California Vital Records: Order Birth, Death, Marriage & Divorce Certificates in 2026
CA vital records are issued through the California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR). This includes certified copies of birth, death, and public marriage records, plus limited divorce records.
This guide explains how California birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificate requests work, including eligibility, fees, and expected processing times.
DISCLAIMER: Vital Forms Direct is an independent third-party document preparation service and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. You may also request California vital records directly through the CDPH-VR or the appropriate county office.
What CA Vital Record Do You Need?
Need help preparing a California vital records request? Vital Forms Direct can help you organize the information needed for your application and understand the next steps for submission.
California Birth Certificates
A California birth certificate can be requested from CDPH-VR for births that occurred in California from July 1905 onward. CDPH-VR maintains statewide California birth records.
You can also order certified copies from a county office, but only in the county where the birth occurred. Birth records are available 21 days after the birth date.
How to order a birth certificate in California
To submit an application for a California birth certificate copy, follow these steps:
- Fill out an application and select between an authorized certified copy (accepted for ID and citizenship purposes) or an informational certified copy (for family research only).
- Submit any required documents, including a notarized sworn statement if requesting an authorized copy.
- Include payment by check or money order if applying by mail to CDPH-VR.
Informational copies are marked “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity.” They may have some items redacted and can’t be used for official processes, like requesting a state ID or passport.
How to replace a lost California birth certificate
To order a California birth certificate replacement, you follow the same process as ordering a certified copy.
If your original birth certificate document is lost, damaged, or no longer available, you can still order a copy, as state authorities maintain their own version of the record. You must provide the key birth details so the record can be located.
Who can request a California birth certificate?
Authorized California birth certificate copies are restricted to eligible requesters to protect privacy and prevent identity fraud. This covers:
- The person named on the record
- Their parents or legal guardians
- Their child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling
- Their spouse or domestic partner
- Any party entitled by court order, certain attorneys, licensed adoption agencies, and law enforcement or government representatives
California also restricts the confidential section of a birth record. A confidential copy may be requested by the person named on the birth certificate, the parent who signed the certificate, the mother if no parent signed, or a person who has petitioned to adopt the person named on the certificate.
California birth certificate cost and processing time
The current CDPH-VR fee is $31 per certified birth copy. For mail requests, payment must be made by check or money order payable to CDPH-VR / CDPH-Vital Records. Do not send cash.
If you use private application support services, like Vital Forms Direct, you’ll also pay an additional service fee.
CDPH-VR’s average processing time for certified copy requests is 5 to 7 weeks, beginning when the office receives the request.
How to get an expedited California birth certificate
There’s no official service that offers a rush California birth certificate. Vital Forms Direct can guide you through the form-completion stage and advise on the next steps. This helps you:
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Skip confusing government sites and learn exactly what’s needed to apply
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Understand the next steps for submission in your individual case
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Avoid delays and rejection due to missing details or documents
In many states, we also offer Premium Processing. This means we take care of submission, so all you need to do is wait for delivery of your certified documents. If available, you’ll see this option before payment.
You can also submit your request through state channels and pay only the fees established by the CDPH-VR, county clerk’s office, county recorder, or Superior Court.
California Death Certificates
The CDPH-VR issues certified copies of California death records statewide and maintains a permanent public record of every death that has occurred in California since July 1905.
Death records are available two weeks after the date of death. Copies may also be obtained from the county office where the death was registered.
How to get a death certificate in California
The application process for a certified copy of a death certificate in California is as follows:
- Fill out an application, providing as much detail as possible. Select between an authorized certified copy and an informational certified copy.
- Submit any required documents, including a notarized sworn statement if requesting an authorized copy.
- Prepare payment by check or money order if applying by mail to CDPH-VR.
- Mail the request to CDPH-VR or submit in person at the county office where the death was registered.
To get additional copies, or a replacement death certificate in California, the process is the same.
Informational copies are for family research only. You need an authorized copy to handle a person’s estate after their passing. If you need copies for banks, insurance firms, or similar agencies, you need a notarized sworn statement to prove you’re eligible.
Funeral establishments are exempt from the notary requirement, but they must complete the top portion of the sworn statement page.
Who can get a death certificate in California?
