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How to order a California birth certificate

Who holds it: CDPH-Vital Records (statewide, since July 1905) and the County Recorder of the county of birth; local health department registrar for current and prior year1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. How to search and order
  2. Who may order and what is restricted
  3. Related records in California
  4. Birth certificates in California counties with a full guide
  5. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  6. Sources

Fee

$31 per certified copy at CDPH-VR (effective Jan. 1, 2026); county fees may differ2

Who may order

Authorized (identity-establishing) copy: registrant, parent, legal guardian, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, and certain legal/government/court-ordered parties, with notarized sworn statement. Anyone else gets an informational copy3

Processing time

CDPH: 4 to 6 weeks average; county often faster4

How to search and order

How to order
CDPH by mail only (VS 111 + check/money order); in person at county office; CDPH stopped accepting third-party online vendor applications on July 1, 20265

Who may order and what is restricted

Restrictions
Informational copies are stamped 'INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY'6
Confidential section
Confidential medical/social section of a birth record: only the registrant, the parent who signed the certificate (or the mother), or an adoption petitioner; mail-in requests only3
Death certificates: who holds it
CDPH-Vital Records (since July 1905) and County Recorder of the county of death; local health dept for current and prior year7
Death certificates: fee
$26 per certified copy at CDPH-VR (effective Jan. 1, 2026)2
Older records: vital history
State birth and death files begin July 1905; county recorders hold birth and death records for all years of events in their county8

Birth certificates in California counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Alameda CountyClerk-Recorder's Office9—$36.00 per copy10
Butte CountyButte County Clerk-Recorder11—$31 certified copy12
Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder13—Certified birth certificate $38.00 (new fee; prior $36.00); government birth certificate $24.0014
El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County Recorder-Clerk15——
Fresno CountyFresno County Recorder16—$31.00 certified copy (public); $24.00 government17
Humboldt CountyClerk-Recorder18——
Imperial CountyImperial County Clerk-Recorder19—Certified copy of a Birth Certificate $34.0020
Kern CountyRecorder, Hall of Records21——
Kings CountyClerk/Recorder22——
Lake CountyCounty Recorder23——
Los Angeles CountyRegistrar-Recorder/County Clerk - Birth, Death and Marriage Records Section24—Authorized certified birth record copy $3425
Madera CountyMadera County Clerk-Recorder, County Recorder division26—$31.00 certified copy; search fee equals the cost of the record, with a Certificate of No Record if none found27
Marin CountyAssessor-Recorder-County Clerk: Recorder28—$31.00 per copy (as of January 1, 2026); full fee charged if no record is found29
Mendocino CountyMendocino County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder30—$31.0031
Merced CountyMerced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records32—$29 certified copy (government use $22)33
Monterey CountyMonterey County Recorder34—$31.00 per certificate; VitalChek adds $12.95 per transaction35
Napa CountyNapa County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk – Recorder / County Clerk36—$32 per certified birth certificate (; may have changed for 2026)37
Nevada CountyNevada County Clerk-Recorder (vital requests) or Nevada County Health Department Local Registrar, Grass Valley38——
Orange CountyOrange County Clerk-Recorder Department39—$34.0040
Placer CountyPlacer County Clerk-Recorder - Recorder's Office41——
Riverside CountyAssessor-County Clerk-Recorder42—$34.00 (fee effective 01/01/2026)43
Sacramento CountyCounty Clerk/Recorder44—$34.00 per copy44
San Bernardino CountyAssessor-Recorder-County Clerk45—$3446
San Diego CountyARCC - Recorder/County Clerk47—$34 (general public)48
San Francisco CountyOffice of the County Clerk49—$31 (search of a birth record, includes certified copy if found); $31 each additional copy50
San Joaquin CountyOffice of the Recorder-County Clerk, Vital Records51—$3452
San Luis Obispo CountyClerk-Recorder keeps births that occurred in San Luis Obispo County53——
San Mateo CountyACRE: County Clerk-Recorder Division54—$34.00 general public; $24.00 government or private adoption agency55
Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County Clerk-Recorder56——
Santa Clara CountyOffice of the County Clerk-Recorder57—$34 (from $32, effective January 1, 2026)58
Santa Cruz CountyAssessor-Recorder, Recorder's Office59—$34.00 per certified copy or search (Fee Schedule 2026)60
Shasta CountyShasta County Assessor-Recorder61—$34 certified copy (effective January 1, 2026)62
Solano CountySolano County Assessor/Recorder - Vital Records63—$36.00 per certified copy64
Sonoma CountyClerk-Recorder-Assessor Department: County Clerk Division65—$34.00 per copy; page also says effective 1/1/2027, $32.00 per copy66
Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County Clerk-Recorder67—$34 per copy68
Sutter CountySutter County Clerk-Recorder69——
Tulare CountyAssessor/Clerk-Recorder: County Clerk's Office70——
Ventura CountyCounty Clerk-Recorder, Vital Records71—$3172
Yolo CountyYolo County Clerk-Recorder73—$31.00 per authorized or informational certified copy74
Yuba CountyYuba County Clerk-Recorder75——

