Vital Records · Checklist · Reviewed July 14, 2026
Vital records and court name-change check
A first-step check for a California birth, death, or marriage record or a court name-change order.
The short version
Order the copy that matches the job
Use an authorized certified copy when the record must establish identity — an informational copy is certified too, but marked as not valid to establish identity. CDPH's 2026 fees run $31 for a birth copy, $26 for a death copy, and $19 for a marriage copy. A court name change is a separate case. The signed decree changes the legal name, but by itself it does not update the birth record, Social Security, DMV, or a passport.
What changes the answer: A divorce judgment comes from the superior court, not CDPH. Confidential marriage, adoption, parentage, sealed records, and a name change tied to gender identity use different forms or access rules.
Vital records tend to be needed on a deadline, for a funeral, a wedding, or an ID appointment. Ordering the right copy the first time spares a second wait, and a second fee.
How it works
Authorized and informational copies have different jobs
An authorized copy can establish the identity of the person named on it. The person named on the record may qualify to order one. Some close family members may qualify too. A court may give another person the right to order it. Certain public workers, estate staff, lawyers, and others named by law may also qualify.
An informational copy has much of the same record. But it carries a notice that it cannot establish identity. Both types are certified. A passport or REAL ID task will often need an authorized copy. Family research may be able to use an informational copy.
An authorized request needs the sworn statement
For an authorized birth, death, or marriage copy, the applicant must complete the sworn statement in the application and have it notarized. CDPH returns an authorized-copy request that lacks the required notarized statement.
Use the name as it appeared when the event was recorded. Include the event date and county. The fee is also a search fee, so CDPH keeps it and issues a Certificate of No Public Record when it cannot locate the record.
The county and CDPH are two ordering paths
A county registrar or recorder is often the direct path for a record registered in that county. CDPH is the statewide path. CDPH does not run its own online ordering portal, so use only the mail, in-person, or approved vendor choices named on an official page.
For requests received in 2026, CDPH lists $31 per birth copy, $26 per death copy, and $19 per marriage copy. County service methods and added vendor charges can differ. State processing estimates also change, so check the live page when a passport, school, benefit, or funeral deadline is close.
Some records live somewhere else
A marriage certificate records the marriage. A divorce judgment or other paper from the divorce case comes from the superior court that handled that case. A confidential marriage record is generally handled through the county clerk and has tighter access rules.
Adoption, parentage, delayed registration, sealed records, and corrections do not use the ordinary copy request alone. Start with the record's special CDPH page or the court case. This avoids paying for a copy that cannot do the needed job.
An ordinary adult name change is a court case
The ordinary adult process starts with a case in superior court. California Courts lists a filing fee of $435 to $450. A person who qualifies can ask for a fee waiver. The process generally takes up to three months.
The ordinary case also uses a newspaper notice. State law calls for four weekly publications. Some courts decide without a hearing when no proper objection is filed. Other cases can use different notice rules. This can include cases tied to gender identity, Safe at Home, witness safety, foster care, custody, or jail.
The decree and the amended birth record are separate
After approval, get a certified copy of the signed decree. Use it with each agency that holds a record. Social Security and DMV do not update each other. Passport, voter, bank, school, job, insurance, and benefit files also need their own updates.
CDPH uses form VS 23 to put the new legal name on a California birth record. The form is sent by mail. The package generally needs a certified court order. It also needs the sworn statement when a copy is requested. The $26 amendment fee includes one copy of the new record. Extra 2026 birth copies are $31 each.
First moves
- 1
Write down the record type and full name on the event date. Add the event date, county, and reason the copy is needed.
- 2
Ask the receiving office whether it needs an authorized certified copy or whether an informational copy is enough.
- 3
Use an authorized copy when the document must establish identity. CDPH says an informational copy cannot be used to establish identity.
- 4
An authorized copy generally requires an eligible requester. Birth, death, and marriage applications also use a notarized sworn statement.
- 5
Check both CDPH and the county registrar or recorder. The county can be the more direct office for a locally registered record.
- 6
For a divorce judgment or case paper, contact the superior court that handled the case. A state vital-record index is not the court file.
- 7
For a legal name change or gender-recognition order, start with California Courts self-help. Then use the superior court for the county.
- 8
After the court order, update each agency separately. Keep certified copies for Social Security and DMV. Passport, voter, bank, and benefit records need their own steps too.
Watch for
- 1
An authorized copy and an informational copy can contain similar facts. Their legal uses are different.
- 2
CDPH does not operate its own online portal for electronic vital-record requests. Use the ordering methods and vendors named on the official page.
- 3
A notarized sworn statement is required for an authorized copy unless the official rule provides another path.
- 4
A marriage certificate is not a divorce judgment. Confidential marriage records and name-change orders use other paths.
- 5
Adoption, parentage, and sealed records use special procedures. So do delayed registration, amendments, and confidential records.
- 6
Processing times change. Check the live CDPH page or county office when a deadline depends on the copy.
- 7
Do not send a birth record through an unexpected message. Keep Social Security numbers and identity documents away from unofficial ordering pages.
Official sources
Where to confirm this
Use the source that matches the step you are on. Current forms, fees, deadlines, and agency decisions can change after this page is reviewed.
Use this as a map. It does not decide your rights, tell you what to file, or say someone broke the law. If a deadline, denial, eviction, firing, injury, tax bill, permit fight, or insurance dispute is on the line, use the official source or a licensed professional.