff voided it. Is there some special identity-stealing secret I'm missing about thin plastic? I say OP's idea was a smart one, because you can get another, but you can't get a first one over. Preserve the first and get another to do the identity work.

fairly common knowledge? What? where is it fairly common knowledge that you can't laminate your birth certificate? Most people never even see their birth certificate, so how would /anything/ related to it be 'common knowledge'? Really, the nerve of some people. FYL OP, FYL. I do want to know why you were going to laminate it though, why not just leave it in the safe deposit box forever and ever? It's not like showing it off in your living room makes any sense. People already know who you are, and don't need to be reminded.

Not-so-genuisman: it IS common knowledge, the nerve of *you* assuming that if you don't know, it can't possibly be true. OP: You're an idiot..It isn't Staples' job to tell you when you're ******* up.

@13 The reason laminating voids a birth certificate is because when the government sends it to you they stamp it with a seal that leaves a raised impression (normally an image of the state or province seal) in the paper to authenticate it. If you laminate over that people can't feel that raised seal so they don't know if it's real.

i have an ontario birth certificate from 1987. on the back it says: lamination or alteration voids this certificate.

It says right on the birth certificate that laminating it voids it.

19, Ah okay, that makes sense, but what about other documents? I was told that if I laminated my driving permit (before I got my license, obviously) it would be voided. There wasn't a stamp or anything on it, it was like ordinary paper, but with a dotted line going through the middle of it (tempting! I always have an urge to tear things apart along dotted lines!)

It is also because many important legal documents are printed on special papers that would not be detectable if the document is laminated. I think of it kind of like money, it isn't printed on regular paper, so it is possible to feel bills and tell if they are fake...if a bill was laminated would you automatically assume it was real? No because you wouldn't be able to take all the usual routes of detecting a fake.

Acctually it won't come laminated. I ordered a new one and because it's illeagal to laminate them it did not come laminated. Not trying to be rude just trying to inform.

Oh we'll never know about that.. perhaps she's one of those 'FML' people who's name shall always continuously be forgotten..

Make sure to read everything on the certificate before you do something like that. YDI.

So do I. YDI.

Win.

@64 If they had said anything, that would effectively lose them a sale. Something they're NOT supposed to do.

It is easier to hide an alteration on a document if you laminate it. Sometimes you can scratch off changes or tilt the document to the light to see changes to an original document. Also, some documents have watermarks or other raised type that can be authenticated by touch. Certain papers can be differentiated by the grain, texture, or weight alone. Lamination stifles these types of forgery detection. So it IS important not to laminate your special documents. That said, they should have told the OP up front that lamination was a bad idea; and, offered to sell her a protective sleeve for her birth certificate instead.

That person was being sarcastic. There was a question mark.

It probably wasn't laminated originally. Your parents probably had it laminated. You just don't remember because you were a baby and you didn't know what was going on.

Omg you were born 80 years before Jesus? They had birth certificates back then, and lamination, Did you ever meet Jesus? What was he like?

My original birth certificate (1977 from B.C) *was* laminated, but I lost my wallet when I was 15 or 16, and the new ones are paper and come with a little plastic slipcover. They are annoying as **** and too large to fit in most wallet card slots. That being said, they say RIGHT ON THEM that laminating voids them, so sorry OP, YDI.

mine from 1995 in Richmond BC came laminated then they called. my mom to come get the ones with the plastic slips :/