Replacement Birth Certificate in California: Form VS 111 and Fees

A replacement birth certificate in California costs $31 per copy and takes roughly five to seven weeks by mail through the California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR).¹² You can move faster by visiting the county recorder’s office where the birth was registered, or you can order through an approved third-party vendor online. Which path makes sense depends on how quickly you need the document and whether you qualify for an authorized copy or only an informational one.

Authorized Copy or Informational Copy

California issues two kinds of certified birth certificates, and choosing the wrong one wastes your money. An authorized copy establishes identity for passports, driver’s licenses, and employment. An informational copy contains the same data but carries a legend reading “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity,” which makes it useless for most of the reasons people order a replacement.³

Under California Health and Safety Code Section 103526, only certain people can receive an authorized copy:⁴

The person named on the certificate
A parent or legal guardian of that person
A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner
An attorney representing the registrant or their estate
A person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant or their estate
A licensed adoption agency acting under the Family Code
A law enforcement officer or government representative on official business

Anyone outside those categories can still request an informational copy, and anyone can request one regardless of relationship.

What You Need Before You Apply

Gather these details about the person whose certificate you need. A missing piece can get your request returned:⁵

Full name at birth (first, middle, last)
Date of birth (an approximate date is accepted if the exact date is unknown)
City and county of birth, which must be in California
Both parents’ full names, including each parent’s last name at birth

You’ll also state your relationship to the registrant and give your own contact information. If you’re requesting an authorized copy and you aren’t the person on the certificate, be ready with documentation proving the relationship: a marriage certificate, your own birth certificate showing parentage, a court order, or a power of attorney, depending on the category you fall into.

Filling Out Form VS 111

The application is the “Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record,” Form VS 111, available as a PDF from CDPH-VR. A Spanish-language version (VS 111SP) is also available.⁵

Enter the registrant’s birth information and your own, then check the box for either an authorized copy or an informational copy. If you check the authorized box, you must also complete the sworn statement on page 5. That is where most people get stuck.

The Notarized Sworn Statement

The sworn statement (Form VS 20, built into page 5 of the VS 111) is a declaration under penalty of perjury that you are legally authorized to receive an authorized copy. It has to be signed in front of a notary public. Without a properly notarized statement, CDPH-VR will not process the authorized copy request.⁵

California caps notary fees at $15 per signature, so the notarization itself shouldn’t cost more than that.⁶ Banks, shipping stores, and law offices commonly offer notary services. If you only need an informational copy, skip the sworn statement.

Three Ways to Submit

By Mail to CDPH-VR

CDPH-VR has no public counter and does not take walk-ins, so mail is the primary way to order from the state directly.⁷ Send:⁸

The completed VS 111
The notarized sworn statement, if you’re requesting an authorized copy
A check or money order for $31 per copy, payable to “CDPH-VR”
Any supporting documentation proving your relationship

Mail everything to: California Department of Public Health, Vital Records – MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410.⁹ Never send cash. Incomplete submissions come back, and that adds weeks.

In Person at a County Office

A county recorder or registrar can issue certified copies of births registered in that county. This is often the fastest option, with many county offices processing requests the same day you walk in.⁸ Fees and hours vary by county, so call ahead. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID, and for an authorized copy, be ready to sign the sworn statement. Some county offices can notarize it on-site.

Online Through an Approved Vendor

CDPH-VR does not run its own online ordering portal. It lists approved third-party vendors, including VitalChek, that electronically transmit applications to CDPH-VR or to a county office. These vendors charge a processing fee on top of the $31 government fee, and CDPH-VR notes that paying the vendor’s fee does not speed up the state’s review; once your application reaches CDPH-VR, it joins the same queue as mailed requests.¹⁰

Online vendors typically verify identity through knowledge-based authentication questions about your credit history, past addresses, or vehicle ownership rather than a notarized statement. If you can’t pass verification, the order gets rejected and you’ll have to switch to mail or a county office.

Fees and Processing Times

As of January 1, 2026, CDPH-VR charges $31 per certified copy, up from $29. The increase was authorized by Assembly Bill 64 (Chapter 662, Statutes of 2025). Payment by mail must be a check or money order payable to “CDPH-VR.”¹

Current average processing for mailed requests is five to seven weeks from the date CDPH-VR receives the application.² That timeline shifts with volume, so check the processing times page before ordering. If you need the document within a few days, go to a county office that offers same-day service.

Budget beyond the $31 copy fee: up to $15 for notarization if you need an authorized copy, and return postage if the county office requires it. Third-party vendors add their own service charges, and express shipping through a vendor can run $18 to $36 or more for overnight delivery.

Using the Certificate for a Passport or REAL ID

If you’re ordering the replacement for a passport application, check that the copy you get meets State Department requirements. As primary evidence of U.S. citizenship, a certified birth certificate must list your full name, date of birth, place of birth, and both parents’ full names. It must carry the seal or stamp of the issuing authority and the registrar’s signature, and it must have been filed with the registrar’s office within one year of your birth.¹¹

That last requirement trips people up. If your birth was registered late, the State Department treats the certificate differently and may ask for additional supporting evidence. A certified copy from CDPH-VR or a county office will show the registrar’s seal and filing date, so check the filing date when it arrives. Electronic or mobile birth certificates are not accepted for passport applications.¹¹

For a REAL ID–compliant California driver’s license or ID card, a certified birth certificate is the most straightforward proof of identity and date of birth. An informational copy will not work; you need an authorized copy.

If the Record Has an Error or Doesn’t Exist

Ordering a replacement copies the record as it stands. If your certificate has a misspelled name, wrong date, or another error, you need to amend the record instead. CDPH-VR handles amendments by mail using different forms depending on what needs to change, from Form VS 24B for spelling and date corrections to Form VS 23 for court-ordered name changes and Form VS 21 for adding, removing, or replacing a parent.¹²

If a search comes back empty because your birth was never registered or the record was lost, the vital records office will issue a Letter of No Record confirming that no certificate is on file for your name and date of birth.¹³ Combined with secondary evidence such as hospital records, immunization records, or religious records, that letter can support a Social Security or passport application. To create an official record, California offers delayed registration through Form VS 85 when you have proper evidence and affidavits, or a court order delayed registration through Form VS 108 when documentary evidence isn’t available.¹⁴ For a child under one year old whose birth was never registered, contact the local registrar in the county where the birth occurred rather than CDPH-VR.

1
California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees
2
CDPH – CA.gov. Vital Records Processing Times
3
California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy
4
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103526
5
California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record VS 111
6
California Legislative Information. California Government Code 8211
7
CDPH – CA.gov. Vital Records Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
8
California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Obtaining Certified Copies of Birth Records
9
CA.Gov. Contact CDPH Vital Records
10
CDPH – CA.gov. Obtaining Certified Copies Online
11
U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
12
CDPH – CA.gov. Amending a California Birth Record
13
USAGov. Prove your citizenship: born in the U.S. with no birth certificate
14
CDPH – CA.gov. Delayed or Court Order Delayed Vital Events