Authorized California death certificate copies are available only to certain people, including the following relatives of the deceased person:
- Parents or legal guardians
- Grandparents, children, grandchildren, and siblings
- Spouse or domestic partner
- Surviving next of kin
Court-authorized parties, estate representatives, attorneys, and funeral establishment agents acting within the scope of employment can also access the record.
Informational death certificate copies are available to anyone who completes the application process. They may have some items redacted and can’t be used for official processes.
California death certificate cost and processing time
The current CDPH-VR fee for a California death certificate is $26 per certified death record copy. For mail requests, payment must be made by check or money order payable to CDPH-VR / CDPH-Vital Records. Cash isn’t accepted.
County office fees may vary. If you apply using Vital Forms Direct support, you’ll pay an additional service fee.
CDPH-VR’s average processing time for certified copy requests is 5 to 7 weeks, from the date they receive your application. If you need the record sooner, in person requests at the county office where the death was registered are usually faster.
California Marriage Certificates
CDPH-VR can issue copies of public marriage records from 1905 to 1999 and from 2008 to 2024. It cannot provide certified copies from 2000 to 2007, or from 2025 onwards.
For public marriage records outside CDPH-VR’s available years, request the certificate from the county recorder where the marriage license was issued.
California also has confidential marriage records, which are issued only by the county clerk's office in the county where the marriage license was issued. They’re available only to the two parties named on the certificate unless there is a court order.
To know whether your marriage record is public or confidential, check the type of marriage license that was issued at the time. Both types of marriage records are available 6 months after the event date.
How to get a marriage certificate in California
Before requesting a copy of your marriage record, you first need to establish if it was publicly or confidentially recorded. The office to apply to is:
- CDPH-VR for public marriage from 1905-1999 and 2008-2024
- County recorder where the union was registered for all other public marriages
- County clerk's office where the union was registered for all confidential records
Once you have the correct office, follow these steps to request a certified copy:
- Complete the application form, providing as much detail as possible about the union. Select between an authorized certified copy (for official use) and an informational certified copy (for research only).
- Submit any required documents, including a notarized sworn statement for authorized copies.
- Prepare payment by check or money order if applying by mail to CDPH-VR.
- Mail the request, file it online, or submit it in person if the office provides this service.
The rules for replacement marriage certificates in California are the same as for requesting additional copies. Whether you just need extra copies for your records, or the original has been lost or damaged, you apply to the relevant office in the same way.
Who can request a California marriage certificate?
For public marriage records, there are two types of certified copies of a marriage certificate available in California: authorized copies and informational copies.
Authorized copies are used for official and legal purposes to prove marriage, so they can only be requested by certain people, including:
- Both spouses listed on the record
- Their parents, legal guardians, children, grandparents, grandchildren, or siblings
- A party entitled by court order, a legal representative or other person acting on behalf of the registrant or estate
Anyone who’s not eligible for an authorized copy can request an informational version. It’s still a certified copy issued by the appropriate office, but it’s marked “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity.”
Confidential marriage records are different. They’re available only to the two parties named on the certificate unless there is a court order.
California marriage certificate cost and processing time
The current CDPH-VR fee is $19 per certified marriage copy. For mail requests, payment must be made by check or money order payable to CDPH-Vital Records. If you’re applying at a county clerk or county recorder office, inquire about accepted payment methods.
CDPH-VR’s average processing time for certified copy requests is 5 to 7 weeks from receipt of your application. If you need your California marriage record more quickly, in person office applications are usually faster.
Vital Forms Direct helps you order a California marriage certificate online. Our service fee is charged separately from state costs.
California Divorce Records
California divorce records are handled differently from birth, death, and marriage certificates. CDPH-VR maintains divorce records only from 1962 through June 1984 and can provide only a certificate of record for separations within that date range.
A divorce certificate of record is not the same as a divorce decree. The certificate of record confirms that a divorce filing is on record and includes basic details such as the names of the parties, filing date, county, and case number. It doesn’t include the full court judgment, settlement terms, or final divorce order.
A divorce decree is the official court document that finalizes the divorce. California divorce decree copies are available only from the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted.
For divorces filed before 1962 or from July 1984 onwards, or whenever you need the full decree, contact the appropriate Superior Court instead of CDPH-VR.
