Santa Clara County (CA) Birth Certificate Online

How to Get a certified Birth Certificate in Santa Clara

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

To order an authorized copy of a Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara birth certificate application form, sign the sworn statement, and have the Certificate of Acknowledgement notarized
3. Mail the above to the State of California Vital Records Office with a check or money order made payable to Clerk-Recorder to cover the fees, a self-addressed, stamped envelope

The self-addressed envelope you include with your Santa Clara birth certificate application will determine whether your document is sent by regular mail or expedited services. Applicants who prefer expedited return may include a pre-addressed, pre-paid Airbill for Express Mail, FedEx, or UPS and the corresponding payment.

Copies of Santa Clara 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, Santa Clara County citizens born in or around Cupertino, Mountainview, Palo Alto, or San Jose, amongst other locations, can also order a certified copy of their birth certificate from the Santa Clara County Clerk’s Office.

Citizens of Santa Clara 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.

If a third person will submit the Santa Clara birth certificate application on your behalf at the vital records office, you will need to authorize them —unless they are eligible to obtain a Santa Clara birth certificate as per the list below.

To authorize a third-party to obtain a long-form birth certificate, please complete the form, have it notarized, and add the name of the person picking up the certificate to the form under “Name of Person Receiving Copies.”

Please note that fees may differ depending on whether you are presenting your Santa Clara 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, Santa Clara County Birth and Death Certificates orders can also be submitted by mailing your application package to the following addresses:

Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s Office
70 West Hedding, 1st Floor, East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110
Monday through Friday from 8 PM to 4:30 PM

Unless you are sending your request to the State of California vital records office, applicants are advised to file the Santa Clara 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 Jose or the rest of Santa Clara County who have an emergency or need to obtain a birth the same day in Santa Clara 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:

Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorders Office
East Wing, First floor
70 West Hedding Street (at First Street)
San Jose CA 95110

Santa Clara County birth certificate copy required information

To get a certified copy of a Santa Clara 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 and place of birth

Santa Clara citizens applying for a long-form copy of a Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara birth certificate

Citizens submitting their application for an Authorized Certified Copy of a Santa Clara County Birth Certificate by mail need to prove their identity and sign the sworn statement of the application form in the presence of a notary public.

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

Applicants requesting an Informational Certified Copy of a Santa Clara 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

Who is eligible to apply

An authorized certified copy of a Santa Clara 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.

How to Request an Apostille for a Santa Clara Birth Certificate

Citizens born in the city of San Jose, or the rest of Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara birth certificate, follow these simple steps:

1. Order a certified copy of the Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara, 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

Santa Clara Birth Certificate Cost

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

The following payment methods are available when mailing your Santa Clara County birth certificate application:

• Personal check
• Money order
• Cashier check

Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County Clerk’s Office carry a $32 fee.

Please note that the fee varies depending on whether you submit your Santa Clara 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, although a surcharge may apply.

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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara, CA birth certificate.

The Santa Clara 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.

Santa Clara Birth Certificate Processing Times

Once you have mailed the complete Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara, California CA birth certificate by post, delivered right to your door.

Unfortunately, rush orders are not available for Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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.

Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County Clerk’s office in San Jose.

Walk-in service means the applicant has to visit the Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara, CA birth certificate.