To amend a birth certificate in California, you take one of two paths depending on what you’re changing. Simple factual corrections — a misspelled name, wrong date, wrong birthplace — go through the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) with a sworn application. Name changes and gender marker updates generally require a superior court order, which you then submit to CDPH to have the record updated. The CDPH amendment fee is $26 when filed more than one year after birth, and court petitions carry a $435 filing fee.
Correcting Factual Errors Through CDPH
Straightforward mistakes can be fixed administratively without going to court. Under Health and Safety Code 103225, anyone who believes an error exists on a birth, death, or marriage certificate can file a sworn affidavit describing the correction, backed by an affidavit from a second person with knowledge of the facts.1California Legislative Information. California Code HSC 103225 The second signer might be a parent, a hospital records administrator, or anyone else with firsthand knowledge of the correct information.
The form is the Application to Amend a Birth Record (VS 24), submitted to CDPH Vital Records in Sacramento. Two people with personal knowledge must sign. If the correction involves the sex field, date, time, or place of birth due to a hospital or registrar error, one signer must be a hospital or registrar representative.2CDPH – CA.gov. Application to Amend a Birth Record VS 24B Send supporting documents with the application: hospital records, immigration records, or notarized statements.
Corrections that affect legal rights — Social Security eligibility, inheritance claims, immigration status — often need stronger documentation than a spelling fix. DNA test results or notarized affidavits from medical professionals can support these requests. If CDPH denies the amendment for insufficient evidence, you’ll need a court order instead.
Changing Parental Information
Changing who is listed as a parent is more involved than fixing a typo, because it affects custody, inheritance, and government benefits. The path depends on the situation.
Adding a Father Through a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage
When parents are unmarried at the time of birth, the father’s name doesn’t automatically appear on the birth certificate. Both parents can sign a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage (VDOP), authorized under Family Code 7570.3California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 7570 Filed with CDPH, the VDOP prompts an amendment adding the father’s name. If paternity is later disputed, a court order supported by DNA evidence may be needed to add or remove a parent’s name under Health and Safety Code 102766.4California Legislative Information. California Code HSC 102766
Adoption
After an adoption is finalized, the adoptive parents and child hold the full legal relationship of parent and child under Family Code 8616.5California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 8616 CDPH issues a new birth certificate showing the child’s name from the adoption report and the adoptive parents’ names. Unless the adoption is by a stepparent or certain relatives, the new certificate won’t reference the biological parents, and the original record is sealed.
Surrogacy and Assisted Reproduction
For children born through surrogacy, the Uniform Parentage Act (Family Code 7600 and related sections) recognizes the intended parents rather than the surrogate as the legal parents.6California Legislative Information. California Code FAM Division 12 Part 3 Chapter 1 A court-issued parentage judgment obtained before or after birth directs CDPH to list the intended parents on the birth certificate.
Court-Ordered Name Changes
Changing a name on a birth certificate requires a court order. California’s superior courts have exclusive authority over name change petitions under Code of Civil Procedure 1275.7Justia. California Code of Civil Procedure Title 8 – Change of Names
File a Petition for Change of Name (NC-100) in the superior court of the county where you live.8California Courts. Instructions for Filing a Petition for Change of Name The court issues an Order to Show Cause (NC-120), which must be published in a local newspaper of general circulation once a week for four successive weeks. That publication gives anyone with an objection a chance to come forward. The hearing is scheduled no sooner than six weeks and no later than twelve weeks after the order is issued.9California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 1277
One important exception: if you’re changing your name to align with your gender identity, you’re exempt from the newspaper publication requirement. This privacy protection came from SB 179, the Gender Recognition Act.10CalMatters. SB 179 – Gender Identity: Female, Male, or Nonbinary If no one files a written objection at least two court days before the hearing, the court can grant the petition without a hearing.
Once the court signs the decree, take a certified copy to CDPH with the amendment application and fee to have the birth certificate updated.
Gender Marker Changes
California does not require medical treatment or surgery to change a gender marker on a birth certificate. Under Health and Safety Code 103425, you can petition a superior court in any county for a judgment recognizing your change of gender and sex identifier to female, male, or nonbinary.11California Legislative Information. California Code HSC 103425 The nonbinary option has been available since 2018.
