Amending a Birth Certificate After a Court Order Name Change

An Amendment of Birth Record to Reflect a Court Order Change of Name VS 23 (PDF) form and court order are required to:

• Change the name of the registrant

Note: When a Court Order Name Change is being submitted to update parent’s names on their child’s birth certificate after obtaining a court order name change or name change through the naturalization process:

• A parent’s name change may only be added to their child’s birth certificate as an AKA (also known as).  An Affidavit to Amend a Record VS 24 (PDF) form and certified copy of the court order name change or naturalization documentation must be submitted to CDPH-VR. Please see Correcting or Amending a Birth Certificate webpage for more information.

Supporting Documents

Supporting documents are used to support the information being amended.  Acceptable documents include copies of the following:

• Certified copy of court orders
• Any other documents that support the request for the amendment

A certified copy of the court order is required when submitting an Amendment of Birth Record to Reflect a Court Order Change of Name.

Sworn Statement

A notarized Sworn Statement, completed by an authorized person, is required to receive a certified authorized copy of the amended certificate. Please visit the Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy webpage for a list of authorized persons. 

Certified Court Order

A “certified” copy of the court order must be a copy of the order that was originally prepared by the court and signed by the judge.  It cannot be an original printout.  The photocopy you receive from the court must have all of the following:

• An original court seal
• A signature (or signature stamp) of the judge
• An original signature (or signature stamp) of the court clerk

Amendment Fees

• Amending a birth certificate after a Court Order Name Change is twenty-three dollars ($23) to process and includes a certified copy of the amended certificate
• Additional copies are twenty-five dollars ($25) each

Processing Times

CDPH-VR processing times may occasionally increase as do the volume of requests.

Currently Court Order Name Change Amendments are being processed within six (6) to eight (8) weeks from the date CDPH-VR receives the request.

Helpful Tips

• Complete all documents in black ink
• No erasures, alterations or whiteouts allowed on the VS 23 form
• This will create a multi-page certificate with the amendment attached

Helpful Links

Amendment of Birth Record to Reflect a Court Order Change of Name VS 23 (PDF) form.

Amendment Sworn Statements (English) (Spanish)

Directory of County Vital Record Offices

Other Amendment Types

General Birth Amendment

Correcting a Sex Field Error

Sex Change/Reassignment

Adoption

Acknowledgement of Paternity/Parentage

Adjudication of Facts of Parentage

Supplemental Name Report

Death/Fetal Death

Marriage