A California birth certificate is issued by the California Department of Public Health Vital Records office (CDPH-VR) or by the county recorder in the county where the birth occurred, and as of January 1, 2026, a certified copy costs $31 and most amendments cost $26.1CDPH. Vital Records Fees What you need to do depends on your goal: ordering a copy, correcting an error, changing a name, updating parental information, changing a gender marker, or registering a birth that was never recorded. Each path uses a different form, a different kind of evidence, and in some cases a court order.
Who Can Order a Copy
California splits copies into two tiers. An authorized copy is the one you can use to apply for a passport, driver’s license, or other government ID. An informational copy carries a printed legend across its face stating it is not valid for identity, and some details may be redacted.2CDPH. Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy
Under Health and Safety Code Section 103526, only certain people can get an authorized copy:3California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103526
- The person named on the certificate
- A parent or legal guardian of that person
- A spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild, grandparent, or sibling
- An attorney for the registrant or their estate
- Someone with a court order, or appointed by a court to act on the registrant’s behalf
- Law enforcement or government agencies on official business
Anyone outside that list can still get an informational copy, but it will not work for ID purposes. To receive an authorized copy, you must submit a notarized sworn statement confirming your eligibility. A California notary can charge up to $15 per signature for this service.
Fees and Processing Times
The fees below apply to requests sent directly to CDPH-VR. County offices sometimes charge slightly different amounts, so check with the local recorder if you plan to order there.1CDPH. Vital Records Fees
- Certified copy of a birth record: $31 per copy
- Amendment submitted more than one year after birth: $26, which includes one certified copy of the amended record
- Amendment submitted within one year of birth: no amendment fee, but copies still cost $31 each
- Gender or parent designation change: $26 regardless of timing, including one certified copy
- Additional copies of any amended record: $31 each
Processing times run long. Standard certified copy requests average five to seven weeks at CDPH-VR. Amendments average nine to eleven weeks when the paperwork is complete.4CDPH. Vital Records Processing Times If something is missing, CDPH-VR takes roughly 12 to 14 weeks just to send a letter asking for it, then another 8 to 10 weeks after you reply. Getting the paperwork right the first time saves months.
Correcting Errors
How you fix an error depends on how significant it is.
Minor Corrections
Spelling errors, incorrect dates or times of birth, and wrong birthplace entries can be corrected by filing an Affidavit to Amend a Birth Record (VS 24) with CDPH-VR. Health and Safety Code Section 103225 allows corrections through a sworn affidavit supported by one other person with knowledge of the correct facts.5California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code Division 102, Part 1, Chapter 11, Article 1 You will also need supporting documents such as hospital records, a passport, or a Social Security card showing the correct information.6CDPH. Amending a California Birth Record
The amendment fee is $26 if submitted more than a year after birth, and that includes one new certified copy. Corrections filed within the first year carry no amendment fee, though copies still cost $31 each.
Major Corrections
Errors that significantly change identifying information, such as incorrect parental details, generally require a court order. File a petition with the superior court in your county, then submit the certified court order to CDPH-VR with the $26 amendment fee. The court process adds weeks or months before CDPH-VR even begins its own nine-to-eleven-week processing clock.
Most amendments result in a marginal notation on the original certificate rather than a brand-new document. The notation reflects the corrected information while preserving the original record. Gender marker changes are the main exception, where a completely new certificate is issued.
Changing a Name
A name change on a California birth certificate almost always requires a court order. The process is governed by the Code of Civil Procedure, starting at Section 1276.7Justia Law. California Code of Civil Procedure 1275-1279.6
File a petition with the superior court in the county where you live, stating your current name, proposed new name, birthplace, and the reason for the change. For minors, a parent or guardian files. If only one parent signs, the petition must include the other parent’s address so they can be notified.
California law requires that a copy of the court’s order to show cause be published in a local newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks. The court can waive publication in cases involving safety concerns, domestic violence, or witness protection. If no one files a legal objection, the judge grants the name change without a hearing.
Once you have a certified copy of the court order, submit it to CDPH-VR with the Application to Amend a Birth Certificate After a Court Order Name Change (VS 23) and the $26 fee. A new birth certificate alone does not automatically update your other records; the Social Security Administration, DMV, passport agency, and your bank each have their own update process.8Social Security Administration. Evidence of a Name Change Based on a U.S. Issued Amended or Corrected Birth Certificate
Adding or Changing Parental Information
Voluntary Declaration of Parentage
When unmarried parents have a child and the second parent’s name was left off the birth certificate, both parents can sign a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage (VDOP) to add that parent to the record. The form is offered at the hospital at birth and is also available at county recorder offices, child support agency offices, and courts. Signing is free and does not require going to court.9Judicial Branch of California. Voluntary Declaration of Parentage
Family Code Section 7571 requires hospital staff to offer the VDOP to unmarried parents before the mother leaves the hospital. If parents sign at that point, the second parent’s name goes directly on the original birth certificate. If they sign later, a new birth certificate can be issued with the added parent’s name. Once filed with the Department of Child Support Services, the VDOP carries the same legal weight as a court judgment establishing parentage.
