How to Get a Certified Copy of a California Birth Certificate

To get a certified copy of a California birth certificate, fill out Form VS 111, pay $31 per copy, and submit the application to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) by mail, to a county recorder or registrar in person, or through an approved online vendor. If you want a copy that works as legal ID, you also need to sign a sworn statement in front of a notary.¹

Authorized Copy or Informational Copy

Before you apply, decide which version you need. California issues two kinds of certified birth certificates, and they contain the same information but are not interchangeable.

An authorized copy is the one that works for a passport, Social Security, a REAL ID, or anything else that asks for proof of identity. An informational copy carries the same biographical details but is stamped across the top with the words “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY.” Government agencies will not accept it as proof of who you are.²

The fee is $31 either way, so there is no reason to settle for an informational copy if you qualify for the authorized version.

Who Can Request an Authorized Copy

Health and Safety Code Section 103526 limits authorized copies to people with a direct connection to the person named on the certificate. You qualify if you are:

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 conducting official business
Someone with a court order entitling them to the record

If you do not fit one of those categories, CDPH will send you an informational copy instead.²

Filling Out Form VS 111

The application is the VS 111, available as a PDF from the CDPH website.³ You will need:

The registrant’s full legal name as it appears on the original record
The registrant’s date of birth
The California county where the birth occurred
Both parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name

Match the names and spellings to what your parents gave the hospital. A mismatch sends the application into manual lookup and adds weeks to the wait.

The Notarized Sworn Statement

The VS 111 includes a sworn statement declaring, under penalty of perjury, that you qualify for an authorized copy under the statute. For mail-in requests, a notary public has to watch you sign it and apply their seal. Skip the notarization and CDPH will downgrade the request to an informational copy, even if you were entitled to the authorized version.³

The perjury warning is real. Falsely claiming eligibility is a felony under California law.⁴

Three Ways to Submit the Application

By Mail Through CDPH

Send the completed VS 111, the notarized sworn statement if you want an authorized copy, and a check or money order for $31 per copy made out to “CDPH Vital Records” to the address on the application.¹ This is the slowest route. CDPH posts current processing times on its website, and they have historically run from several weeks to over a month depending on how backed up the office is.

In Person at the County Office

Most county recorder or registrar offices accept walk-in requests for certified birth certificates issued in their county.⁵ If the birth happened in that county, you can usually walk out with the certified copy the same day. Call the office first to confirm hours, accepted payment methods, and any ID they want to see at the counter.

Online Through an Authorized Vendor

CDPH does not run its own online ordering system. It authorizes outside vendors, including VitalChek, State Vital Records, Vital Records Online, and GoCertificates, to take applications electronically and pass them to CDPH or the county. Each vendor adds its own processing fee on top of the $31 state fee. Once CDPH accepts an online order, you cannot cancel it, and the vendor fee does not buy faster delivery.⁶

What It Costs

The state fee is $31 per certified copy, whether authorized or informational.¹ County offices charge the same base amount; some add a small surcharge for local trust funds. Online orders add a vendor service fee.

Mail-in payment has to be a check or money order. County offices vary on cards and cash, so check before you go.

Fee Waiver for Foster Youth

Current and former foster youth can get one free certified birth certificate. Under Health and Safety Code Section 103578, the local registrar or county recorder in the county of birth will issue one fee-exempt copy per application. The state office does not process these; you have to go to the county. You will also need to complete an affidavit signed by you and a county welfare agency confirming your foster care status.⁷

If the Certificate Has an Error or a Missing Name

The VS 111 only orders a copy of the record as it exists. If the record itself has a mistake or was filed without a name for the child, you need a different form before ordering: Form VS 24B to correct an error, or Form VS 107 to add a name that was left blank.⁸ Both have their own fees and signature rules, and both can be submitted along with a request for a certified copy of the updated record.

1
California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees
2
California Legislative Information. California Code HSC Division 102 Part 1 Chapter 14 Section 103526
3
California Department of Public Health. How to Obtain a Certified Copy of a Birth Record
4
California Legislative Information. California Code PEN Part 1 Title 7 Chapter 5 Section 126
5
California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Frequently Asked Questions
6
California Department of Public Health. Obtaining Certified Copies Online
7
California Department of Public Health. Affidavit of Youth in Foster Care Status for Fee Exempt Certified Copy of Birth Certificate
8
California Department of Public Health. Application to Amend a Birth RecordSupplemental Name Report – Birth