Order Your California (CA) Birth Certificate Online
Don’t waste time applying at your local government office! Order your certified California (CA) birth certificate right now from the comfort of your own home.
Legal Disclaimer: Birth Certificate Copy is a privately owned website that is not affiliated with, owned, or operated by any government agency. Birth Certificate Copy is an independent preparer that assists with vital record applications. You can access the necessary forms and apply for vital records directly with the corresponding government office.
California Birth Certificate Ordering Process
1. Fill out our simple birth certificate application
Our streamlined application form takes just a few minutes to fill out, and you can complete it fully online. No trip to your local government office and no long lines to stand in.
2. Let our experts review your application and assemble your application package.
We’ll make sure your information is correct and that your application will be accepted. Your application package will include all of the documents and instructions you will need to get your birth certificate.
3. Get your Birth Certificate
You’ll send in your application package, then sit back and wait for your birth certificate to be mailed straight to your home.
California Birth Certificate Replacement
Vital Records Offices are responsible for monitoring vital statistics and keeping vital records, including death, marriage, divorce, and birth certificates. The California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) has been maintaining birth records since 1907, and they are in charge of issuing birth certificates to U.S. citizens born in California.
So, if your birth certificate was lost, destroyed, damaged, or stolen you must submit an application to the Vital Records Office to request a California birth certificate replacement.
However, when you use our online application service, you can avoid a trip to the Vital Records Office and complete your birth certificate application without leaving your home.
California offers two different types of birth certificates copies that you can apply for:
- An authorized or certified birth certificate copy (long-form)
- An informational birth certificate copy (short-form)
The authorized copy is a certified birth certificate copy, which is valid for official use. So, you can use it to prove your identity and citizenship. However, to get a certified copy, you must provide a notarized sworn statement verifying your identity and legal ability to apply for the certificate.
If you can not legally access a certified copy, you can get an informational copy. An information copy is not valid for official use and does not contain as much information, however, it is useful for genealogical purposes.
Starting October 1st, 2021, all U.S. citizens and residents must have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card to enter federal facilities or fly domestically. In order to get a REAL ID, you will have to prove your identity and citizenship. A certified copy of your birth certificate is the easiest way to do this.
How to Get an Certified Copy of Your California Birth Certificate
A birth certificate is an important document to have. It allows you to prove your identity, age and American citizenship, which is vital when applying for things like passports, driver’s licenses, and government benefits. You may also need it to enroll in school or sign up for the military. To request an authorized copy, you will need to submit an application to the state and/or specific county you were born in.
To get a certified copy of your California birth certificate, simply complete our online form then follow the detailed instructions we provide to submit your application and have your birth certificate mailed straight to your home.
You must apply for a certified copy of your birth certificate through the state you were born in. If you were born in California, then that is where you should request your birth certificate from. You can get your birth certificate from the California (CA) vital records office, or from the county health department.
To apply for a copy of an California birth certificate, you will need to fill out an application and mail it to the California vital records office. However, the state of California also requires you to include a notarized sworn statement verifying your identity.
Mail your complete application package to:
California Department of Public Health
Vital Records – MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
Who is eligible to apply?
Birth records are restricted in California. You can only apply for a birth certificate for a copy of a birth certificate for yourself or your immediate family member. However, members of law enforcement or legal representatives can apply for an individual’s birth certificate if they have a legitimate, legal need.
Your California birth certificate is an important form of identification that you may need in order to start a new job, apply for or renew a passport or driver’s license, apply for government benefits, or sign up for school or sports.
How to request an apostille
If you need to use your birth certificate copy outside the U.S., you can request an apostille from the California Secretary of State
You can get an apostille Birth Certificate in California either by mail and in-person.
To apply by mail, you must provide:
- A certified copy of your California birth certificate
- A cover sheet indicating where the birth certificate will be used
- A check or money order made out to the Secretary of State for $20.00 per apostille
- A self-addressed envelope for the processed document to be returned to you. You can use expedited or secure shipping, but it must be prepaid.
Mail these documents by USPS to:
Notary Public Section
P.O. Box 942877
Sacramento, CA 94277–0001
Or ship them using an alternate mail service (Fedex, DHL, etc.) to:
Notary Public Section
1500 11th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Your application will typically be processed within 8-10 business days after they are received.
