Important Information
Copies of Vital Records
Birth, death, and marriage records are only available from
California Department of Public Health - Vital Records after they have
been recorded by the County Recorder's Office.
Because of the
delays resulting from this process, CDPH-VR suggests the following for
certified copies:
- Birth and Death: Be requested from the County Health
Department or the County Recorder's Office for the first 3 months after
the event.
- Marriage: Be requested from the County
Recorder's Office for the first 6 months after the event.
- If
a record is requested from CDPH-VR at any time and the record is not yet
available in the database, a Certificate of No Public Record will be
issued and the fee with be retained as authorized by State law.
Amended Certified Copies
Amendments to
birth and death records are frequently submitted to the CDPH-VR to correct
errors or add information to original documents. Typically, certified
copies of amended certificates are requested at the same time the amendment is
submitted, and the applicant receives a certified copy once the amendment is
completed.
If you submit a separate request for a certified copy
before the amendment has been completed, you will receive a copy of the
original (un-amended) record.