If I use the county recorder’s office, is it best to request my birth certificate by mail or in person?

Once you have located the Recorder’s Office in the county where you were born, you will need to decide if you want to request your birth certificate in person or by mail. In most counties, if you request the document in person at the Recorder’s Office, this is the best option because the clerk can tell you almost immediately whether or not there is a record of your birth on file, and you can ask the clerk questions if there is trouble locating the correct record. Also, you might even be able to get the certified copy that same day. However, this may not be the right option for you if you are unable to travel to your birth county because of parole or other travel restrictions.

REQUESTS TO RECORDER’S OFFICE BY MAIL:

After you have located the Recorder’s Office in the county where you were born, you will need to get a copy of that county’s specific application form. You can request the form by phone or by mail, or you can download it from the County Recorder Office’s website. Once you have the form, the process for requesting your birth certificate by mail is the same as the process for requesting it by mail from the CDPH (see those instructions on PG. 33). Remember to:

    Complete the form to the best of your ability;
    Sign and have your Sworn Statement notarized (notarization explained in the box on PG. 32);
    Prepare the fee payment (varies by county);
    Mail your request packet (including your application form, Sworn Statement, and fee payment) to the County Recorder’s Office.

REQUESTS TO RECORDER’S OFFICE IN PERSON:

If you plan on making your request in person, you can either get an application ahead of time by mail or online, or you can pick one up in person. The process for getting a birth certificate in person is slightly different than by mail. However, the information you will need to show is the same.

Go to the County Recorder’s Office and identify yourself.

The biggest difference between requesting your birth certificate by mail and requesting it in person is that the office may ask you for a photo ID if you make your request in person. Don’t worry if you do not have a valid form of ID—there is usually a way around this! Every office will have different policies and requirements, so make sure you call ahead and ask so that you can be prepared for how they will allow you to identify yourself. Below are some alternatives to presenting a photo ID:

    In some counties, such as Alameda County, you simply have to sign the application under penalty of perjury in front of the clerk-recorder. You do not need to have the form notarized, and you do not need to show a photo ID;[30]
    Show your CDCR prisoner ID card;
    Bring witnesses who have their own valid photo ID and can identify you;
    Bring a notarized declaration of your identity;
    Ask a person with his/her own valid photo ID to get a copy of your birth certificate for you—so long as that person is authorized. This includes your spouse or domestic partner, parents or legal guardians, children, grandparents, grandchildren, or siblings;
    Ask your attorney to request your birth certificate for you;
    Ask your probation/parole officer to provide a certification of your name, age, birth date, address, and parents’ legal names. Present that statement at the County Recorder’s Office and explain your situation.

Fill out and submit the application.

You will need to know your birth name, your birth date, the city you were born in, and your parents’ names, including your mother’s maiden name.

Pay the fee. You can usually pay with cash, credit card, debit card, check, or money order.

  1. 30

    Telephone call with Elsie, clerk-recorder, Alameda County Clerk-Recorder’s Office (July 11, 2014).