You can also apply in-person at the Sacramento and Los Angeles offices, located at:
Secretary of State (Sacramento)
1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Secretary of State (Los Angeles)
300 South Spring Street, Room 12513
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Both offices are open 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, and applications are processed in the order they are received. However, this is also more expensive, as apostilles are still $20.00 for each, but an additional service fee of $6.00 is also charged. You can pay with a check, money order, or debit/credit card, but cash is not accepted.
Either way, you will need a certified copy of your birth certificate in order to get an apostille.
California Birth Certificate Fees
California charges a $25 fee to apply for a birth certificate. You must include the full payment with your application.
Processing Time for an California Birth Certificate
Our online service lets you skip the long lines and red tape at your local government office, saving you time and hassle. Simply complete our short application, wait for our experts to assemble your application package, then follow the included instructions to submit your application to the California vital records office. Once it’s processed, the vital records office will mail your birth certificate to you. In most cases, birth certificate applications in California are processed within 2-3 weeks. However, applications for pre-1965 birth certificates can take up to 4-6 weeks.
If you need a certified copy of your California birth certificate, we recommend applying early to avoid delays. This will ensure that you get your certificate in time to apply for travel documents and passports, enroll in school or sign up for a sport, or start a new job.
California Vital Records offices
The following Vital Records offices and California County Recorders can issue certified birth certificate copies. However, you may experience faster processing times at a more rural or smaller county office.
California Vital Records offices
California Department of Public Health
Vital Records, MS 5103. P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA
Alameda County
1106 Madison Street, First Floor, Oakland, CA 94607
Alpine County
99 Water Street, or PO Box 155, Markleeville, CA 96120
Amador County
810 Court Street, Jackson, CA 95642
Berkeley Vital Statistics
1947 Center Street, 1st Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704
Butte County
155 Nelson Avenue, Oroville, CA 95965
Calaveras County
891 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas, CA 95249
Colusa County
546 Jay Street, Suite 200, Colusa, CA 95932-2491
Contra Costa County
555 Escobar Street, or PO Box 350, Martinez, CA 94553
Del Norte County
981 H Street, Suite 160, Crescent City, CA 95531
El Dorado County
360 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA 95667
Fresno County
2281 Tulare Street, Room 302, or PO Box 766, Fresno, CA 93712
Glenn County
516 West Sycamore Street, Second Floor, Willows, CA 95988-2746
Humboldt County
Courthouse, 825 Fifth Street, Fifth Floor, Eureka, CA 95501
Imperial County
Courthouse, 940 West Main Street, Suite 202, El Centro, CA 92243-2865
Inyo County
168 North Edwards Street, or PO Drawer F, Independence, CA 93526
Kern County
1655 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Kings County
Government Center, 1400 West Lacey Boulevard, Hanford, CA 93230-9910
Lake County
Courthouse, 255 North Forbes Street, Lakeport, CA 95453
Lassen County
220 South Lassen Street, Suite 5, Susanville, CA 96130
Los Angeles County
12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650
Madera County
200 West Fourth Street, Madera, CA 93637, (559) 675-7724
Marin County
3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 232, San Rafael, CA 94903
Mariposa County
Hall of Records Building, 4982 Tenth Street, or PO Box 35, Mariposa, CA 95338
Mendocino County
501 Low Gap Road, Room 1020, Ukiah, CA 95482
Merced County
2222 M Street, Merced, CA 95340, (209) 385-7627
Modoc County
204 South Court Street, Room106, Alturas, CA 96101
Mono County
74 School Street, Annex 1, or PO Box 237, Bridgeport, CA 93517
Monterey County
168 West Alisal Street, First Floor, or PO Box 29, Salinas, CA 93902
Napa County
900 Coombs Street, Room 116, or PO Box 298, Napa, CA 94559-0298
Nevada County
950 Maidu Avenue, Suite 210, Nevada City, CA 95959
Orange County
12 Civic Center Plaza, Room 101, or PO Box 238, Santa Ana, CA 92702-0238
Placer County
2954 Richardson Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
Plumas County
520 Main Street, Room 102, Quincy, CA 95971
Riverside County
2724 Gateway Drive, or PO Box 751, Riverside, CA 92502-0751
Sacramento County
600 Eighth Street, or PO Box 839, Sacramento, CA 95812-0839
