(1) If you were born in California:

I was born in California. How do I get an authorized copy of my birth certificate?

You must go through one of two sources to get your California birth certificate: (1) the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), or (2) the County Recorder’s Office of the county where you were born. Generally, it is easier to go through the County Recorder’s Office, but there are pros and cons to each. See the chart on PG. 33 to learn details about the pros and cons.

THIS CHART EXPLAINS THE PROS & CONS OF REQUESTING YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH (CDPH) VS. THE COUNTY RECORDER’S OFFICE.

WHERE TO GET YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE:CDPH or County Recorder’s Office?

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH (CDPH)

COUNTY RECORDER’S OFFICE

TIME: Takes longer to process (4-6 weeks).

TIME: Takes less time to process (same day, in person).

REQUEST METHOD: Must be done by mail.

REQUEST METHOD: May be done by mail OR in person.

FEE: Standard fee (currently $25, but subject to change).

FEE: Fees vary by county. It may be more or less than what the CDPH charges.

STATEWIDE REACH:

CDPH is a good option if you don’t know what county you were born in. It covers all counties in California, and the CDPH can help you locate your birth county.

COUNTY REACH ONLY:

The County Recorder’s Officer can issue birth certificates only for births within that county, not statewide. So it’s good if you know exactly which county you were born in.

APPLICATION FORMS: Accepts standard state form only (see the next question which explains how to get a copy)

APPLICATION FORMS: Accepts state and county forms (see the question on PG. 34 which explains how to get a copy)

California Department of Public Health (CDPH):

I want to get my birth certificate from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). What is the process?

The CDPH only accepts requests by mail. The process is as follows:

Obtain and fill out an “Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record” (Form VS 111).

You can request this form by mail from the CDPH by writing to: California Department of Public Health, Vital Records — MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410.

This form is also available to download from the CDPH website at: http://www.cdph.ca.gov.[23] A sample application is provided in Appendix A, PG. 78, but check the website for the most up-to-date form. To fill out the form, you will generally need to know your birth name, your birth date, the city where you were born, and your parents’ names, including your mother’s maiden name. If you do not know all of this information, fill in as much as you can.

Sign your application & get your Sworn Statement notarized.

The Sworn Statement is on page 3 of the application form (Form VS 111), and is required to verify the information on your application.[24] By signing the Sworn Statement, you are declaring “under penalty of perjury” that you are entitled by law to receive an authorized copy of the birth certificate.

You must then get the statement notarized. See the box on PG. 32 for an explanation of how to get a document notarized.

Prepare the fee payment.

This must be a check or money order made payable to “CDPH Vital Records.”[25] Do not send cash. At the time of writing this manual, the CDPH fee is $25, but it could change. The current fee amount will be on the CDPH application form.

Mail your request.

Your final packet should include: (1) your application form, including the notarized Sworn Statement, and (2) your fee payment (check or money order).[26] At the time of writing this Guide, application packets should be mailed to: California Department of Public Health, Vital Records — MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410.

County Recorder’s Office:

  1. 23

    The direct online link to the application Form VS 111 is http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/forms/CtrldForms/VS111.pdf

  2. 24

    Sworn Statement, Cal. Dep’t of Public Health, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Pages/SwornStatement.aspx.

  3. 25

    Fees, Cal. Dep’t of Public Health, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Pages/Fees.aspx.

  4. 26

    Fees, Cal. Dep’t of Public Health, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Pages/Fees.aspx.

I was born in California and know my county of birth. How do I get my birth certificate directly from the county I was born in?

If you know what county you were born in, we recommend going directly through your County Recorder’s Office. Because the CDPH handles requests for the entire state, it often takes longer than if you go directly to the County Recorder’s Office, where it will be a much faster process (sometimes even the same day).[27] The County Recorder’s Office is also more convenient because you can make your request in person as well as by mail.

  1. 27

    Obtaining Certified Copies of Birth & Death Records, Cal. Dep’t of Public Health, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Pages/CertifiedCopiesofBirthDeathRecords.aspx.

How do I locate the county recorder’s office?

Whether you plan to make your request in person or by mail, you first need to locate the Recorder’s Office in the county in which you were born. The CDPH provides a statewide directory of County Recorder’s Offices (addresses, phone numbers, and websites). To get the address and phone number for the County Recorder’s Office, call CDPH Customer Service at 1-916-445-2684 or visit the website at: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/ and search for “birth certificates.”[28] You can also use Directory Assistance to locate the address by dialing 4-1-1 from any phone, but this service charges a fee (as much as $1.99 per 4-1-1 call).[29]

  1. 28

    As of last revision, the direct link to the CDPH listing of county recorder’s offices is http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/Pages/CountyRecorderOffice.aspx.

  2. 29

    See Verizon Wireless, http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/faqs/FeaturesandOptionalServices/faq_411_connect.html; AT&T, http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=53418&cv=820#fbid=dwcrbDNNoOg.

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).