How to Get California Vital Records (Start Here)
Vital records in California — birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce records — can be obtained from County Recorder (local) / CDPH (state). Marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk.
What this page covers: California vital record ordering, eligibility requirements, and related databases. What it does not cover: Genealogy records older than the state vital records system (check the Genealogy Resources page for historical records).
Where to start: For certified copies of birth or death certificates, contact County Recorder (local) / CDPH (state). For marriage licenses, contact the County Clerk in the county where the ceremony will occur. For divorce records, contact the court that granted the decree.
Common mistake: Birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees come from different offices. Do not assume one office handles all vital records.
Statewide vital-records agency
Parent agency
Records back to
California Vital Records • FamilySearch
Online ordering
Informational pamphlets and copies of all our applications for certified copies
Marriage license issued by
Local intake
Population
39,431,263
Households
13,548,091
Median Income
$95,521
Median Home Value
$734,700
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: California vital records URL verified against the official state publisher at www.cdph.ca.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.
California Vital Records — Key Facts (2026)
Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records for California — who can request, how to order, and what 2026 changed.
State-only
Issuing authority
Not federal
Restricted
Birth/death access
Usually self + family
75-125 yr
When records become public
Genealogy threshold
VitalChek
3rd-party portal
Used by many states
CDC NVSS
National statistics
Data only, no certificates
The person named
100%
Parent of subject
100%
Spouse of subject
90%
Adult child
90%
Legal representative
80%
General public (recent)
10%
General public (historical 75+yr)
95%
Unit: % likely to receive a certified copy.
What Changed in 2026 — California Vital Records
2026
California vital records portal active
The official California portal at www.cdph.ca.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for vital records in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for vital records
The CDC National Vital Statistics System at www.cdc.gov provides federal-level context that complements California state records.
2026
California access in 2026
For 2026, California continues to publish vital records information through state-authorized portals; check www.cdph.ca.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE California's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.
The 4-Step California Vital Records Pathway
1
Step 1 — Confirm state of event
Vital records are issued by the state where the event happened. For events in California, start with the California health department.
2
Step 2 — Verify eligibility
Most states restrict birth/death to self, parents, spouse, child, or legal rep.
3
Step 3 — Choose ordering method
California typically allows mail, in-person, or online (often via VitalChek).
4
Step 4 — Genealogy fallback
California records older than 75-125 years are usually public — try FamilySearch or NARA.
Five Things People Get Wrong About California Vital Records
MYTH"VitalChek is a government website."
FACTIt's a private company that many states authorize to process orders. Legitimate, yes — but the extra convenience fees are theirs, not the state's.
MYTH"Every birth was registered on time."
FACTHome births and older rural births often went unrecorded for years. Delayed registration files exist precisely because of this — ask the state archives.
MYTH"The court divorce file and the divorce record are one document."
FACTTwo systems: the court keeps the case file, the vital records office keeps the divorce record/certificate. Which one you need depends on who's asking for it.
MYTH"A death index entry and a death certificate are the same."
FACTThe index proves a death was recorded; the certified certificate carries the legal details. Banks and courts want the certificate, not a screenshot of the index.
MYTH"Old records stay sealed forever."
FACTThe opposite — most states open birth records after 75-125 years and death records sooner. That's why genealogy sites are full of historical certificates.
Primary Sources and Official Record Portals
- www.cdph.ca.gov — Official California Vital Records — State portal for California vital records
- CDC National Vital Statistics System — National Vital Statistics System
- CDC — Where to Write for Records — CDC state-by-state directory
- National Archives — Vital Records — Federal genealogy & vital guide
- Social Security Death Master File — Social Security death records
- Census — Births and Deaths — Census Bureau vital statistics
- VA — Veterans Records — Veterans Administration records
Related Vital Records Resources
📍 Other California records:
- California Court Records →
- California Criminal Records →
- California Property Records →
- California Voter Records →
- California Wants & Warrants →
- California Licenses →
- California Recorded Documents →
🇺🇸 Vital Records in other states:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
National: U.S. Vital Records hub →
Related Public Records
More California records: Court records · Criminal records · Wants & warrants · Property records · Voter records · Licenses · Recorded docs
National view of this topic: All states: Vital records
Vital Records Databases
51 official California vital records sources.
Vital Records
RECORD OF DEATHS IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, 1895-1901
Official Free
In 2007 I finished transcribing the data in Volume C, 1889-1894 from the film. (Volume C actually extends to March 1895.) That transcription contains data on 5217 deaths .
