Are California Vital Records Public?
Yes, most California vital records are open to the public according to state law. However, the provisions for the dissemination of a record vary. For instance, because of their legal significance, California death records and birth records are primarily issued to persons who can prove a tangible or direct interest in the document. On the other hand, California marriage records and divorce records can be accessed by the general public, provided they are not being used for official functions.
Access to a vital record is also impacted by the year the event occurred and whether or not the record is deemed confidential by judicial order. Ultimately, the public may be able to access informational copies of vital records, but certified or authorized copies are typically restricted to the named registrant, immediate family members, legal guardians, or any party with certified court-ordered authorization.
What Information Shows Up in California Vital Records?
Vital records are official documents that contain important information about a person's identity or a notable life event. They include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees. In California, the Department of Public Health maintains both vital records and vital statistics information at the state and county levels. The department is also responsible for issuing them to interested and eligible persons.
These records provide critical information for many legal processes; they can help to establish wages or benefits after the passing of a loved one, serve as identification, prove parentage, validate property ownership rights in inheritance cases, and assess eligibility for certain benefits. Due to their importance in determining an individual’s legal status and lineage, vital records dissemination is heavily regulated. Division 102 of the California Health and Safety Code outlines the provisions for the generation, maintenance, and issuance of these records.
How Do I Obtain California Vital Records Online?
California vital records may be requested from the Vital Records Office of the California Department of Public Health or the county equivalent. However, while requests may be made online, the requested documents are typically issued via mail. Hence, inquirers often turn to third-party alternatives when seeking to access these records expeditiously.
Publicly available vital records are managed and disseminated by some third-party aggregate sites. These sites are generally not limited by geographical record availability and may serve as a convenient jump-off point when researching specific or multiple records. However, third-party sites are not government-sponsored. As such, record availability may differ from official channels. To find a record using the search engines on third-party sites, the requesting party will be required to provide:
- The location of the record in question, including the city, county, or state where the case was filed.
- The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile.
Requesters must provide relevant information associated with the record to conduct an online search for vital records. Some of these include:
- The registrant's name
- Date of the event
- Place of the event
- City or county where the life event occurred
- First and last name of parents
- Presiding judge (for marriage or divorce records)
What Do I Need to Obtain California Vital Records?
There is no documentation required to obtain informational copies of a public vital record. In compliance with the California Public Records Act (CPRA), citizens have the right to inspect or obtain copies of public records. Interested parties can search for publicly available birth records, death records, marriage records, or divorce records by contacting the official record custodian. Alternatively, interested requesters may use a third-party company that provides this service. However, to obtain authorized copies of a specific record, requesters may be required to provide a government-issued ID proving their eligibility. Interested parties may also be expected to submit a notarized certificate of acknowledgment or sworn statement alongside their application.
Certified Copy vs Informational Copy: Understanding the Difference?
Certified copies serve as legal documents that can be used for official identification, while parties cannot use informational copies to establish identity. As a result, certified copies of vital records are only issued to individuals who have a "direct and tangible interest" in the document. One way to recognize informational copies of vital records is that most copies come with a stamp or large print across the face of the document that reads "Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity".
Are California Marriage Records Public Information?
California marriage records are not generally open to the public. There are two types of marriage records: confidential marriage records and public marriage records. Confidential marriage records can only be accessed by the persons named on the marriage record, while a wider group of people can access copies of a public marriage record.
How Do I Obtain Marriage Records in California?
In addition to conducting searches online, parties can obtain marriage records by contacting the Vital Records Department of the California Department of Public Health. The Vital Records Department maintains documents on marriages that occurred between July 1905 to 2000 and from 2008 to date. To obtain a marriage record by mail, interested parties must complete an application for a certified copy of the marriage record. Then, the requester must enclose the document in a self-addressed stamped envelope and mailed to:
California Department of Public Health
Vital Records – MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
Marriage records collected before 1905 are gathered and maintained in county clerks' offices because California's first law indexing vital records designated county clerks as record custodians. The statewide registration of marriages didn't begin until 1905 when records were indexed, and the California Family History Library kept copies.
