To get a California birth certificate, submit application Form VS 111 to the California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR), to a county recorder’s office, or through an authorized online vendor, along with a notarized sworn statement if you want an authorized copy and a $31 fee for each certified copy.1California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees The birth must have taken place in California. Expect several weeks for a mail request; a county office is usually faster.
Authorized Copy or Informational Copy
California issues two versions of the same record.2California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103526 An authorized certified copy is the one that works for a driver’s license, a passport, government benefits, or school enrollment. An informational certified copy carries the same birth data but is stamped “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY,” which means no agency will accept it as proof of identity.3California Department of Public Health. Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy Informational copies are useful for genealogy or personal records.
Both cost $31 per copy. The difference is who’s allowed to receive the authorized version.
Who Can Get an Authorized Copy
Health and Safety Code Section 103526 limits authorized copies to a defined list:
- The person named on the certificate (the registrant)
- A parent or legal guardian of the registrant
- A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant
- An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant’s estate
- A person or agency appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant
- A law enforcement officer or government representative on official business
- Anyone with a court order entitling them to the record
If you aren’t on the list, the state will issue you an informational copy by default. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends don’t qualify without a court order, and there’s no appeal — the categories are set by statute.
What the Application Asks For
CDPH Form VS 111 is a free download from the CDPH website.4California Department of Public Health. How to Obtain a Certified Copy of a Birth Record You’ll need:
- The registrant’s full name as it appears on the original record
- Date of birth (or an approximate date)
- City and county of birth
- Both parents’ names, including each parent’s last name at birth
Fill it out carefully. A misspelled name or wrong county can delay your request or produce a “certificate of no public record,” meaning CDPH-VR couldn’t find a match. If a detail is uncertain, especially a parent’s birth surname, get as close as you can and note that it’s approximate.
The Sworn Statement
If you want an authorized copy, you also have to complete a sworn statement, Form VS 20, declaring under penalty of perjury that you’re legally eligible to receive the record.5California Department of Public Health. Sworn Statement for Certified Copy of Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificate An informational copy doesn’t need one.
For a mail-in request, the sworn statement must be notarized by a California notary public. Banks, shipping stores, real estate offices, and dedicated notary businesses all have notaries. The notary verifies your identity, witnesses your signature, and attaches a certificate of acknowledgment.
If you file in person at a county vital records office, a staff member can witness your sworn statement in place of a notary.6San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record Law enforcement and government agencies don’t need notarization at all, but still complete the sworn statement.
One trap worth knowing: California does not recognize remote online notarization. The Secretary of State has said webcam notarizations are invalid for California notaries.7California Secretary of State. Customer Alerts Your sworn statement has to be notarized in person with a physical seal.
Three Ways to Submit Your Request
By Mail to CDPH
Send the completed VS 111, your notarized sworn statement (if requesting an authorized copy), and payment to:
California Department of Public Health – Vital Records, MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
Pay by check or money order made out to CDPH. CDPH-VR has no walk-in counter in Sacramento, so mail is the only direct route to the state office.8California Department of Public Health. Contact CDPH Vital Records
In Person at a County Office
A county recorder or registrar can process a request for a birth that happened in their county.9California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Obtaining Certified Copies of Birth Records This is the fastest option in most cases and saves a separate notary trip, since county staff can witness the sworn statement. The $31 state fee still applies, and some counties add a small administrative surcharge. Check office hours and payment methods on the county’s site before you go.
Online Through a Third-Party Vendor
CDPH-VR doesn’t run its own ordering portal. Independent vendors such as VitalChek transmit applications electronically to CDPH-VR or to a county office.10California Department of Public Health. Obtaining Certified Copies Online Each vendor charges its own processing fee on top of the $31 state fee, typically $10 to $15. The order still enters the same state processing queue, so paying extra doesn’t move you forward on the state’s side.
Fees and How Long It Takes
Each certified copy, authorized or informational, costs $31 as of January 1, 2026, up from $29.1California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees Additional copies are $31 each. People often order two or three at once when they’re applying for a passport and a driver’s license around the same time.
CDPH-VR’s processing time shifts with volume, and mail requests commonly take several weeks to a few months. Current estimates are posted on the CDPH website. County offices often turn requests around much faster, sometimes the same visit or within a few business days. For urgent needs like upcoming travel, a county office is almost always the better route.
Certificates ship by standard USPS mail. CDPH-VR itself offers no expedited processing or shipping.10California Department of Public Health. Obtaining Certified Copies Online A third-party vendor may offer overnight delivery for the final mailing leg, but state processing time stays the same.
If the Certificate Needs a Correction
Minor clerical errors — a misspelling, a missing middle name, incorrect parent information — can be fixed through an amendment request filed with CDPH-VR using the agency’s amendment form and supporting documents. No court involvement is needed.11California Department of Public Health. Amending a California Birth Record
Larger changes work differently. Replacing a first name, adding or deleting a name, transposing first and middle names, or translating a name requires a court order first; then you file Form VS 23 with CDPH-VR along with a certified copy of the order.11California Department of Public Health. Amending a California Birth Record Gender marker changes to female, male, or nonbinary do not require a court order; you submit an application and an affidavit to the State Registrar under the Gender Recognition Act (SB 179), and the Registrar issues a new certificate.12California Legislative Information. SB 179 Gender Recognition Act To add a parent who wasn’t on the original record, both parents can sign a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage before a notary or at a government agency, then file it with the California Department of Child Support Services; once processed, a new certificate can be issued.13California Courts. Voluntary Declaration of Parentage Amendments cannot be submitted online.
If the Birth Was Never Registered
Sometimes a California birth was never registered within the first year, often with a home birth. In that case you can’t order a copy — there’s no record yet. You file for a delayed registration using Form VS 85, which requires documentary evidence of the date and place of birth and, for anyone born after January 1, 1995, proof of parentage.14California Department of Public Health. Delayed Registration of Birth The registration fee is $26 and includes one certified copy; additional copies are $31 each. If you can’t meet the evidence requirements, you may need to petition the superior court to establish the birth record judicially.15California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103450