Divorce or Separation | Superior Court of California | County of Alameda
Official Free
Court case information for California — dockets, hearing dates, and case lookups. If a link breaks, the office homepage at alameda.courts.ca.gov carries the new path.
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF AMADOR FCS-300-INFO
Official Free
Court case information for California. Coverage is deepest for recent decades and thins out further back — check the stated start dates. The docket is the official chronology; news accounts and third-party sites derive from it.
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF AMADOR RULES OF COURT
Official Free
Court’s website, www.amadorcourt.org. Notice of any Ex Parte Application to · Set Matter on Calendar must be provided to the opposing party no less than
Contra Costa County Birth Records - How to Get a Birth Certificate | CaliforniaBirthIndex.org
Official Free
Birth, death, and marriage record requests for Contra Costa County route through this office. It sits outside government; official offices remain the record of authority.
Family Law | Superior Court of California | County of Butte
Official Free
Division The Division located at the North Butte County Courthouse facility (1775 Concord Avenue, Chico) handles all matters (including Dissolution of Marriage, Legal Separation, Nullity, Paternity and Summary Dissolution) and related issues of Child Custody and Visitation, Child and Spousal
Clerk Recorder - Calaveras County
Official Free
Preserves the official archive of legally recordable documents. Maintains records of all marriages, births, and deaths occurring within Calaveras County.
Home | Superior Court of California | County of Calaveras
Official Free
Public Notice: Calaveras County Superior Court to Offer Online Ability To Pay Tool For Infractions. For eligibility information, click here. Request a fine reduction for your eligible infraction offense using the new MyCitations tool.
Tentative Rulings – Case Management | Superior Court of California | County of Calaveras
Official Free
Court case information for California. For copies the site doesn't display, the clerk fills requests at a per-page rate. Coverage is deepest for recent decades and thins out further back — check the stated start dates.
Self-Help | Superior Court of California | County of Colusa
Official Free
The Colusa County Superior Court Self-Help Center provides several services in the family law area that are not offered by the Family Law Facilitator's Office.
Divorce / Legal Separation / Annulment | Superior Court of California | County of Contra Costa
Official Free
View resources and step-by-step guides to help you navigate the divorce process. A dissolution action may be started in Contra Costa County if one or both spouses/partners have resided in this county for at least the last 3 months and in the state of California for at least 6 months .
Family Law | Superior Court of California | County of Fresno
Official Free
Court case information for California — dockets, hearing dates, and case lookups. It is an official government source.
Home | Superior Court of California | County of Glenn
Official Free
Meet with a mediator to develop a parenting plan in the event of a separation or divorce. Settle a dispute fairly, quickly and inexpensively. Prepare for traffic court.
Divorce & Separation | Superior Court of California | County of Kern
Official Free
County of Kern · Scam texts claiming to be from the Court have been reported. These messages include links to fake payment websites and are fraudulent. The Court does not send texts requesting payment. You can report scams and suspicious communications to the Federal Trade Commission. the Taft Courthouse located at 311 N Lincoln is closed until further notice. In California, you get a divorce by starting a court case.
Forms & Filings | Superior Court of California | County of Kings
Official Free
Effective September 1, 2024, the Kings County Superior Court will no longer guarantee the services of a Court Reporter for Unlimited Civil, Limited Civil, Family Law, and Probate case types .
Vital Records - CDPH - CA.gov
Official Free
Vital records information for California. Certified copies come only from the vital records office under eligibility rules; indexes like this confirm the event and date. It is a research index rather than a certificate source — but it tells you exactly what to order and where.
Family | Superior Court of California | County of Marin
Official Free
Unified Court Law Information Court Services Court Community Resources Domestic Violence & Restraining Orders Divorce & Legal Separation Tentative Rulings Overview Court is comprised of three distinct areas: Law Division of the Civil Clerk's Office, which processes filings and schedules court
tentative rulings
Official Free
Court case information for California — dockets, hearing dates, and case lookups. It is an official government source.
Family Law Division | Superior Court of California | County of Nevada
Official Free
The Family Law division handles all cases involving dissolution of marriage, legal separation, nullity, paternity, domestic violence, child custody, visitation and support at the Nevada City and Truckee courthouses.
Superior Court of California - County of Orange
Official Free
If you know the date or date range of when your case is on calendar, you may narrow your search by selecting those dates in the From and To calendar fields.
