Recent laws to prevent identity theft make it more difficult for just anyone to obtain a birth record. In California, effective July 1 2003, there are two types of certified birth records available, a certified copy and a certified informational copy.

Certified copies of birth certificates are able to be used to establish identity of the registrant and are only issued to authorized individuals such as:

• The registrant
• The parents or legal guardians of the registrant
• Law enforcement members on official business
• A person entitle to receive the certificate as part of a court order
• Licensed adoption agencies or an attorney seeking the birth record in compliance with the Family Code
• Siblings of the registrant, grandparents of the registrant, domestic partner of the registrant or a child of the registrant

To obtain a certified copy of a birth certificate, you must be authorized and provide a notarized sworn statement.

Certified informational copies of birth certificates are marked with �INFORMATIONAL. NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY� across the face of the document. The certified informational copies can not be used to establish identity and anyone who is ineligible to receive a certified copy may receive a certified informational copy instead.

These documents contain the same information and are certified copies of the originals maintained with the Office of Vital Records.

To obtain either document, fill out form VS 111 found at: http://www.dhs.ca.gov/publications/forms/pdf/vs111.pdf

You may also request a form by calling customer service at 916- 445-2684

Mail the completed form along a sworn notarized statement (if applicable) and $14 per record to:

Office of Vital Records MS 5103

P.O. Box 997410

Sacramento, CA 95899-7410

Make all checks payable to: Office of Vital Records. Allow about four weeks for processing your application.

Confidential information is oftentimes recorded with the birth. Because the information contained is personal it is not usually included on copies of birth certificates. A confidential copy may be requested by only those who have signed the original birth certificate such as the mother. If a father didn�t sign the certificate, he cannot request a confidential copy. If you wish to obtain your child�s confidential birth certificate, you must have signed the original and you must write �Confidential Copy� on the application form.

Amendments to birth certificates can slow the process down. Amendments are usually submitted to correct errors or add additional information to the birth record. This process can take up to eight months. If you know a record is being amended, wait until after the amendment is complete before requesting a certified copy. Otherwise you will receive a copy of the record un-amended or you might receive a Certificate of No Public Record as the record might not be easily found during the process.

If you need to make an amendment to a birth certificate, be warned, it�s a very specific and tedious process. Go to this page of the California website for documents, instructions and frequently asked questions: http://www.dhs.ca.gov/hisp/chs/OVR/Amendments/AmendmentIndex.htm

California:

Alameda ~ http://www.acgov.org/bdm/BIRTH.pdf
Alpine ~ http://www.mariposaresearch.net/php/

Amador County Recorder ~ http://www.co.amador.ca.us/
Jackson, CA
209 -223 -6469

Butte County Recorder ~ http://clerk-recorder.buttecounty.net/
Oroville, CA
530 -538 -7691

Calaveras County Recorder ~ http://www.co.calaveras.ca.us/departments/
San Andreas, CA
209 -754 -6375

Colusa County Recorder ~ http://www.colusacountyclerk.com/recorder/
Colusa, CA
530 -458 -0500

Contra Costa Recorder ~ http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/
Martinez, CA
925 -646 -2360

County Of Orange Recorder ~ http://www.ocgov.com/
Santa Ana, CA
714 -834 -2500

Del Norte County Recorder ~ http://www.dnco.org/cf/topic/topic4.cfm
Crescent City, CA
707 -464 -7216

El Dorado County Recorder ~ http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/
Placerville, CA
530 -621 -5490

Fresno County Recorder ~ http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/0420/recorders_web/
Fresno, CA
559 -488 -2609

Glenn County Clerk ~ http://www.countyofglenn.net/
Willows, CA
530 -934 -6407

Humboldt County Recorder ~ http://co.humboldt.ca.us/
Eureka, CA
707 -445 -7593

Imperial County Recorder ~ http://www.co.imperial.ca.us
El Centro, CA
760 -339 -4427

Inyo County Records ~ http://www.countyofinyo.org/
Independence, CA
760 -878 -0410

Kern County Clerk ~ http://recorder.co.kern.ca.us/recorder/
Bakersfield, CA
805 -868 -3588

Kings County Clerk ~ http://www.countyofkings.com/acr/clerk
Hanford, CA
559 -582 -3211

Lake County Clerk ~ http://www.co.lake.ca.us
Lakeport, CA
707 -263 -2293

Lassen County Recorder ~ http://clerk.lassencounty.org/forms.htm
Susanville, CA
530 -251 -8217

