The California VS 44 form, formally the Court Report of Adoption, is what triggers a new birth certificate after a California adoption is finalized. You file a blank copy with your adoption petition, complete the sections covering the child and the adoptive parents, and the court clerk certifies the remainder and forwards it to the State Registrar once the judge grants the adoption. The State Registrar then issues an amended birth certificate listing the adoptive parents as the child’s legal parents.1California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 102635
Where To Get the Form
The California Department of Public Health–Vital Records directs users to its Electronic Birth Registration–Amendment Request Portal (EBRS-ARP) at ebrs-amend.calivrs.org to generate the VS 44.2California Department of Public Health. Adoption Process Some county courts also post blank copies. The Orange County Superior Court, for example, links to a downloadable PDF in its adoption resources.3Superior Court of California, County of Orange. Adoptions
If the child was born outside the United States or Canada, the same form is used for a different purpose: creating a court-ordered delayed birth certificate rather than amending an existing California record.2California Department of Public Health. Adoption Process Supporting documents differ in that situation, so ask your adoption attorney or the court clerk what to attach.
What To Have in Front of You Before You Start
The form pulls from three sources, and getting the data right the first time prevents the State Registrar from kicking the paperwork back.
- The child’s current birth record: full legal name as it appears there, date of birth, and the county or city of birth. These must match exactly so the Registrar can locate the original file. If you don’t have a copy of the current certificate, order one before you start.
- Each adoptive parent’s information: full legal name, any former names including maiden names, places of birth, and identifying details. What you enter here is what prints on the new birth certificate, so spelling matters.
- The adoption order details: case number, issuing court, and the child’s new legal name exactly as stated in the decree.
Filling Out the Form
The VS 44 has three parts. You or your attorney complete Parts I and II. The court clerk completes Part III after the judge grants the adoption.4California Department of Public Health. The Adoption Process Pamphlet
Part I: Child’s Birth Information
Transcribe the child’s full legal name, date of birth, and place of birth directly from the current birth certificate. A middle name spelled differently or the wrong county of birth is enough to prevent the Registrar from matching the form to the original record.
Part II: Adoptive Parent Information
Enter each adoptive parent’s full name, place of birth, and former names as they should appear on the new birth certificate. Fields 14 and 15 each take a single checkmark. Fields 16 through 19B hold the remaining parent details.4California Department of Public Health. The Adoption Process Pamphlet A block at the bottom of Part II lets the agency, department, or attorney assisting with the adoption record their contact information.
Part III: Court Clerk Certification
Items 20 through 25 are filled in and certified by the court clerk. The clerk enters the adoption order case details and verifies that the child’s new name in Fields 21A through 21C matches the decree. Part III also includes a block for the birth record recipient’s name, mailing address, email, and phone number. That’s where the State Registrar will send the amended certificate, so make sure your contact details are complete and accurate.4California Department of Public Health. The Adoption Process Pamphlet
Filing and the $20 Fee
You file the blank VS 44 with the court when you submit your adoption petition. You do not mail anything to Sacramento yourself. Once the judge grants the adoption, the clerk certifies Part III and forwards the completed form to the State Registrar within five days of the decree becoming final.5California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 102625
A $20 fee per person being adopted is paid to the clerk when you file the petition, under Health and Safety Code Section 103730.6California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103730 The $20 is waived for agency adoptions when the agency files a statement confirming the adoption fee has been waived. This fee covers the vital records processing only. The court may charge a separate filing fee for the adoption petition itself.
How Long Processing Takes
CDPH-VR puts the average processing time at nine to eleven weeks when the submission is complete. If anything is missing, expect roughly 12 to 14 weeks before CDPH sends a letter requesting the outstanding documents, and another 8 to 10 weeks after those documents come back in.7California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Processing Times Some county courts set expectations wider still. Orange County’s adoption page tells families it may take up to a year.3Superior Court of California, County of Orange. Adoptions Plan for several months.
Adult Adoptions
The VS 44 is required for all California adoptions, adult adoptions included. The court completes and forwards the form the same way it does for a child’s adoption, and the same $20 per-person fee applies at filing.8SacLaw Library. Adult Adoption One practical difference: issuing an amended birth certificate after an adult adoption is optional. Some adoptees want the new certificate; others prefer to leave their original documentation alone. If you want it, make sure the recipient address in Part III is filled in.
If There’s a Mistake on the Amended Certificate
Review the amended birth certificate against the adoption decree and your VS 44 entries as soon as it arrives. If a name is misspelled, a date is wrong, or a field needs correction, you do not refile the VS 44. You submit Form VS 24B, the Application to Amend a Birth Record, through CDPH. The VS 24B handles spelling corrections, filling blank fields, correcting the sex field, and updating parent information.9California Department of Public Health. Application to Amend a Birth Record Catching errors early matters, because downstream records like passports, Social Security cards, and school enrollment all depend on the birth certificate being right.