Obtaining Certified Copies of Birth Certificates
The California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) maintains a permanent, public record of every birth that has occurred in California since July 1905.
Processing Times for Birth Certificates
CDPH-VR's estimated processing times for certified copies of birth certificates are listed below, which may occasionally increase as the volume of requests increases. The processing time begins when CDPH-VR receives your request.
County Recorder Offices can sometimes process requests faster than CDPH-VR.
If birth occurred:
|
1905 – 1964
|
Electronic Submission |
4 to 4.5 Weeks |
| Mail-In Request |
5 to 5.5 Weeks |
|
1965 – 2019
|
Electronic Submission |
2.5 to 3 Weeks |
| Mail-In Request |
3.5 to 4 Weeks |
Requesting a Certified Copy