To get a copy of a California birth certificate, send application form VS 111 with a $31 fee to the California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR), take it to the county recorder where the birth was registered, or order through an authorized online vendor.1California Department of Public Health. How to Obtain a Certified Copy of a Birth Record2California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees Before you file, you need to decide which of two versions you’re asking for, because that choice determines who can sign for it and what extra paperwork you need.
Authorized Copy or Informational Copy
California issues two certified copies of the same record. The authorized copy is the one accepted for a driver’s license, passport, government benefits, or school enrollment. The informational copy carries the same birth data but is stamped “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY,” and no agency will accept it as proof of identity.3California Department of Public Health. Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy It works for genealogy, personal record-keeping, or any situation where you just need to see what’s on the certificate.
Both versions cost the same. The difference is who’s allowed to request the authorized version.
Who Can Request the Authorized Copy
Health and Safety Code Section 103526 fixes the list, and it’s narrower than most people expect.4California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 103526 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 for the registrant or the registrant’s estate
- A person or agency appointed by a court to act for the registrant
- A law enforcement officer or government representative on official business
- Anyone with a court order for the record
Aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends are not on the list. If you don’t fit a category and don’t have a court order, CDPH-VR will send you the informational copy instead. The statute leaves no room to appeal that outcome.
Filling Out the Application
The application is CDPH Form VS 111, a free download from the CDPH website.1California Department of Public Health. How to Obtain a Certified Copy of a Birth Record The form needs enough detail to pull the correct record from the statewide registry:
- The registrant’s full name as it appears on the original record
- Date of birth, or an approximate date if you’re unsure
- City and county of birth (the birth must have taken place in California)
- Both parents’ names, including each parent’s last name at birth
Get these right. A misspelled name or wrong county can delay the request or produce a “certificate of no public record,” meaning CDPH-VR couldn’t find a match. If you’re not certain of a parent’s birth surname, put in your best information and mark it approximate. Print or type clearly.
The Sworn Statement and Notarization
Requesting an authorized copy requires a sworn statement declaring under penalty of perjury that you’re one of the eligible people listed above. That statement is Form VS 20, which CDPH provides alongside the application.5California Department of Public Health. Sworn Statement for Certified Copy of Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificate For informational copies you can skip it.
If you’re mailing your request, a California notary public must notarize the sworn statement. The notary verifies your identity before you sign and attaches a certificate of acknowledgment. Banks, shipping stores, real estate offices, and dedicated notary businesses all handle these routinely.
Watch out for one shortcut that won’t work: California does not recognize remote online notarization. The California Secretary of State has stated that webcam notarizations are invalid for California notaries, so your sworn statement has to be signed in person before a notary with a physical seal.6California Secretary of State. Customer Alerts
If you file at a county vital records office instead, staff there can witness the sworn statement, so you can skip the notary step entirely.7San Joaquin County Public Health Services. Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record Law enforcement and government agencies still complete the sworn statement but are exempt from notarization.
Three Ways to Submit
By Mail to CDPH-VR
Send the completed VS 111, the notarized sworn statement (for an authorized copy), and payment by check or money order payable to CDPH to:
California Department of Public Health – Vital Records, MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-74101California Department of Public Health. How to Obtain a Certified Copy of a Birth Record
CDPH-VR does not run a public walk-in counter in Sacramento, so mail is the only way to request directly from the state office.8California Department of Public Health. Contact CDPH Vital Records
In Person at a County Office
County recorder or registrar offices accept requests for births registered in their county.9California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Obtaining Certified Copies of Birth Records This is usually the fastest route and the only face-to-face option, and staff can witness your sworn statement so you don’t need to pay a notary separately. Counties charge the same $31 state fee, though some add a small administrative surcharge. Check your county’s website for hours and accepted payment methods before you go.
Online Through a Third-Party Vendor
CDPH-VR has no state-run online ordering portal. Approved third-party companies such as VitalChek transmit applications electronically to CDPH-VR or a county office for processing.10California Department of Public Health. Obtaining Certified Copies Online Vendors charge their own processing fee, typically adding $10 to $15 on top of the $31 state fee. Online orders sit in the same state processing queue as mail requests, so the vendor fee does not shorten the state’s turnaround.
Fees and How Long It Takes
Each certified copy, whether authorized or informational, costs $31 as of January 1, 2026. That’s an increase from the previous $29.2California Department of Public Health. Vital Records Fees If you need more than one (common when you’re applying for a passport and a driver’s license at the same time), each extra copy is another $31.
Processing time at CDPH-VR shifts with volume. The agency posts current estimates on its website, and mail-in waits of several weeks to a few months are normal. County offices are typically faster, sometimes same-visit or within a few business days. For urgent needs, such as imminent travel, a county visit is almost always the quickest option.
Certificates go out by standard U.S. Postal Service delivery. CDPH-VR does not offer expedited processing or shipping.10California Department of Public Health. Obtaining Certified Copies Online Some third-party vendors sell overnight or two-day shipping for the delivery leg, but the state’s processing time is the same either way.
If Something Is Wrong or the Birth Was Never Registered
Getting a copy assumes an accurate record already exists. If the certificate has a misspelling, a missing middle name, or wrong parent information, that’s an amendment request filed separately with CDPH-VR, and larger changes such as replacing a first name usually require a court order first.11California Department of Public Health. Amending a California Birth Record If a California birth was never registered within the first year, you’ll need to file a delayed registration on Form VS 85 with supporting documentation before any copy can be issued.12California Department of Public Health. Delayed Registration of Birth Neither of those is the same process as ordering a copy, and both take longer.