Los Angeles County Clerk ~ http://www.lavote.net/RECORDER/
Norwalk, CA
562 -462 -2137

Madera County Clerk ~ http://www.madera-county.com/
Madera, CA
209 -675 -7724

Marin County Recorder ~ http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/AR/main/
San Rafael, CA
415 -499 -6092

Mariposa ~ http://www.mariposaresearch.net/php/

Mendocino County Clerk ~ http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/
Ukiah, CA
707 -463 -4370

Merced County Recorder ~ http://www.co.merced.ca.us/recorder/certs.html
Merced, CA
209 -385 -7501

Modoc County Clerk ~ http://www.modoccounty.us/
Alturas, CA
530 -233 -2512

Mono County Recorder ~ http://www.monocounty.ca.gov/
Bridgeport, CA
760 -932 -5241

Monterey County ~ http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/Recorder/birth.htm
Salinas, CA
831 - 647 - 7906

Napa County Clerk ~ http://www.co.napa.ca.us/
Napa, CA
707 - 253 - 4246

Nevada County Clerk ~ http://new.mynevadacounty.com/recorder/index.cfm
Nevada City, CA
530 - 265 - 1221

Placer County Clerk ~ http://www.placer.ca.gov/Recorder/Vital%20Records.aspx
Auborn, CA
530 - 889 - 7948

Plumas County Recorder ~ http://www.countyofplumas.com
Quincy, CA
530 - 283 - 6305

Riverside County Clerk ~ http://www.countyofriverside.us/portal/
Riverside, CA
909 - 486 - 7000

Sacramento County Clerk ~ http://www.ccr.saccounty.net/
Sacramento, CA
916 - 874 - 5522

San Benito County Clerk ~ http://www.san-benito.ca.us/
Hollister, CA
831 - 636 - 4029

San Bernardino Recorder ~ http://www.co.sanbernardino.ca.us/
San Bernardino, CA
909 - 387 - 8314

San Diego County ~ http://arcc.co.san-diego.ca.us/arcc/
San Diego, CA
619 - 237 - 0502

San Francisco County ~ http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/dphvital/dphvital.htm
San Francisco, CA
415 - 554 - 4176

San Joaquin Clerk ~ http://www.sjgov.org/Recorder/vital.htm
Stockton, CA
209 - 468 - 2362

San Luis Obispo County ~ http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/clerk/
San Luis Obispo, CA
805 - 781 - 5088

San Mateo County Clerk ~ http://www.smcare.org/records/birth.asp
Redwood City, CA
650 -363 -4711

Santa Barbara County Clerk ~ http://sbcassessor.com/ Santa Barbara, CA 
805 -568 -2250

Santa Clara ~ http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/rec/menuitem.

Santa Cruz County Recorder ~ http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/rcd/
Santa Cruz, CA
831 -454 -2800

Shasta County Clerk ~ http://www.co.shasta.ca.us/Departments/
Redding, CA
530 -225 -5378

Sierra County Recorder ~ http://www.sierracounty.ws/county_docs/
Downieville, CA
530 -289 -3295

Siskiyou County Clerk ~ http://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/
Ureka, CA
916 -842 -8084

Solano County Recorder ~ http://www.co.solano.ca.us/
Fairfield, CA
707 -421 -6319

Sonoma County Clerk ~ http://www.sonoma-county.org/
Santa Rosa, CA
707 -527 -3800

Stanislaus County Clerk ~ http://www.stanvote.com/
Modesto, CA
209 -525 -5265

Sutter County Recorder ~ http://www.co.sutter.ca.us/doc/
Yuba City, CA
530 -822 -7120

Tehama County Recorder ~ http://www.co.tehama.ca.us/bdm_certs.cfm
Red Bluff, CA
916 -527 -3350

Trinity County Recorder ~ http://www.trinitycounty.org/Departments/
Weaverville, CA
916 -623 -1222

Tulare County Clerk ~ http://www.co.tulare.ca.us/civica/
Visalia, CA
559 -733 -6518

Tuolumne County Clerk ~ http://portal.co.tuolumne.ca.us
Sonora, CA
209 -533 -5570

Ventura County Recorder ~ http://gsa-docushare.countyofventura.org/
Ventura, CA
805 -654 -2263

Yolo County Clerk ~ http://www.yolorecorder.org/vital/birth/
Woodland, CA
530 -666 -8130

Yuba County Clerk ~ http://www.co.yuba.ca.us/content/
Marysville, CA
530 -741 -6341

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