San Diego County (CA) Birth Certificate Online

How to Get a Certified Birth Certificate in San Diego

Getting a government-issued birth certificate in San Diego County, California is a straightforward process that can be completed with little to no hassle.

To order an authorized copy of a San Diego County (CA) birth certificate:

1. Fill out the birth certificate application (available by clicking the button on this page) with the required information
2. Print and sign the San Diego birth certificate application form and the sworn statement and have them notarized
3. Mail it to the State of California Vital Records Office with the necessary requirements, a large self-addressed postage-paid envelope and payment

Copies of San Diego County Birth and Death Certificates may be ordered by mailing your application package to the following address:

California Department of Public Health
Vital Records - MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA

Alternatively, San Diego County citizens born in or around Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, amongst other locations, can also order a certified copy of their birth certificate from the San Diego County Clerk’s Office.

Citizens of San Diego County who prefer to submit their birth certificate application in person may do so at the address below, during walk-in hours —although this usually entails waiting in line.

Please note that fees may differ depending on whether you are presenting your San Diego birth certificate application to the state vital records office or the county clerk’s office. Make sure to verify and submit the appropriate fees for your chosen office.

For citizens who prefer to send their application to the County Clerk’s office, San Diego County Birth and Death Certificates orders can also be submitted by mailing your application package to the following addresses:

HHSA Office of Vital Records MS P529
3851 Rosecrans Street. Suite 802
San Diego, CA 92110

Alternatively, the package can also be mailed to the following P.O.Box:

San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk
Attn: Birth Records
P.O. Box 121750
San Diego, CA 92112-1750

Unless you are sending your request to the State of California vital records office, applicants are advised to file the San Diego County birth certificate application at the vital records office where the birth was registered. This should ensure that the record is found and the bureau can issue a long-form birth certificate, as long as the applicant is eligible.

Should the birth record not be found, the State of California Health and Safety Code (H&SC) 103650 requires the vital records office to retain the search fee and issue a Certification of Search.

Citizens of San Diego or the rest of San Diego County who have an emergency— leaving the country or state, have an airline flight, or need to obtain a passport within 14 days of the birth— may submit their birth certificate application in person. This can be done by visiting the following address during walk-in hours —although this usually entails waiting in line and may require a different fee:

HHSA Office of Vital Records
3851 Rosecrans Street. Suite 802
San Diego, CA 92110

San Diego County birth certificate copy required information

To get a certified copy of a San Diego County, California birth certificate, you will need to complete the online birth certificate application with the following personal details:

• The full name as stated on the birth certificate
• The mother's full MAIDEN name
• The date of birth

San Diego citizens applying for a long-form copy of a San Diego birth certificate must make sure to indicate in which category they qualify as an authorized person —see detailed information below.

Required documents for a certified copy of a San Diego birth certificate

Citizens submitting their application for an Authorized Certified Copy of a San Diego County Birth Certificate by mail need to prove their identity and sign the application form in the presence of a notary public as well as provide a signed Notarized Sworn Statement.

Qualified applicants submitting their request for a long-form birth certificate in person must sign in front of the San Diego County Clerk and do not need the services of a notary public for this purpose.

Applicants requesting an Informational Certified Copy of a San Diego County Birth Certificate do not need a signed Notarized Sworn Statement.

Proof of identity can be provided using any of the following government-issued identification documents:

• Driver’s license issued by California state
• School ID
• Voter Registration Card
• U.S. Military card
• U.S. passport, card or card issued by a foreign embassy or consulate
• Native American tribal document with photograph
• U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card

Some applicants may be required to comply with additional conditions or provide additional documentation alongside the San Diego County birth certificate application depending on their relationship with the certificate holder.

If you are the certificate bearer or a parent of the certificate bearer, you must:

• Provide documentation that proves your identity
• Be over the age of 18 years old

Legal guardians must provide documentation to prove they have been appointed as a legal guardian of the certificate bearer. This is done by presenting a copy of the guardianship document.

A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the birth certificate holder must present an identification document.