How to Get a California Marriage Certificate.
California marriage certificates are obtained in the exact same manner as other marriage records. In most US states, marriage certificates are distinguished from other types of marital records like marriage licenses, marriage abstracts, and apostilles. However, the terms are used interchangeably in California to refer to long-form marriage documents containing details of the union and the spouses.
Are California Divorce Records Public Information?
Most California divorce records are public information and can be viewed by public members unless restricted by statute or court order. Interested parties can search for California divorce records or obtain copies of a divorce record using basic information such as:
- The county where the court issued the divorce
- Name of the parties involved in the divorce (as at the time of divorce)
However, there are instances where divorce court records may be sealed from the public. Divorce records may contain redacted information if:
- They include account numbers, social security numbers, and other financial information
- They include the identities of victims of domestic violence or child abuse
- They include proprietary business information
How Do I Obtain Divorce Records in California?
Interested parties can obtain divorce records in person or via mail by sending a request to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) or contacting the clerk at the court where the divorce was granted. Mail requesters must submit a completed application for certified divorce records to:
California Department of Public Health
Vital Records – MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
Mail-in requests take an average of 7 weeks to process and sometimes as long as six months. Thus, many requesters find divorce records online using third-party companies that process online requests.
How to Get a Certified Divorce Certificate in California
While certified divorce records can be accessed through the vital records office of the CDPH, the records they provide only consist of the face sheet of the action rather than the full divorce decree. This is also known as the certificate of record, and it features the names of the parties involved, the case number, location, and filing date. However, persons seeking fully certified divorce certificates or divorce decrees will need to query the Superior court in the county where the divorce proceeding was heard and the separation issued.
Are California Birth Records Public Information?
Yes, most California birth records are public information. However, access to certified birth records, also known as birth certificates, is restricted. Typically, only the persons named on the document, legal spouses, siblings, parents, or legal representatives, can order birth certificate replacements or new birth certificates.
How Do I Obtain California Birth Records?
Interested requesters may submit a request for certified copies of birth records by contacting the California Department of Public Health. This service comes at a cost, and the requester must provide identification documents to process the request for a birth record. To obtain a birth record online, interested parties must complete an application for certified birth records. Requests for authorized certified copies must also include a notarized statement.
Are California Birth Certificates Public?
No. Birth certificates are not considered public records in California. In order to obtain a birth certificate, the requesting party is required to provide a notarized, sworn statement declaring that they are authorized to access the record. Persons who attempt to access these records under false pretenses will be charged with perjury.
Are California Death Records Open to the Public?
Most California death records fall under the umbrella of public information. California death certificates are split into two broad groups, namely death records created before 1905 and death records created from 1905 to present. Before 1905, records were gathered from the Family History Library; these death records are open to the public. On the other hand, post-1905 records gathered from the California State Registrar and California Death Index are not available for public perusal without prior authorization.
How Do I Obtain Death Records in California?
The CDPH is the central custodian for public death records, and eligible persons may obtain death records for a nominal fee. The Department charges $21 per copy for a death record search, and requesters must attach payment with the mail-in application form.
Note that mail-in requests take an average of five to seven weeks to process if the application packet is complete. Furthermore, the CDPH-Vital Records division(CDPH-VR) only processes walk-in and mail requests. The agency does not receive or process online orders. However, requesters who wish to obtain online copies of death records may use independent aggregate websites.
What are Vital Statistics in California?
Vital statistics refers to data on the number of births, deaths, marriages, adoptions, separations, and other significant life events within state limits. They are used to track trends in fertility and mortality rates in order to plan services such as hospitals and schools, as well as to help identify patterns that could indicate an underlying health condition or epidemic.
Vital statistics are also useful for research purposes. They can provide invaluable insight into how state residents are affected by certain diseases or social issues. In California, the CDPH Vital Records Data and Statistics Branch is tasked with maintaining California vital statistics information and evaluating programs and policies to support California's Public Health programs. The office carries out its functions per California Registrar's data management and reporting requirements.