How to get divorce records in California
To order divorce records in California, follow these steps:
- Complete the application form, sharing as many details as possible to help locate the record quickly.
- Supply any additional documents required.
- Prepare payment of the relevant fees.
- For a certificate of record for divorces from 1962 through June 1984, submit the request to CDPH-VR by mail. For other dates, or for divorce decree copies, apply to the Superior Court in the county where the decree was granted.
County clerks and county recorders handle other vital records such as marriage records, but divorce decree and record requests are handled exclusively by the Superior Court or CDPH-VR, depending on the date.
Who can request a California divorce record?
CDPH-VR doesn’t have restricted eligibility rules for divorce certificates of record. Submit your request by mail with the correct paperwork to order a copy.
For full divorce decree copies, the issuing body is the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. The court that holds the case record determines access, copy options, certification, fees, and any restrictions on who’s eligible to apply.
California divorce record cost and processing time
California certificates of record for divorce issued by the CDPH-VR are charged at $18 per certified copy. For mail requests, payment must be made by check or money order payable to CDPH-Vital Records.
Processing times for divorce records issued by the CDPH-VR may exceed six months. Superior Court wait times vary. Contact the relevant court for their current wait times.
Frequently Asked Questions: California Vital Records
What’s the difference between authorized and informational copies of California vital records?
An authorized certified copy can be used for official and legal purposes, like applying for ID, and is available only to certain people. A notarized sworn statement is required for authorized birth, death, and public marriage copy requests.
An informational certified copy is marked “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity” and cannot be used to file official paperwork. Usually, anyone can apply for an informational record for research purposes.
Can I get a California birth certificate online?
You can prepare a California birth certificate application online with Vital Forms Direct. The official record is issued by CDPH-VR or the county of birth, and is usually delivered to your home address. CDPH-VR issues statewide California birth records, while counties issue only records for events in that county.
How do I get a certified copy of a California divorce decree?
To get a certified California divorce decree copy, you must request it from the Superior Court in the county where the decree was granted. CDPH-VR can provide only a certificate of record for divorces from 1962 through June 1984, which proves filing but no other details.
Who’s eligible to request a California birth or death certificate?
Informational copies of CA birth and death certificates can be requested by anyone who applies. For authorized copies, there are eligibility restrictions. To get a birth certificate copy, you must be the person named on the record, a family member, or a legal representative or court-authorized party.
For authorized death records, only relatives, estate representatives, certain officials, attorneys, funeral establishment agents, and surviving next of kin as specified by law are eligible.
How long does it take to get a California vital record?
CDPH-VR’s average processing time for certified birth, death, and marriage copy requests is 5 to 7 weeks. Wait times for divorce record processing via the CDPH-VR may exceed six months. Superior Court wait times vary.
Are there rush, same-day, or expedited options for California vital records?
The fastest way to get a birth certificate in California is usually to apply from the county office where the birth was registered. For marriage and divorce records, as well as expedited California death certificates, you can also usually get quicker service from the relevant local office:
- Birth certificates: Apply through the county where the birth was registered.
- Marriage certificates: Contact the county recorder where the license was issued or the marriage took place.
- Death certificates: In-person requests at the county where the death was registered may be faster than applying through CDPH-VR.
- Divorce records: The relevant Superior Court may provide expedited service.
How much does a California birth, death, or marriage certificate cost?
As of 2026, CDPH-VR fees are $31 for an official birth record, $26 for a certified death copy and $19 for a certified marriage copy. A divorce certificate of record costs $18. Fees at county recorders and county clerk offices may vary.
Where do I mail California vital record requests?
For CDPH-VR mail requests, the mailing address is:
California Department of Public Health
Vital Records – MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
What is a confidential marriage record in California, and can I order it?
Confidential marriage records are available only to the two parties named on the certificate unless there’s a court order. This type of record isn’t maintained by CDPH-VR. To order a copy, apply to the county clerk's office where the confidential marriage license was issued.
Can I get an expedited or same-day California birth certificate?
California birth certificate applications processed by the CDPH-VR don’t have an expedited or same-day service. Contact the county recorder’s office where the birth occurred for details on current wait times, as they’re usually shorter.