To get a divorce certificate in California, you contact one of two offices depending on when the divorce was finalized: the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) handles records only for dissolutions between 1962 and June 1984, and the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed handles everything else.1California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Obtaining Certified Copies of Divorce Records Sending your request to the wrong office is the most common reason for delays, so start by identifying which agency holds your record and which document you actually need.
Which Document Do You Actually Need
California issues two very different divorce documents, and most people need the harder one to obtain. The Certificate of Record from CDPH is a slim document that confirms a divorce happened and lists the names of both spouses, the filing date, the county, and the case number. It does not include the judge’s orders, property division, or custody arrangements.1California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Obtaining Certified Copies of Divorce Records
The divorce decree, officially the Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, is the complete court record. It carries the judge’s signature and every term of the final order. Banks, government agencies, and foreign consulates usually want the decree, not the certificate. If you need to prove specific terms of the divorce for a property transfer, benefits claim, or immigration matter, plan on ordering the judgment from the Superior Court.
Ordering a Certificate of Record from CDPH
CDPH-Vital Records holds divorce records only for a narrow 22-year window: 1962 through June 1984. For anything outside that range, CDPH cannot help, and you’ll go directly to the Superior Court.2California Department of Public Health. Application for Certificate of Record For a Divorce – VS 113-B
Form, Fee, and Where to Send It
The required form is VS 113-B, “Application for Certificate of Record for a Divorce,” downloadable from the CDPH website. You’ll provide the full legal names of both spouses as they appeared on the original filing, the county where the divorce was filed, and the approximate date. The fee is $18 per copy, payable by check or money order to “CDPH-Vital Records.” No cash.3California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees
Unlike requests for birth, death, or marriage certificates, divorce record requests do not require a sworn statement or notarization. The authorized-versus-informational distinction under Health and Safety Code Section 103526 does not extend to divorce records.4California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103526 You fill out VS 113-B, include payment, and mail it to:
California Department of Public Health – Vital Records, MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
Current average processing time is five to seven weeks from when CDPH receives the request, and backlogs can push that longer.5CDPH – CA.gov. Vital Records Processing Times The certificate comes back by standard mail.
Ordering Online
CDPH has no direct web portal. It authorizes third-party vendors, currently VitalChek and GoCertificates, to accept applications electronically and forward them to the state.6CA.Gov State of California. Obtaining Certified Copies Online – CDPH These vendors add their own processing fee on top of the $18 state fee, so the total runs higher than a mail-in request. You can pay by credit card and track the order online.
Ordering a Divorce Decree from the Superior Court
For any divorce finalized before 1962 or after June 1984, or whenever you need the full judgment with the judge’s orders, the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed is your only option.1California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Obtaining Certified Copies of Divorce Records Even for a divorce inside the 1962–1984 window, if you want the complete decree rather than just proof it happened, the court is where you go.
Finding the Case Number
Having the case number speeds things up considerably. If you don’t have it, many counties now offer online case indexes you can search by party name. Los Angeles County provides a Family Law Case Access tool through its public case search system,7Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Find Case Information and Orange, San Diego, and Sacramento have similar portals. If your county doesn’t offer an online search, call the clerk’s office and ask them to look up the case using both spouses’ names and the approximate year. Some courts charge a small search fee, so ask about cost before you visit.
Fees and How to Order
Under California Government Code Section 70674, a certified copy of a dissolution record from the Superior Court costs $15 for a standard applicant and $10 when requested by a public agency.8California Courts. Superior Court of California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule A handful of counties, including Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco, add a small local surcharge for courthouse construction. If the case files have been moved to off-site archives, which is common for older dissolutions, the court may charge an additional retrieval fee.
You can typically order in person at the courthouse clerk’s window, by mail, or through an online portal where the county offers one. Los Angeles County runs a dedicated Divorce Judgment Document ordering site that lets you pay remotely without visiting the Archives and Records Center.9Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Divorce Judgment Documents For mail-in requests, include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the clerk can return the documents.
Fee Waivers for Low-Income Applicants
If court fees create a financial hardship, California allows you to apply for a waiver that can cover the cost of certified copies. You qualify if you meet any one of these conditions:10California Courts | Self Help Guide. Ask for a Fee Waiver
- You receive public benefits such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs, SSI/SSP, General Assistance, or IHSS.
- Your household income falls below a set monthly threshold. For 2026, the limits are $2,660 for one person, $3,607 for two, $4,553 for three, and $5,500 for four, with $947 added for each additional household member.
- You can show that paying court fees would keep you from meeting basic household needs.
Fill out Request to Waive Court Fees (Form FW-001) and submit it to the same court where you’re requesting the records. The information is confidential. This waiver applies only to Superior Court fees. CDPH does not offer a waiver for its $18 Certificate of Record.
Getting an Apostille for Use Abroad
If you need your California divorce record recognized in another country, you’ll likely need an apostille, a standardized certificate attached by the California Secretary of State that authenticates the document for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention.
First, obtain a certified copy of the divorce record from either CDPH or the Superior Court. Then submit that certified copy to the Secretary of State along with a cover sheet stating the destination country and a check or money order for $20 per apostille.11California Secretary of State. Request an Apostille
By mail, send the package to the Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001, with a self-addressed return envelope. In person, you can visit the Sacramento or Los Angeles offices, but expect an added $6 special handling fee per signature authenticated. The Los Angeles office does not accept cash. Plan for the apostille step to add time and cost on top of the weeks it takes to get the underlying record.
Fixing Errors on a Divorce Record
A misspelled name or wrong date can cause real problems when you use the record for legal or financial purposes. The correction path depends on where the error lives.
If the mistake is on the CDPH Certificate of Record, use Form VS 24c, “Application to Amend a Birth, Death, Marriage, or Divorce Record.”12California Department of Public Health. VS 24c – Application to Amend a Birth, Death, Marriage, or Divorce Record Identify the specific error and the correct information, then submit the form to CDPH-Vital Records. If you’re filing more than a year after the original event date, an additional filing fee may apply.
If the error sits in the actual judgment from the Superior Court, the fix requires a court motion. Under Code of Civil Procedure Section 473(d), the court can correct clerical mistakes so the record matches what the judge actually ordered. Typical examples are typos in names, transposed digits in dates, or misstated property descriptions. You file the motion in the court that issued the original judgment, and the court can issue a corrected order (sometimes called a nunc pro tunc order) that relates back to the original date. Substantive changes to custody, support, or property division are a different and more involved process, so talk to a family law attorney if the error affects those terms.