Birth Certificates

Effective July 1, 2003 California Health and Safety Code Section 103526, only permits authorized individuals to receive certified copies of birth records. Those who are not authorized by law to receive a certified copy may request an informational certified copy which will be marked: "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY" and statutorily required information will be redacted.

The new law describes an authorized person as:

• The registrant or a parent or legal guardian of the registrant.
• A party entitled to receive the record as a result of a court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record in order to comply with the requirements of Section 3140 or 7603 of the Family Code.
• A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business.
• A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant.
• An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant's estate, or any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant or the registrant's estate 

In order to obtain a Certified Copy as of July 1, 2003, you must complete the sworn statement included with the birth certificate application form and sign the statement under penalty of perjury. If you mail your request, your sworn statement must be notarized. If your mailed request indicates that you want a Certified Copy but does not include a notarized statement sworn under penalty of perjury, the request will be rejected as incomplete and returned to you without being processed.  

RECORDER: VITAL RECORDS: BIRTH CERTIFICATE

**BEFORE YOU PROCEED: If you are requesting a copy of a birth record of a child who has been adopted or had a legal name change, your written request should be sent to the Department of Health Services, Office of Vital Records - M.S.5103, PO Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. There is a $29.00 charge for each copy requested payable by check or money order to the Office of Vital Records.

BIRTH CERTIFICATES:

Fee for obtaining a certified birth certificate: $29.00

(Please note requests must be for births that occurred in Monterey County)

IN-PERSON APPLICATION FOR AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY OF A BIRTH RECORD:

1. You may complete the application via the internet and transmit it directly to the Recorder's Office. You will need to come into the Recorder's Office to pick up the certified informational copy within two weeks or the request will be deleted, click here to submit a request online.

OR

2. You can come into the Recorder's Office to submit the request on the kiosk and complete the process.

(In both cases above, when requesting a certificate in person, the sworn statement on the application must be signed in the presence of a staff member and a photo i.d. will be requested.)

MAIL-IN APPLICATION FOR AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY OF A BIRTH RECORD:

The application must be downloaded, completed, notarized, and mailed with the $29.00 fee (please do not send cash; check or money order only), click here to download the application.

SEND TO:  Monterey County Recorder, P.O. Box 29, Salinas, CA  93902

ON-LINE VIA VITALCHEK (Fee is $29.00 per certificate plus a $12.95 Vitalchek processing fee per transaction.)

You must complete the online authentication or send in the notarized Certificate of Identity. Please be sure to follow the instructions on the Vitalchek site. Monterey County contracts with Vitalchek, a private company, to take orders for certified copies of vital records online by credit card. Vitalchek charges a $12.95 processing fee per transaction; this fee is in addition to the Recorder's vital record fee of $29.00 per certificate. To be taken to the Vitalchek website click here.

INFORMATIONAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES:

Fee for obtaining a certified informational birth certificate: $29.00

1. You may complete the application via the internet and transmit it directly to the Recorder's Office. You will need to come into the Recorder's Office to pick up the certified informational copy within two weeks or the request will be deleted, click here to submit a request online.

OR

2. You can come into the Recorder's Office to submit the request on the kiosk and complete the process.

(In both cases above, when requesting a certificate in person, the sworn statement on the application must be signed in the presence of a staff member and a photo i.d. will be requested.) 

The application must be downloaded, completed, and mailed with the $29.00 fee (please do not send cash, check or money order only), click here to download the application.

SEND TO: Monterey County Recorder, P.O. Box 29, Salinas, CA  93902

ON-LINE VIA VITALCHEK (Fee is $29.00 per certificate plus a $12.95 Vitalchek processing fee per transaction.)

Monterey County contracts with Vitalchek, a private company, to take orders for certified copies of vital records online by credit card. Vitalchek charges a $12.95 processing fee per transaction; this fee is in addition to the Recorder's vital record fee of $29.00 per certificate. To be taken to the Vitalchek website click here.