Family Law Case Access - Orange County Superior Court
Official Free
The Case Access systems are intended to assist the public in accessing available case data without having to visit the courthouse. The information provided on and obtained from this site does not constitute the official record of the Superior Court of Orange County.
FAQs • Coroner's Office
Official Free
Decedent's name, date of death and Coroner's file number (if known). Include the address where the reports are to be mailed. Include a cashier's check (no personal checks) or money order in the amount of $23 payable to Riverside County Coroner
Public Access | Riverside Superior Court
Official Free
Non-confidential, non-sealed documents are available for download if permitted under the California Rules of Court. A case number is needed in order to download documents. The fee for document download is $1 per page for the first 5 pages and, $.50 per page for each additional page (per document) with a cap of $50 per document.
Sacramento Superior Court's Public Case Access System
Official Free
Sacramento Superior Court has discontinued all fees associated with online searches and document downloads.
Dissolution of Marriage / Domestic Partnership | Superior Court of California | County of San Bernardino
Official Free
Dissolution of Marriage/Domestic Partnership What is it? This petition (also known as Divorce) ends your marriage or domestic partnership. Once your dissolution of marriage is finalized, you go back to single status and you are able to remarry. California is a "no fault" divorce state, which means
Court Index - California
Official Free
The Court Index is a list of cases that have been filed with the court. The index does not provide information on the charges and disposition of cases filed with the court · The index is retained pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 10.851.
San Diego Superior Court - Department Assignments
Official Free
| Hall of Justice | Central Courthouse | Juvenile | Kearny Mesa Facility | North County | East County | South County | Extracted from San Diego Superior Court case management data on 01:00AM 20 May 2026
Divorce, Separation, & Annulment | Superior Court of California | County of San Francisco
Official Free
Court case information for California — dockets, hearing dates, and case lookups. If a link breaks, the office homepage at sf.courts.ca.gov carries the new path.
Family Law Common Form Packets | Superior Court of California | County of San Mateo
Official Free
County of San Mateo · Below are some of the more common form packets that are requested from the clerk's office. Please use the links provided to get electronic access to these forms. All other Judicial Council forms and local forms are also available electronically. FL-107-Info: Legal Steps for a Divorce of Legal Separation ·
Divorce & Legal Separation | Superior Court of California | County of Santa Barbara
Official Free
For an overview of the basic legal concepts and process of filing a divorce, review the California's Self-Help Divorce Index and Divorce Overview.
Smart Search - Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara
Official Free
Court case information for California. Case numbers speed searches considerably, but party names work. Hearing calendars on the same system show what is coming up, not just what happened.
Family Division | Superior Court of California | County of Santa Clara
Official Free
Notice: For custody proceedings set in Department 72 on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m., please read the Standing Order of the Court Regarding Certain Remote Proceedings dated May 28, 2025. E-NOTICE: New rules went into effect on 7/1/25 requiring courts to serve court notices by email in all civil
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Official Free
Community Information Database · HSA Public Health Department Birth and Death Certificates
Smart Search - Santa Cruz Superior Court
Official Free
Court case information for California. Try surname-only searches when a full name returns nothing; spelling variations are common. Case numbers speed searches considerably, but party names work.
Family Law Division | Superior Court of California | County of Shasta
Official Free
Case records from the California courts serving California surface through this system. It is an official government source.
Divorce, Legal Separation & Nullity | Superior Court of California | County of Siskiyou
Official Free
Petitioner Starting a Case Confidential Forms: FW 001 Request To Waive Court Fees FW 003 Order On Court Fee Waiver Confidential Case Info. Sheet Initial Forms To File: FL 110 Summons Family Law FL-110 Instructions FL 100 Petition Family Law FL-100 Instructions FL 311 Custody & Visitation Attachment
Solano Superior Court | Portal
Official Free
This portal site allows you to search case data and provides parties in a case with an enhanced view of their case information from the Court's case management system · Please utilize the link below for the applicable instructions: Account Creation and Search Instructions
Family Law FAQs | Superior Court of California | County of Sonoma
Official Free
Court case information for California. Hearing calendars on the same system show what is coming up, not just what happened. Try surname-only searches when a full name returns nothing; spelling variations are common.
