California’s Voluntary Declaration of Parentage, Form CS 909, lets two parents establish a legal parent-child relationship without going to court. To complete and file it, you get an official triplicate copy from a hospital or an authorized government office, fill it out in blue or black ink with both parents’ and the child’s information, have each signature witnessed, and mail the original white copy to the Parentage Opportunity Program in Rancho Cordova. Once filed, it carries the same legal weight as a court judgment of parentage.1California Courts. Voluntary Declaration of Parentage
Who Should Sign the CS 909
The form is designed for unmarried parents who want to establish legal parentage at or after the child’s birth, and for same-sex couples who conceived through assisted reproduction and intend to be the child’s legal parents.2California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code – Establishment of Parentage by Voluntary Declaration If you are married and your spouse gave birth, California already presumes parentage by operation of law, and the CS 909 is unnecessary.
Signing is not casual paperwork. By signing, the parent who is not the birth parent waives the right to genetic testing and to a court hearing on parentage. That waiver becomes permanent once the rescission window closes, so both parents should be sure before they sign.
Where to Get the Official Form
You need an official triplicate copy of the CS 909. Photocopies are not accepted.3OC Health Care Agency. Acknowledgement of Paternity/Parentage It’s free from any of these sources:
- Hospitals and birthing centers, which offer it during birth registration.
- Local child support agencies in every California county.
- The county registrar of births.
- The Family Law Facilitator at your local superior court.
- Local welfare offices, if you’re applying for or receiving CalWORKs or Medi-Cal.1California Courts. Voluntary Declaration of Parentage
You can also request one from the Parentage Opportunity Program (POP) by phone at (866) 249-0773 or by email at askpop@dcss.ca.gov.3OC Health Care Agency. Acknowledgement of Paternity/Parentage A sample is posted on the DCSS Parentage site for reference, but you cannot file the sample; the triplicate original is what gets submitted.4California Department of Child Support Services. Forms
How to Fill Out Form CS 909
The form gathers identifying information about the child and both parents. Under California Family Code Section 7574, it must include each parent’s name and signature, the child’s name and date of birth, and a signed acknowledgment from each parent.5Justia Law. California Code Family Code 7570-7577 – Establishment of Paternity by Voluntary Declaration The CS 909 itself asks for a bit more:
- The child’s full name, date of birth, sex, hospital name, city, county, and state of birth.
- Each parent’s full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number.
- The name, signature, and title of the person who witnesses each parent’s signature.
A few practical points save trouble later. Social Security numbers are requested, but not strictly required; if you don’t have one, check the box that reads “I certify I do not have a Social Security number.”6California Department of Child Support Services. Declaration of Paternity Form Use only blue or black ink. Other colors and pencil don’t scan and will be rejected.7Santa Clara County Social Services Agency. Paternity Opportunity Program Verify every name spelling and every date before signing. Once the form is filed with the state, changes can’t be made to it.
Signing and Witnessing Requirements
Both parents must sign, and both signatures must be witnessed. Without proper witnessing, the form isn’t valid.8Nevada County. Voluntary Declaration of Parentage (VDOP) Instructions and Application Form Who can witness depends on where you sign.
At the hospital, staff members are authorized witnesses during birth registration. This is the simplest path, because the form, witnessing, and filing paperwork all happen in one place. At a government office, staff at a local child support agency, county registrar of births, Family Law Facilitator, or welfare office can witness at no cost.1California Courts. Voluntary Declaration of Parentage Anywhere else, a notary public can witness the signatures. California caps notary fees at $15 per signature, so both parents together would be up to $30.9California Secretary of State. 2026 California Notary Public Handbook
Both parents don’t have to sign at the same time or place. One parent can sign at the hospital when the baby is born and the other can sign later somewhere else. What matters is that each signature is individually witnessed at the moment it’s made.
Filing the Completed Form
A signed and witnessed form isn’t legally effective until it’s filed. Mail the original white copy of the CS 909 to:10Parentage Opportunity Program. Contact Us
Parentage Opportunity Program
P.O. Box 419070
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9070
If you signed at the hospital, the hospital typically mails the form to POP for you as part of birth registration. If you signed anywhere else, mailing it is your responsibility. Send it certified or by a service with delivery confirmation so you have proof it arrived. The declaration is not legally effective until POP receives and files it.1California Courts. Voluntary Declaration of Parentage
What Happens After You File
POP takes an average of 14 to 21 business days to process a completed declaration after it arrives.11Parentage Opportunity Program. Frequently Asked Questions Staff check that every field is complete, both signatures are properly witnessed, and the information is legible. If something is missing or unclear, expect the agency to contact you and the timeline to stretch.
When processing finishes, POP mails a certified copy of the filed declaration to both parents at the addresses on the form. Keep it somewhere safe. It functions identically to a court order establishing parentage and you’ll need it for custody proceedings, child support matters, benefit applications, and updating the birth certificate.1California Courts. Voluntary Declaration of Parentage
The Birth Certificate Isn’t Updated Automatically
Filing the CS 909 does not, by itself, add the second parent to the birth certificate. That is a separate request submitted to the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records division, using Form VS 22 (Amendment of Parentage) along with a photocopy of the filed declaration.12Parentage Opportunity Program. Amending a Birth Certificate Amendments filed within one year of birth have no amendment fee, and there is a fee for certified copies of the amended record.13California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees Questions go to CDPH Vital Records at (916) 445-2684 or AMENDVR@cdph.ca.gov.
If You Change Your Mind: Rescission and Later Challenges
Either parent can rescind the declaration within 60 days of the last signature by filing a rescission form with the Department of Child Support Services. The form is available at local child support offices and county registrar offices. You must send a copy of the completed rescission to the other parent by a form of mail that generates a return receipt, and attach that return receipt when you file the rescission with DCSS. You cannot rescind if a court has already entered an order for custody, visitation, or child support in a case where you were a party.14California Legislative Information. California Family Code 7575
Once the 60 days pass, the declaration becomes a binding judgment. After that, the only way to undo it is a court challenge under California Family Code Section 7576 on the narrow grounds of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact, filed no later than two years after the declaration’s effective date.15California Legislative Information. California Code Family Code – FAM 7576 After two years, the declaration is essentially permanent even if genetic testing later excludes the declared parent.
What the Filed Declaration Establishes
A filed CS 909 creates a legal parent-child relationship with the same force as a court judgment. The declared parent gets the rights and the obligations of legal parentage, including the duty to support the child. It does not, on its own, create a custody or visitation order; the birth parent keeps sole custody unless and until a court says otherwise. What the declaration gives the second parent is legal standing to go to court and ask for custody or parenting time.
The same is true for child support. The declaration establishes the obligation to support the child, but does not set a dollar amount. Either parent can open a case through the local child support agency or family court to get a formal support order.