The main California Department of Public Health phone number is (916) 558-1784, which reaches the department’s Sacramento headquarters during standard business hours, Monday through Friday, Pacific Time. Use it for general questions, website help, or figuring out which division handles your issue. For anything more specific, though, one of the program lines below will get you an answer faster.1California Department of Public Health. Contact Us
Vital Records: Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates
Call (916) 445-2684 for certified copies of birth, death, or marriage records. Customer service runs Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time, which is slightly shorter than the general line.2California Department of Public Health. Contact CDPH Vital Records
Have the full legal name on the record, the date of the event, and the county where it occurred before you dial. Call volume on this line is consistently high, so early mornings early in the week tend to move fastest.
Healthcare Facility Complaints
To file a complaint about a hospital, nursing home, or other licensed healthcare facility, call (916) 440-7360. Anyone can file, whether you’re the patient, a family member, or a member of the public. Faxed complaints go to (916) 324-4820.1California Department of Public Health. Contact Us
This is a separate line from general licensing questions. Be specific about the reason for your call when the automated system picks up, and if you can, write down the facility name and address, the date of the incident, and what happened before you dial.
Licensing and Certification
CDPH runs two overlapping licensing lines:
- General Licensing and Certification: (916) 552-8700 or toll-free (800) 236-9747
- Certified Nurse Assistant, Home Health Aide, and Hemodialysis Technician certification: (916) 327-2445, or email cna@cdph.ca.gov
The direct (916) 327-2445 line connects to the Healthcare Workforce Branch and is the fastest route for renewals, lost certificates, and credential verification. Have your certificate or license number in front of you.3California Department of Public Health. Contact Us – Licensing and Certification Program
Immunization Records
For records in the California Immunization Registry, call 1-800-578-7889 and press 7, or email CAIRHelpdesk@cdph.ca.gov. This line handles record lookups for school, employment, or personal verification. It does not give medical advice about which vaccines to get.1California Department of Public Health. Contact Us
Food Safety and Food Licensing
Report food safety concerns or ask about food-related licensing at 1-800-495-3232 or (916) 650-6500. The Food and Drug Branch covers manufacturer licensing through foodborne illness reports. Retail food questions (restaurants, grocery stores) go to FDBRetail@cdph.ca.gov; general food licensing questions go to FDBFood@cdph.ca.gov.1California Department of Public Health. Contact Us
WIC Program
The Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program answers at 1-800-852-5770. That toll-free number connects to family services and the CDPH WIC Division state headquarters, and it can help you find a local WIC office.4California WIC. Contact Us
Other Program Lines
- Laboratory personnel licensing (phlebotomists, clinical laboratory scientists): (510) 620-3800
- Radiologic technologist and X-ray technician licensing: (916) 327-5106
- Registered Environmental Health Specialist licensing: (916) 449-5662
- Medical waste and generator waste certification: (916) 449-5671
Each of these programs also accepts email; the addresses are on the CDPH main contact page.1California Department of Public Health. Contact Us
Relay Services for Hearing or Speech Impairments
CDPH does not publish a single TTY number. It lists four relay options:
- MCI from TDD: 1-800-735-2929
- MCI from voice phone: 1-800-735-2922
- Sprint from TDD: 1-888-877-5378
- Sprint from voice phone: 1-888-877-5379
Any of these will connect you to the department’s regular numbers through a relay operator.1California Department of Public Health. Contact Us
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Reference numbers are the single biggest time-saver. If you’ve submitted an application or received CDPH correspondence, look for a receipt number, application ID, or case reference code on the paperwork. Staff can pull your file in seconds with that number; without it, you’re looking at a manual search that often ends in a callback.
Match the details you bring to the type of call. Vital records: full legal name on the record, date of the event, county where it occurred. Licensing: your certificate or license number. Facility complaints: facility name and address, incident date, and a walk-through of what happened in order.
Most CDPH lines see high call volumes, and vital records and licensing are the busiest. Calling early in the week and early in the morning produces the shortest waits. Some lines offer a callback option so you don’t have to hold, but not all of them do; plan for a wait if you’re calling a smaller program office.