Court-Ordered Changes
When parentage is disputed, or a presumed parent wants to be removed from the record, a court proceeding is required. Family Code Sections 7630 through 7644 govern petitions to establish or challenge parentage, and the court may order genetic testing.10Justia Law. California Family Code 7630-7644 Submit the certified court order to CDPH-VR with the $26 amendment fee. The revised certificate will either remove the previous parent’s name or replace it with the legally recognized parent.
Updating a Gender Marker
Senate Bill 179, the Gender Recognition Act, took full effect on January 1, 2019, and added Health and Safety Code Section 103426. Any person born in California can get a new birth certificate reflecting their gender identity without a court order and without any medical documentation.11California Legislative Information. SB 179 Gender Recognition Act
Submit an application and an affidavit to CDPH-VR stating under penalty of perjury that the change is to conform your legal gender to your gender identity and is not for any fraudulent purpose. The available options are female, male, or nonbinary (designated as “X”). The fee is $26, which includes one certified copy of the new certificate.
For minors, a parent or legal guardian files the request. If a minor’s guardians disagree, a court order may be needed to resolve the dispute. Unlike most other amendments, a gender marker change produces a completely new birth certificate rather than a marginal note. The previous version does not show through on the new document.
Registering a Birth That Was Never Recorded
If a California birth was never officially recorded, which happens with some home births or in cases where hospital records were lost, the state allows a delayed registration using the VS 85 form. You need documentary evidence of when and where the birth took place.12CDPH. Delayed Registration of Birth
How much evidence you need depends on who signs the affidavit section of the form:
- Two people with knowledge of the birth sign: one piece of documentary evidence
- The attending physician or birth attendant signs: one piece of documentary evidence
- No one signs the affidavit section: two pieces of documentary evidence, at least one of which must support parentage
Acceptable evidence includes hospital records, school records, census records, military service records, baptismal certificates, and Social Security records. Each piece must be an original or certified copy, and it must have been created at least five years before the application. For children under 12, the evidence must have been created at least two years before the application. The fee is $26 and includes one certified copy of the newly registered certificate.
Adoption and Sealed Original Records
When an adoption is finalized in California, the original birth certificate is sealed and a new one is issued listing the adoptive parents. Adoption court records are also sealed. Family Code Section 9200 allows inspection only in “exceptional circumstances and for good cause approaching the necessitous.”13California Legislative Information. California Family Code 9200
Assembly Bill 1302 changed this on January 1, 2025. Adopted adults aged 18 and older can now petition the superior court for access to their original, unredacted birth certificate. For adoptions that occurred before January 1, 2025, the state registrar must first attempt to notify birth parents and obtain their consent; if a birth parent does not respond or cannot be reached, their identifying information may be redacted. For adoptions on or after January 1, 2025, a similar notification process applies, with a clearer path to obtaining the record.14California Legislative Information. AB 1302 Vital Records – Adopted Persons and Original Birth Certificates
Using the Certificate for Passports and Travel
A California birth certificate is primary evidence of U.S. citizenship for a passport. Federal regulations require the certificate to show your full name, place and date of birth, the full name of at least one parent, the signature of the official custodian of birth records, and the seal of the issuing office. It must also show a filing date within one year of birth.15eCFR. Title 22, Part 51, Subpart C – Evidence of U.S. Citizenship or Nationality If your birth was registered more than a year after it happened, you may need additional supporting evidence. Informational copies are not valid for passport applications or REAL ID enrollment; you need an authorized copy.
If you need to use your California birth certificate in another country that is a member of the 1961 Hague Convention, you will need an apostille from the California Secretary of State. The fee is $20 per apostille for mail requests, with a $6 special handling fee for in-person requests.16California Secretary of State. Apostille Frequently Asked Questions The Secretary of State can only authenticate certificates signed by a county clerk, county recorder, or the State Registrar. If yours was signed by a local health officer or local registrar, order a new certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH before requesting the apostille. For countries that are not Hague members, a separate authentication certificate is required, involving state-level authentication followed by federal authentication from the U.S. Department of State.17U.S. Department of State. Preparing a Document for an Authentication Certificate