California Amendment of Parentage Application (VS 21)
Official state formParentage and paternityForm VS 21Free downloadLast verified November 10, 2026
Pamphlet and application to add, remove or replace a parent on a California birth certificate, based on a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage, a marriage or domestic partnership, or a court order. It is mailed to the state vital records office.
Who can use this form
- Parents adding a second parent to a blank parent field, with a filed Voluntary Declaration of Parentage or a marriage or registered domestic partnership
- Anyone with a court order establishing parentage
- A court order is required to remove or replace a parent, or when a parent is unavailable or unwilling to sign
What to send with it
- Completed VS 21 form
- Certified copy of the Voluntary Declaration of Parentage (DCSS 0909) if the parents are not married to each other
- Certified copy of the court order, if one applies
- Optional: photocopy of the marriage certificate or domestic partnership declaration, and of the child's birth certificate
- Payment by check or money order payable to CDPH Vital Records
- Completed notarized sworn statement (VS 20, included in the PDF)
Where to send it
- Mail to
- CDPH - Vital Records MS 5105 P.O. Box 997410 Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
- State fee
- $26 to amend, which includes one certified copy of the new certificate. Additional certified copies are $31 each.
- Typical processing
- The form does not state a time. The office's processing times page lists an average of 7 to 9 weeks for amendments.
- Form revision
- 01/2026
- Source
- Official government page