Is the mother of the child also required to sign the acknowledgement or is it only the father who signs the acknowledgment

Full question:

My boyfriend wants to sign the acknowledgment of paternity of our daughter. I want to know if the mother of the child is also required to sign the acknowledgement or is it only the father who signs the acknowledgment. We are residing in the state of Alabama.

• Category: Paternity
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: Alabama

Answer:

The mother of the child as well as the man claiming to be the genetic father of the child may sign an acknowledgment of paternity in order to establish the man's paternity. The acknowledgment of paternity may be signed and filed either at the birth of the child or any time before the child's nineteenth birthday.The acknowledgment of paternity comes into effect when both the mother and the father of the child sign it.
Code of Ala. § 26-17-301 reads:
“The mother of a child and a man claiming to be the genetic father of the child may sign an acknowledgment of paternity with intent to establish the man's paternity.”
Code of Ala. § 26-17-304 reads:
“(a) An acknowledgment of paternity may be signed at the birth of the child or any time prior to the child's nineteenth birthday. Before a mother and a putative father sign an acknowledgment of paternity, the mother and putative father shall be given notice, orally or through the use of video or audio equipment and in writing, of the alternatives to, the legal consequences of, and, if one parent is a minor, any rights afforded due to minority status, and the responsibilities that arise from signing of the acknowledgment.
(b) An acknowledgment of paternity takes effect upon the signature of both the mother and putative father and the filing of the document with the Alabama Office of Vital Statistics.”

The mother of the child is also required to sign the acknowledgment of paternity. The acknowledgment of paternity comes into effect when both the mother and the father of the child sign it.