A third party such as an attorney at law or representative of a licensed adoption agency entitled to receive the birth certificate as a result of a court order must provide a copy of the court order when applying for the birth record.

Law enforcement or other government representatives who need the birth record as part of their official business will have to provide photo identification or a request printed on the agency's letterhead.

Who is eligible to apply

An official copy of a San Diego birth certificate can be ordered by:

• The certificate holder, a parent or legal guardian of the certificate holder.
• A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the certificate holder.
• A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business.
• 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.
• An attorney representing the certificate holder or the certificate holder’s estate, or any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the certificate holder or the certificate holder's estate.

Please note that the documentation that must be presented alongside the San Diego birth certificate application may vary depending on the person requesting the vital record (see detailed information above).

How to Request an Apostille for a San Diego Birth Certificate

Citizens born in the city of San Diego, or the rest of San Diego County, CA who need to present their birth certificate outside the territory of the United States need to make sure their document bears an apostille to grant it legal validity abroad.

To get an apostille on a San Diego birth certificate, follow these simple steps:

1. Order a certified copy of the San Diego County, California birth certificate
2. Include the certified copy of the SD County birth certificate, a cover sheet stating the country in which the document will be used, a self-addressed envelope with pre-paid postage
3. Upon receiving the certified copy of the San Diego, CA birth certificate, mail the above to the California Secretary of State's office with the required apostille fee for authentication.

California Authentications Unit street address:

California Secretary of State
Authentications Unit
Notary Public Section
1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor

Sacramento, CA 95814

California Authentications unit PO BOX:

Notary Public Section
P.O. Box 942877
Sacramento, CA 94277–0001

San Diego Birth Certificate Cost

When ordering a copy of a birth certificate in San Diego County, California (CA), it is necessary to pay the appropriate search fee.

The following payment methods are available when mailing your San Diego County birth certificate application:

• Personal check
• Money order
• Cashier check

San Diego birth certificate applications processed in the California state vital records office call for a $29 fee.

Applications submitted by post or handed in person at the San Diego County Clerk’s Office carry a $32 fee.

Please note that the fee varies depending on whether you submit your San Diego birth certificate application at the state or county office.

Applicants submitting their request in person also have the option of paying the fee in cash or by credit/debit card.

It is advisable to order extra copies using the same birth certificate application form. Additional copies can be kept on file ready for future use. Duplicate copies of the same San Diego County birth certificate ordered within a single form carry the same cost as the initial copy ordered.

Applicants with an Affidavit of Homeless Status are eligible to obtain a fee exemption for a copy of their San Diego, CA birth certificate.

The San Diego County Recorder —or any other California State Vital Records Office— will issue a certified copy of a birth certificate without a fee to citizens who can verify their status as a homeless person. The Affidavit of Homeless Status for a Fee Exempt Copy of a Birth Certificate must be completed by a Homeless Services Provider.

San Diego Birth Certificate Processing Times

Once you have mailed the complete San Diego birth certificate application package, along with the requirements detailed above and the necessary fees, the vital records office will process your request.

In most cases, your San Diego birth certificate order will be filled within 12-14 weeks. However, some vital records may take longer due to peak demand periods.

You will then receive your certified copy of the San Diego, California CA birth certificate by post, delivered right to your door.

Unfortunately, rush orders are not available for San Diego vital records at this time. Therefore, it is advisable to request a copy of your birth certificate ahead of time so as to avoid delays.

This is especially important when you need to present your San Diego birth certificate for a procedure that has a strict deadline, such as school enrollment, retirement planning, or having a passport issued in time for a trip abroad.

San Diego citizens in urgent need of a certified copy of a birth certificate may print out their completed application package, and take it with the required documents and fee to sign and submit it in person at the San Diego or San Diego County Clerk’s office.

Walk-in service means the applicant has to visit the San Diego County Vital Registration counter early during office hours and wait in line. The fees, in this case, are higher than when sending your order to the California State Vital Records Office.

If the record is found on file at the same county office, it may result in same-day issuance of the San Diego, CA birth certificate.