San Benito County
Courthouse, 440 Fifth Street, Room 206, Hollister, CA 95023
San Bernardino County
222 West Hospitality Lane, First Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0022
San Diego County
1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260, or PO Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750
San Francisco Health Department
101 Grove Street, Room 105, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 554-2700
San Joaquin County
44 North San Joaquin Street, Suite 260, or PO Box 1968, Stockton, CA 95201-1968
San Luis Obispo County
1055 Monterey Street, Room D120, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
San Mateo County
Center Drive, First Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063-1665
Santa Barbara County
1100 Anacapa Street, or PO Box 159, Santa Barbara, CA 93102-0159
Santa Clara County
70 West Hedding Street, East Wing, First Floor, San Jose, CA 95110
Santa Cruz County
701 Ocean Street, Room 230, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Shasta County
1450 Court Street, Suite 208, Redding, CA 96001-1670
Sierra County
100 Courthouse Square, Room 11, or PO Drawer D, Downieville, CA 95936
Siskiyou County
311 Fourth Street, Room 107, Yreka, CA 96097
Solano County
675 Texas Street, Suite 2700, Fairfield, CA 94533-6338
Sonoma County
585 Fiscal Drive, Room 103, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Stanislaus County
1021 I Street, Suite 101, or PO Box 1670, Modesto, CA 95353-1670
Sutter County
433 Second Street, Yuba City, CA 95991
Tehama County
Courthouse, 633 Washington Street, Room 11, or PO Box 250, Red Bluff, CA 96080-0250
Trinity County
11 Court Street, or PO Box 1215, Weaverville, CA 96093-1215
Tulare County
Civic Center, 221 South Mooney Boulevard, Room 103, Visalia, CA 93291
Tuolumne County
2 South Green Street, Third Floor, Sonora, CA 95370
Ventura County
Hall of Administration, Main Plaza, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009-1260
Yolo County
625 Court Street, Room B01, or PO Box 1130, Woodland, CA 95776-1130
Yuba County
915 Eighth Street, Suite 107, Marysville, CA 95901
FAQs about California Birth Certificates
How do I apply for a birth certificate copy in California?
Our online application is the fastest way to apply for a certified copy of your California birth certificate. All you have to do is:
- Fill out the California birth certificate application online. Our experts will review your application and make sure it is error-free, so your birth certificate can be issued directly.
- Print, sign, and pack your completed form and notarized sworn statement proving your identity.
- Mail your application to the provided address, along with all required documents and
The California Department of Public Health will process your application and send your birth certificate to your home address.
How long does it take to get a California birth certificate?
Processing time for a certified copy of a California birth certificate may vary depending on how you apply:
- Mail-in orders take approximately 2-3 weeks for newer birth certificates, and 4-6 for older ones.
- In-person applications usually require you to wait in line at your local office. You can contact your vital records office to enquire about operating hours and wait times.
To get the quickest turnaround time and avoid delays:
- Fill out our online birth certificate application.
- Our experts will verify your form to make sure it is error-free and will be accepted.
- Follow the personalized instructions to submit your application and have your official California birth certificate mailed to your home.
How much is a birth certificate in California?
To get a certified copy of a California birth certificate, you will have to pay the state fee of $25.
Birth certificate application fees must be paid when submitting your application.
We recommend that you order multiple copies of your birth certificate, to ensure that you always have one available when you need it.
Can I get my California birth certificate the same day?
The CDPH-VR does not offer walk-in services, and no California vital records offices offer same day service for birth certificates.
Birth certificate applications typically take 3-4 weeks to process. So, it’s a good idea to order your California birth certificate online in advance, to make sure that you receive it by the time you need it.
You may be able to get faster processing times at a county vital records or recorder office.
Get Your Birth Certificate Now!
You can order your birth certificate using our secure online service and completing our simple application process in just 5 minutes. We will save you time and hassle and thanks to our expert assistance you know you’ll get exactly what you want.