When you are attempting to establish paternity of a child it is common to do so via the completion of an Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP). This form informs the State of Texas that you and the child’s mother are confirming that you are the child in questions’ biological father. Typically the AOP is signed shortly after, or sometimes even before, the birth of the child. The AOP will need to be sent to the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Austin, TX for processing and filing.
To ensure the validity of the Acknowledgment of Paternity, you will be required to fill out a second form known as a Parent Survey on the Acknowledgment of Paternity. This survey should only be completed once the AOP has already been signed. Essentially, this survey seeks to confirm that you understood what the AOP is and was not forced into signing it. Within the survey you will state that you were given the opportunity to either sign or not sign the AOP.
Confirmation that DNA testing was made available to you prior to signing the AOP is one of the first questions that you will be asked on this form. Additionally, you will be told that as the biological father who signed an AOP you will have all the legal rights and duties of a parent. Finally, you will be provided with notice of the ability to rescind the AOP within 60 days of having filled out the document. Whether you signed the AOP or signed a Denial of Paternity, you will be asked to print, sign and provide the date on the Parent Survey on the Acknowledgment of Paternity.
