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Data Types and Limitations

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To receive announcements when new CDPH Vital Records data files become available, please subscribe to the Vital Records Data distribution e-mail LISTSERVā€‹

Vital Statistics Data Request Guide

For information regarding the availability of data and the data request process, see the ā€‹ā€‹Vital Statistics Request Guide (PDF)

ā€‹Data Limitations

Vital Statistics data is derived from the registration process and includes confidential and non-confidential identifiers, demographic information, and medical/health data from the certificate.  The information on the certificates are provided by informants and clinicians; accuracy and completeness is dependent on the reporting parties. Vital Statistics data may not be accurate or complete due to a variety of circumstances, including amendments to the legal records that may have been filed after the production of the data files. Data files are not legal records and should not be used as substitutes for the legal records from which they were derived.

Vital Records Data Available from CDC WONDER

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) is a web-based resource that provides state and county level vital statistic data for births, deaths, and infant mortality. CDC WONDER may serve as an alternative resource for data inquiries. The Vital Records Data Available from CDC WONDER chart (PDF) summarizes common data query capabilities from CDC WONDER.

Vital Records Data Appliā€‹ā€‹cations

Data applications differ based on your affiliation with an entity and the use of the data. For more information regarding Data Applications and Data Dictionaires please go to the Data Applications and Data Dictionaries webpage.

Vital Records Data File Types

Birth Data Files

The birth files include all state registered births, and births to California residents that occurred out-of-state.  These files contain detailed demographic information related to the child, mother, and father, as well as medical data related to the birth.  CPHS and VSAC approvals are required to obtain the confidential data fields.  

In addition, Public Use and Anti-Fraud data files are available. The public-use and anti-fraud files are non-comprehensive and not intended to be a precise enumeration of birth events in a given year.  Both the public-use and anti-fraud files may contain multiple entries for a single birth event. The public-use and anti-fraud files may also omit some birth events. As a result, the number of records in the public-use and anti-fraud files may differ significantly from the actual number of birth events in a given year.  Data users interested in a precise enumeration of vital events for a given year, may reference the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) public files or complete and submit a research application to CHSI in order to access the comprehensive birth files. If you have any questions regarding the public-use and anti-fraud files, please contact HIRS@cdph.ca.gov.

For information about the data sources available for request, please see the Birth Data Sources Comparison Chart (XLSX).

ā€‹Death Data Files

The death files are available with in-state California deaths only, a combination of in-state deaths and deaths of California residents that occurred in other states or jurisdictions, or out-of-state deaths only.  CPHS and the VSAC approvals may be required to obtain the death files. 

In addition, Public Use and Anti-Fraud data files are available. The public-use and anti-fraud files are non-comprehensive and not intended to be a precise enumeration of death events in a given year.  Both the public-use and anti-fraud files may contain multiple entries for a single death event. The public-use and anti-fraud files may also omit some death events. As a result, the number of records in the public-use and anti-fraud files may differ significantly from the actual number of death events in a given year.  Data users interested in a precise enumeration of vital events for a given year, may reference the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) public files or complete and submit a research application to CHSI in order to access the comprehensive death files. If you have any questions regarding the public-use and anti-fraud files, please contact HIRS@cdph.ca.gov.

For information about the data sources available for request, please see the Death Data Sources Comparison Chart (XLSX).

California Cancer Registry (CCR)
Researchers may apply to receive death record data linked to the California Cancer Registry (CCR).  For information related to the CCR, contact research@ccr.ca.gov.

Contact Information

ā€‹Please contact the Health Information and Research Section (HIRS) at HIRS@cdph.ca.gov for more information related to data. ā€‹

ā€‹ Go to the CHSI Main Page

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