To get a California authorized certified copy of a birth certificate, you must fall within a closed list of people defined by Health and Safety Code Section 103526, sign a sworn statement under penalty of perjury, and submit an application (form VS 111) with a $31 fee per copy to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) or the county registrar where the birth was recorded. Anyone outside that list can still order the record, but only as an informational copy that cannot be used to prove identity.
Who Can Request an Authorized Copy
Section 103526 limits authorized copies to the following requesters:1California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103526
- The registrant (the person named on the certificate), or a parent or legal guardian of the registrant.
- A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or registered domestic partner of the registrant.
- An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant’s estate, or a licensed adoption agency acting under Family Code requirements.
- A member of a law enforcement agency or another governmental agency conducting official business as authorized by law.
- Any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant or the estate.
- Anyone entitled to receive the record under a court order.
The statute does not define “sibling” further, so it does not explicitly distinguish full siblings from half-siblings. Legal guardians must include documentation proving guardianship with their request.
If You Don’t Qualify: Informational Copies
People outside those categories can still receive a certified copy of the record, but it will be an informational copy. Both versions carry the same biographical data, but the informational copy has a legend printed across its face reading “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity.”2California Department of Public Health. Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy It cannot be used for a passport, a driver’s license, or anything else requiring proof of identity, and certain fields may be redacted. Federal agencies such as the State Department and the Social Security Administration will reject it.
The Sworn Statement
Every authorized-copy request must include a signed sworn statement (form VS 20) declaring, under penalty of perjury, that the applicant is an authorized person and is signing their own legal name.1California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103526 How you sign depends on how you submit:
- In person at a county office: sign in front of the clerk. No notary required.
- By mail or fax: sign in front of a notary public, who completes a Certificate of Acknowledgment.
- Online: use the electronic identity verification and electronic sworn statement provided through the CDPH portal.
California caps notary fees at $15 per signature. Perjury on the form is punishable under Penal Code Section 126 by a state prison sentence of two, three, or four years.3Justia. California Code Penal Code – Perjury and Subornation of Perjury
What to Have Ready Before You Apply
The application form is the VS 111 (Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record), available on the CDPH website or at county registrar offices. Before you fill it out, gather:
- The full legal name of the person on the certificate, exactly as it appears on the original record.
- The date of birth, and the city and county where the birth occurred.
- Both parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name.
- Your relationship to the person named on the certificate.
CDPH searches its database using what you provide. Small discrepancies (a misspelled name, the wrong county) can cause the search to fail, in which case the state issues a “Certificate of No Public Record” and keeps your fee.4California Department of Public Health. Obtaining Certified Copies Online
When the record belongs to a minor, an authorized adult (parent, legal guardian, or another qualifying person from the list above) completes and signs both the application and the sworn statement on the child’s behalf. Legal guardians should attach a copy of the guardianship order.5California Department of Public Health. Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record
How to Submit the Application
In Person at a County Office
If the birth was registered in a California county and that county still holds the record, walking in is usually fastest. You sign the sworn statement in front of the clerk, so no notary is needed. Many county offices process requests the same day or within a few business days. Check the office’s hours and walk-in policy before you go.
By Mail Through CDPH
Mail the completed VS 111, the notarized VS 20, and payment to CDPH Vital Records. Average processing time is five to seven weeks and can be longer during high-demand periods.6California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Processing Times Payment must be by check or money order payable to “CDPH Vital Records.” Cash is not accepted for mail submissions.
Online
CDPH accepts online submissions through its website, with electronic identity verification and an electronic sworn statement. Third-party vendors also process California birth certificate orders and add convenience fees on top of the state fee. If you use one, confirm it is authorized by the state or the county rather than a site imitating a government page.
Fees and the No-Refund Rule
As of January 1, 2026, the CDPH fee is $31 per certified copy.7California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees County offices may charge a different amount. The fee is non-refundable. If CDPH cannot locate a matching record, you receive a Certificate of No Public Record rather than a birth certificate, and the payment is retained as authorized by law.4California Department of Public Health. Obtaining Certified Copies Online Double-check names, dates, and county of birth before you send anything.
Fee Waivers for Homeless Applicants
Health and Safety Code Section 103577 allows a person who qualifies as homeless under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to receive a certified birth certificate at no cost.8California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103577 To use the waiver, a homeless services provider completes an Affidavit of Homeless Status on the applicant’s behalf, at no charge.
Qualifying providers include nonprofit and government agencies funded to serve homeless populations, licensed California attorneys, school district liaisons for homeless youth, and law enforcement officers designated as homeless-population liaisons. Each application covers one birth record per eligible person, and the State Registrar may provide up to three free copies per year under this provision.9California Department of Public Health. Assembly Bill (AB) 1733
Applying From Out of State or Abroad
If you were born in California but live elsewhere, submit the request by mail to CDPH. The VS 20 can be notarized by any notary public in your current state or country; the Certificate of Acknowledgment section is designed to accept out-of-state locations.10California Department of Public Health. Sworn Statement (VS 20)
If a foreign notary handles the signature, an apostille must be attached to authenticate the notary’s authority. No apostille is needed when the notarization is performed by a U.S. Ambassador, Minister, Consul, or Consular Agent, or by a judge of a foreign court of record that has a seal. The standard five-to-seven-week CDPH processing time starts once your package arrives.