vital records

Processing Times

The California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) estimated processing times for certified copies or amendment of vital records are listed below, which may occasionally increase as the volume of requests increases. The processing time begins when CDPH-VR receives your request.

County offices can sometimes process certified copy requests faster than CDPH-VR.

Requests for Certified Copies

CDPH-VR’s average time to process a certified copy request is 7 to 9 weeks.

Requests for Amendments

CDPH-VR’s average time to process an amendment request is 12 to 14 weeks (processing times for incomplete requests will vary).

For incomplete requests, it takes approximately 14–16 weeks from the date received to issue a letter requesting the outstanding required documentation.
Once the required documents are received, it takes approximately 6–8 weeks for a request to be completed and mailed from our office.

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