For any other county, see the county list on the California guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any California office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: birth certificates in every state. Everything else in California: California public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  2. Vital Records FeesCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  3. Authorized Copy vs. Informational CopyCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  4. Processing TimesCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  5. Third Party Vendors (online orders notice)California Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  6. Health & Safety Code § 103526 (authorized vs informational copies)California Legislature (Legislative Counsel)checked November 4, 2026
  7. Obtaining Certified Copies of Death CertificatesCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  8. Obtaining Certified Copies of Birth CertificatesCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  9. Vital Records PortalAlameda County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Birth CertificateAlameda County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Site MapButte County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  12. Birth CertificatesButte County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  13. Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections (home)Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Contra Costa County Clerk Division Fee Schedule (Effective January 1, 2026) - positional extractContra Costa County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  15. Recorder-ClerkEl Dorado County Recorder-Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  16. County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  17. Fee ScheduleCounty of Fresno - Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  18. Birth CertificatesCounty of Humboldt, Californiachecked November 4, 2026
  19. County Clerk-Recorder Department homeImperial County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  20. Recorder Services fee schedule tabsImperial County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  21. Birth, Marriage, or Death CertificatesKern County Assessor-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  22. Birth/Death/Marriage Certificate RequestCounty of Kings, Californiaarchived copychecked November 7, 2026
  23. Listing of County Assessors, Auditors and Auditor-Controllers, Clerks of the Board, and Tax CollectorsCalifornia State Board of Equalizationchecked November 8, 2026
  24. Who Can Obtain a Copy of a Birth RecordLA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  25. Birth Record Mail RequestLA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  26. County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 7, 2026
  27. Clerk-Recorder Schedule of Fees, effective January 1, 2026County of Maderachecked November 7, 2026
  28. Search Recorder's Official RecordsCounty of Marinchecked November 4, 2026
  29. Getting a Copy of a Birth CertificateCounty of Marinchecked November 4, 2026
  30. RecorderCounty of Mendocinochecked November 7, 2026
  31. Birth, Death, or Marriage RecordsCounty of Mendocinochecked November 7, 2026
  32. Clerk-RecorderCounty of Mercedarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  33. Copy FeesCounty of Mercedarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  34. RecorderCounty of Montereychecked November 4, 2026
  35. Birth CertificatesCounty of Montereychecked November 4, 2026
  36. Recorder - County ClerkCounty of Napaarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  37. Birth, Death, & Marriage CertificatesCounty of Napaarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  38. County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 7, 2026
  39. Orange County | Orange CountyCounty of Orangechecked November 4, 2026
  40. PDFOC Clerk-Recorder Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
  41. Clerk-RecorderPlacer County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  42. Listing of County Assessors, Auditors and Auditor-Controllers, Clerks of the Board, and Tax CollectorsCalifornia State Board of Equalizationchecked November 4, 2026
  43. Birth, Death, and Marriage CertificatesRiverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  44. Birth CertificatesSacramento County Clerk/Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  45. Listing of County Assessors, Auditors and Auditor-Controllers, Clerks of the Board, and Tax CollectorsCalifornia State Board of Equalizationchecked November 4, 2026
  46. Copies of Birth, Death & Marriage CertificatesSan Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  47. Birth/Death/Marriage CertificateSan Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  48. Recorder/County Clerk Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026)San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  49. Office of the County ClerkCity and County of San Franciscochecked November 4, 2026
  50. Fees for County Clerk ServicesCity and County of San Franciscochecked November 4, 2026
  51. Vital Records | San Joaquin County Assessor-Recorder County Clerk | sjgov.orgCounty of San Joaquinchecked November 4, 2026
  52. Birth Certificates | San Joaquin County Assessor-Recorder County Clerk | sjgov.orgCounty of San Joaquinchecked November 4, 2026
  53. Birth CertificatesCounty of San Luis Obispo Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  54. San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections - ACRESan Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections (ACRE)checked November 4, 2026
  55. Vital Records Fees | San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections - ACRESan Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections (ACRE)checked November 4, 2026
  56. Clerk-RecorderCounty of Santa Barbarachecked November 4, 2026
  57. County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  58. Records searchCounty of Santa Clara, Office of the County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  59. Santa Cruz County Recorder's OfficeCounty of Santa Cruz, Californiachecked November 4, 2026
  60. Recorder Fee Schedule 2026 (PDF)County of Santa Cruz, Californiachecked November 4, 2026
  61. RecorderCounty of Shastachecked November 4, 2026
  62. Recorder: Birth CertificatesCounty of Shastachecked November 4, 2026
  63. Recorder DivisionSolano County Assessor/Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  64. Birth, Death & Marriage Records (Vital Records)Solano County Assessor/Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  65. Clerk-RecorderCounty of Sonomachecked November 4, 2026
  66. Birth Certificates (Clerk-Recorder)County of Sonomachecked November 4, 2026
  67. Stanislaus County home pageStanislaus Countychecked November 4, 2026
  68. Birth CertificateStanislaus County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  69. Sutter County homeSutter County, Californiachecked November 7, 2026
  70. Clerk-RecorderCounty of Tularechecked November 4, 2026
  71. Vital Records: Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates | Ventura County Clerk and RecorderVentura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voterschecked November 4, 2026
  72. County Recorder | Ventura County Clerk and Recorder / Registrar of VotersVentura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voterschecked November 4, 2026
  73. Birth / Death / Marriage CertificatesYolo County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  74. Vital Certificate FeesYolo County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  75. County Clerk-RecorderYuba County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 7, 2026