California vital records are available through the County Recorder’s office as well as the Local Health Department.  The Health Department is able to provide California vital records for recent births and deaths.  If you know the county of occurrence, you will be able to find California birth certificates, California death certificates, California marriage licenses and divorce decrees.  These county offices are able to provide a faster processing time than the State office.  Many county offices may also accept request by fax, phone or email.  If you require certified copies of divorce decrees or marriage records, you must obtain these from the specific county office where the event took place.

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Information On California’s Vital Records

How to Contact California's Vital Records Offices by Life Event

Birth Certificates

$12 per copy

Contact Information:
California's Office of Vital Records
Dept. of Health Services
Post Office Box 730241
Sacramento, CA 94244-0241

The state office in California carries vital records dating back to 1905.  If you need vital records earlier than 1905 you can write to the County Recorder in the county that the event occurred.

Please make your money order or check payable to State Registrar, Department of health services or California Office of Vital Records. The California Office of Vital Records does accept personal checks. You can confirm the current fees by listening to the recorded message at (916) 445- 2684.

California Death Vital Records Information

$8.00 per copy

Contact Information:
California Office of Vital Records
California Department of Health Services
Post Office Box 730241
Sacramento, CA 94244- 0241

The state office in California carries vital records dating back to July 1905. If you need vital records earlier than 1905 you can write to the County Recorder in the county that the event occurred.

Please make your money order or check payable to State Registrar, the California Department of Health Services or the California Office of Vital Records.  The California Office of Vital Records does accept personal checks.  You can confirm the current fees by listening to the recorded message at (916) 445- 2684.

California State Marriage Records Information

$12 per copy

Contact Information:
California Office of Vital Records
California Department of Health Services
Post Office Box 730241
Sacramento, CA 94244- 0241

The state office in California carries vital records dating back to 1905. If you need vital records earlier than 1905 you can write to the County Recorder in the county that the event occurred.

California Divorce Records Information

$12 per copy

Contact Information:
California Office of Vital Records
California Department of Health Services
Post Office Box 730241
Sacramento, CA 94244- 0241

The California Office of Vital Records charges a fee to search and identify the county where you can obtain a certified copy.  This search is only for the years 1962 to 1984. If the divorce occurred outside of this time then write to the county clerk in which the divorce took place.  The state health Department cannot provide certified copies of divorce decrees.

County Divorce Records Information

This fee per copy varies.

The county where the divorce was granted will determine which Clerk of Superior Court you need to contact.

California Helpful Links

California Center for Health Statistics - Provides inforamtion on the Center for Health Statistics including instructions on how to order a certified copy from the California Office of Vital Records. Also provides marriage licenses, registration and ceremony information.

California Dept. of Health Statistics - Download forms to obtain birth, marriage and death certificates in the state. Forms are PDF downloads.

County of Alameda Clerk-Recorder's Office - Information on the office including marriage ceromonies, and instructions on ordering a birth certificate and death certificate.

Amador County Recorder-Clerk - Information on how to obtain vital statistics including births and deaths, marriage license information and instructions on how to obtain these records.

Butte County Clerk-Recorder - Provides information on vital records, marriage licenses, names and other vital records in the state.

Calaveras County Clerk-Recorder - Provides informaiton on the vital statistics including births, deaths and amarriages in the county. Includes information on certified birth and death records.

Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - Information on vital statistics in the state including birth certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates and official records in the state.

Contra Costa County - Search for public marriage records in the state. Search by groom and bried anem.

El Dorado County - Provides information on the county including marriage license issuance instructions. Instructions on how to order copies of vital records in the county.

Fresno County Public Marriage Records - Provides a public marriage records search for the county. Search by groom and bride name.

County of Glenn Recorder - Download forms for certified copies of birth, deaths, marrige licenses, and marriage applications.

Humboldt County Recorder's Office - Instructions on obtaining birth, death and marriage certificates. PDF request forms for certified copies of birth certificates, death and marriage certificates.

Kern County - Includes instructions on obtaining marriages, deaths and birth certificates.

Kings County Recorder- Offers information on how to request birth certificates and death certificates in the state. Includes information on the marriage certificate requests as well.

Lassen County Recorder - Information on requesting vital records and online requests for vital records.

Los Angeles County Online Marriage License Application - Apply for marriage licenses online.

San Fernando Valley Vital Statistics - View San Fernando Valley Vital Statistics newspaper extracts for the state dating back to 1911. Includes extract from a variety of different newspapers in the county.

Madera County Clerk-Recorder Division - Information on requesting vital records in the county. Also provides information on the various other public records that are available in the state.

County of Marin Assessor-Recorder - Online form to submit a vital records inquiry in the county.

Mariposa County Assessor and Recorder - Downloadable forms and recording fees for the county including recording hours for deeds, marriage, birth and death certificates.

Mariposa Research - Includes databases of births, marriages, obituaries, naturalizations and surnames in the county. Includes information on cemeteries of Mariposa County. Also provides information on graduates of Mariposa schools and oldphone directories.

County of Mendocino, Assessor-County Clerk-Recoder - Information on the office including fees and methods for obtaining vital records in the county.

Mono County Clerk-Recorder's Office - Information on recording fees and information. Includes a fee sheet and instructions on obtaining vital records certificates.

County of Monterey Recorder-County Clerk - Information on obtaining marriage licenses, recording fees, birth certificates, death certificates and other vital records.

Napa County Vital Records - Information on ordering vital records including birth, death and marriage certificates in the county.

Nevada County - Provides information on ordering a birth or death certificate, marriage certificate, licenses and other recorded documents.

Nevada County Genealogical Society - Information on the society including county surnames, surname database, research policy, California genealogy holdings, maps and more.

Orange County Guidelines for Ordering Vital Records - Inforamtion on birth, marriage and death records. Includes instructions for obtaining certified copies of birth records, marriage records and death records.

Placer County Public Marriage Records Search - Search for public marriage records in the state by groom and brides name.

Plumas County Clerk-Recorder - Includes an online vital records request including clerk forms, fee scheduels and immigartion and naturalization links.

Riverside County - Instructions on obtaining certified copies of birth, death and marriage certificates. Also includes in formation on obtaining a marriage license, confidential marriage licences, marriage ceremony informaiton and Saturday weddings.

Palm Springs Public Library - Provides local obituaries and local items of interest that have been indexed by the library dating back to 1983.

North County Times - Obituaries archive and recent obituaries for the area.

Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder - Offers information on the office and how to obtain copies of birth and death records in the county.

San Bernardino Audito/Controller-Recorder ACR eAccess - Includes information on how to request vital records online inclduing requesting marriage certificates online with a credit card, by mail or fax as well as requesting birth or death certificates by mail.

San Diego Genealogical Society - Offers information on the non-profit organization including databases of surnames as well as limited queries.

1850 Census of San Diego County, CA - Provides 19 pages of census information including names of individuals who participated in the Census.

San Francisco Office of the Assesor-Recorder - Instructions and information on obtaining marriage certificates in the city.