Family Law | Superior Court of California | County of Sonoma
Official Free
Division The types of matters processed in the Division include Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce), Legal Separation, Nullity, Establishment and Termination of Parental Rights, Child Support, Child Custody and Visitation, Family Support, Adoptions, and Domestic Violence Restraining Order matters. Ex
Dissolution, Legal Separation and Nullity
Official Free
The Superior Court of Stanislaus County is dedicated to providing equal access to justice, serving the needs of our community in a timely manner, acting with integrity, and upholding the law.
Ventura County, CA – County Clerk and Recorder / Registrar of Voters
Official Free
The Recorder’s Office maintains vital records for births, deaths, and marriages in Ventura County from 1873 to present · VITAL RECORD DEFINED Records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates .
Ventura County, CA – County Clerk and Recorder / Registrar of Voters Archive
Official Free
This is where Ventura County handles voter registration records and election operations. If a link breaks, start from recorder.countyofventura.org directly.
Ventura County, CA – County Clerk and Recorder / Registrar of Voters
Official Free
Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates .
Records | Superior Court of California | County of Ventura
Official Free
The Records Department in the Hall of Justice in Ventura maintains Civil, Family Law (divorce, legal separation, and child custody matters), Small Claims, Criminal (felony and misdemeanor), and Traffic cases. The Records Department in the Juvenile Courthouse in Oxnard maintains Juvenile (delinquency and dependency), Probate, Guardianship, and Adoption cases. Note: For marriage and business licenses, birth and death certificates, and mechanics liens, visit the Ventura County Clerk and Recorder’s website at recorder.countyofventura.org.
Marriage License Application Information | Yolo County ACE Department, CA
Official Free
Click to see the information on allowable new names. Name Equality Act of 2007 (PDF) You may choose to complete the marriage license application online prior to coming into our office. To change your name through marriage, you must include your new name on your Marriage License at the time the license is issued by the County Clerk and prior to your ceremony.
Genealogy, Newspapers, Obituaries, and Records | Butte County, CA
Official Free
Archival material for Butte County — a common source for obituaries and older record indexes. It sits outside government; official offices remain the record of authority.
Superior Court of Los Angeles
Official Free
Court case information for California. Judgment and disposition entries here are what background screeners verify against. Attorneys of record appear on the docket, useful when you need to contact a party.
Orange County Clerk-Recorder (CA) | Order Certificates - VitalChek
Official Free
Visit the Orange County Clerk-Recorder website.Opens a new tab to an external website.
Birth Certificates & Death Registration | Shasta County CA
Official Free
Property research in Shasta County starts here: parcels, assessments, and tax detail. Searching the official side is free.
Early California Population Project
Official Free
The Early California Population Project (ECPP) is a database developed by the Huntington Library providing public access to all the information contained in the California mission registers from 1769 to 1850.
Afghanistan: The faces of California's war dead
Official Free
Below are the faces of the 187 Californians who lost their lives serving in Operation Enduring Freedom. The Times’ database, California’s War Dead, tracks all California servicemembers who died during the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
California Counties
58 California counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
Which California counties publish vital records information online
10 of California's 58 counties run their own online source for vital records information, based on what this directory indexes. Every other county is covered by the statewide systems listed above — click a county for its full records page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I order a California birth certificate?▼
Certified birth certificates for events in California are issued by the Official California Vital Records at www.cdph.ca.gov. Requests can be made by mail, in person, or (in most cases) online through the state's authorized vendor. The county of registration may also be able to issue certified copies for recent local events.
How do I get a California death certificate?▼
California death certificates are issued by the Official California Vital Records; eligibility (next of kin, executor, legal representative) and ID documentation requirements are listed at www.cdph.ca.gov. For deaths within the last year, the county clerk or local registrar where the death occurred can often issue a copy more quickly.
Can I look up a California marriage or divorce record online?▼
California marriage and divorce records are not generally available in a free, name-searchable online index. The Official California Vital Records (www.cdph.ca.gov) handles certified copies; the underlying license/decree is filed with the county clerk or court that issued it, which is also a primary search point.
How long does it take to get a California vital record?▼
Standard California vital-record processing times vary from a few business days (in-person same-day at some county clerks) to several weeks for mailed requests. The Official California Vital Records publishes current turnaround times at www.cdph.ca.gov. Expedited processing is usually available for an additional fee.
What ID do I need to order a California certified vital record?▼
The Official California Vital Records requires government-issued photo identification (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID) and proof of your relationship to the record holder, if applicable. The full list of acceptable ID and supporting documents is published at www.cdph.ca.gov.