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. ↑