The petition uses two forms: the Petition for Recognition of Change of Gender and Sex Identifier (NC-300) and the proposed Order (NC-330).12California Courts. Instructions for Filing Petition for Recognition of Change of Gender and Sex Identifier The petition includes an affidavit, accepted as conclusive proof of gender change, stating the request is to conform your legal gender to your gender identity and is not for any fraudulent purpose.13California Legislative Information. California Code HSC 103430 No doctor’s note, no therapist letter, no proof of transition. The affidavit alone is sufficient.
For minors, the petition must be signed by at least one parent, a guardian, or (if both parents are deceased and there is no guardian) a near relative or friend. The minor may sign the affidavit themselves.
If the judge grants the petition, the signed NC-330 order serves as proof for updating the birth certificate and other identification documents. You can also change a gender marker administratively through CDPH using form VS 24 without a court order, though the $26 fee applies regardless of when the request is submitted. For the administrative route, a parent, legal guardian, or the registrant can sign the application.
Amending a Minor’s Birth Certificate
Parents handle most amendments for children under 18. Simple corrections follow the same VS 24 process as for adults, with two knowledgeable signers.
A name change for a minor requires a court petition and a few additional forms. When both parents agree, they both sign a Name and Information about the Person Whose Name is to be Changed (NC-110), attached to the NC-100 petition, along with an Order to Show Cause (NC-120) and a proposed Decree Changing Name (NC-130).14California Courts | Self Help Guide. Start the Name Change Process for Your Child The newspaper publication requirement applies as it does for adults.
If only one parent files, the other parent must be personally served with notice of the hearing at least 30 days before the court date. When a parent cannot be located or refuses to participate, courts may allow service by publication or other alternative methods, though that adds time.
Fees, Fee Waivers, and Processing Times
CDPH’s fee schedule, updated January 1, 2026, works out as follows:15CDPH – CA.gov. Vital Records Fees
- Within one year of birth: no fee to file the amendment, but certified copies cost $31 each.
- After one year from birth: $26 amendment fee, which includes one certified copy. Additional copies are $31 each.
- Sex field or parent designation change: $26 regardless of when the request is submitted.
Make checks or money orders payable to CDPH Vital Records. If you need a notary to authenticate an affidavit signature, California notaries can charge up to $15 per signature.
Name change and gender recognition petitions carry a $435 court filing fee.16Superior Court of California. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule Add newspaper publication if required, typically $50 to $200, and the cost of certified copies of the court order for CDPH and other agencies.
If the court filing fee is a barrier, California offers fee waivers through form FW-001. You qualify if you receive public benefits like Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, or food assistance, or if your gross monthly household income falls below set thresholds — $2,660 for a single person or $5,500 for a family of four, for example.17California Courts. FW-001 Request to Waive Court Fees You can also qualify by showing that your income doesn’t cover basic household needs plus court fees.
CDPH’s most recently posted processing times (updated October 2025) estimate 9 to 11 weeks for a complete amendment request.18CDPH – CA.gov. Vital Records Processing Times Incomplete requests take roughly 12 to 14 weeks just to receive a letter asking for missing documentation, then another 8 to 10 weeks after you submit the missing items. Filing complete the first time matters. Submitting through a local county recorder’s office rather than mailing directly to Sacramento may speed things up in some counties.
Updating Other Government Records
An amended birth certificate doesn’t automatically update your other identification. Contact each agency separately, and the order matters: Social Security first, then DMV, then passport.
Social Security Administration
Submit a completed Application for a Social Security Card (SS-5) with a certified copy of the amended birth certificate. The SSA requires original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency; photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.19Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card Apply in person at a Social Security office or by mail. There is no fee for a replacement card.
California DMV
For a name change on your driver’s license or ID, bring a certified court order or amended birth certificate to a DMV office. For gender marker updates, California has allowed self-selection of male, female, or nonbinary on driver’s licenses and ID cards since January 1, 2019; update this when completing a new DL/ID application at a DMV office.20CA.gov. Change Your Name or Gender If you’re applying for a REAL ID, you’ll need documents showing a clear link between the name on your birth certificate and the name you currently use, so getting the amended birth certificate first is the smart move.
U.S. Passport
Submit the appropriate State Department form (DS-11 for a new passport or DS-82 for a renewal) with a certified copy of the court order or amended birth certificate. Gender marker changes on passports follow a similar self-attestation model. Processing times and fees vary, so check the State Department’s website for current figures before applying.