Other Frequently Asked Questions
Apostille
An Apostille is needed when a vital record is filed with a foreign government. Apostilles are issued for vital records initially filed with the California Secretary of State’s office. You may request the following records in an apostille: birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates.
How can I get an apostille for a vital record?
You must submit any request for vital records and documents to the California Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento at the following address:
California Department of Public Health
Vital Records – MS 5103
PO Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
The only way to obtain an Apostille for California vital records is through the California Secretary of State. You can reach the Secretary of State’s office at (916) 653-2255 or online at www.ss.ca.gov.
Correcting or Amending Vital Records
The deadline to obtain a Real ID has been extended to May 3, 2023.
The REAL ID Act is a new federal law regarding driver’s licenses that may affect those individuals whose vital records do not match their driver’s licenses. To prevent delays when applying for your Real ID driver’s license, you are encouraged to review your birth and/or marriage to ensure your name, sex, and date of birth are listed correctly.
To assist, CDPH has provided a list of common scenarios requiring an amendment to the person’s birth and/or marriage certificate.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) provides a straightforward process when an individual must correct or amend a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or a family member’s death certificate as authorized by law. There are different forms depending on the information that needs to be amended. An amendment is required when a vital record is changed. Supplemental changes become addendums to the original vital record. However, no entity can alter the original document.
The requirements for requesting the changes or amendments vary depending on which vital record needs changing.
Typically, requests to correct or amend vital records will require
- A completed amendment application;
- Supporting documentation;
- Appropriate fee(s);
- A notarized sworn statement completed by an authorized person – Only if requesting an authorized certified copy.
Learn more about amending birth, death, and marriage certificates.
Search Public Records
Where can I search for free public records?
Finding free public records can be complicated, but many vital records in California are freely and readily available to the public. With its search engine, you can search through California’s confidential birth, marriage, and divorce records to find the information you want, but be prepared to devote substantial time reviewing records.
Are California Vital Records Open to the Public?
Most state records are public in California. The access, however, will depend on the types of records you’re looking for and the year when the birth, death, or marriage occurred.
Some third-party websites make it easy to research specific types of vital records. Generally speaking, these sites are not limited based on geographical availability and can be a great point of reference when researching records. However, the data on these third-party sites may differ from official government reports. To find a record on a third-party website, the person requesting must provide:
- The location of the record you’re looking for, including the city, county, or state where it was recorded.
- The name of the person on record, if it is not a minor.
Californians have the right under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) to inspect or obtain copies of public vital records.
How to Verify if Your Vital Record Is Official
Each state, county, and municipality has different vital records. Depending on which municipality or agency issued your Birth, Death, or Marriage Certificate, you may want to check what the documents look like to ensure you have the official certified copy. One way to recognize informational copies of vital records is that they come with a stamp or large print across the face of the document that reads “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity” or something similar.
What Are the Differences Between Authorized Copies Versus Informational Copies?
Authorized Copy
Certified copies constitute legal documents that can be used for official identification, while parties cannot use informational copies to establish identity. As a result, certified copies of vital records are only issued to individuals with a “direct and tangible interest” in the document.
If you request an authorized birth, death, or marriage certificate, you must complete the Sworn Statement, which includes an acknowledgment of your legal rights to the authorized copy. Anyone who requests a birth, death, or marriage certificate will have to provide a notarized Sworn Statement attesting they are eligible to make that request for the authorized copy (declaring under penalty of perjury that you are entitled by law to receive an authorized copy). Without the notarized Sworn Statement, the request will be rejected as incomplete and returned to you without processing, leading to further delays.
Informational Copy
If you request an informational copy, you do not need to provide a Sworn Statement. No documentation is required to obtain informational copies of a public vital record. In compliance with the California Public Records Act (CPRA), citizens have the right to inspect or obtain copies of public records.
Find more references regarding birth, death, and marriage certificates in the resources section.
Vital Records Online is Secure, Compliant, Supportive, Flexible
Vital Records Online is owned and operated in the US and has assisted over 1 Million US citizens to obtain authorized copies of their vital records with a secure track record since 2018. Vital Records Online is also a preferred vendor by the CDPH-VR.