Birth Certificate Request

Ordering Birth Certificates

To order birth certificates registered in Marin County, submit a completed Birth Certificate Request Form to the Marin County Recorder’s office.

The fee for requesting a birth certificate is $29.00, payable by cash, check, or money order.

Who May Request Birth Certificates

Although vital records are public documents under California law, birth certificates are not open for public inspection.  Anyone may request copies, however only persons authorized under California law may receive authorized certified copies of birth records. Those who are not authorized to receive an authorized certified copy will receive an authorized certified copy marked INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY.

For birth records, legally authorized people are:

• The registrant, or their parent or legal guardian;
• 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 acting on behalf of the registrant or the registrant's estate under the authority of the court;
• A party entitled to receive the record after a court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record in order to verify that a child is not listed as abducted or a missing person;
• A member of law enforcement or another governmental agency who is conducting official business as allowed under the law.

Completing and Submitting the Request Form

If you are making your request in person, do not sign the form until you present it to the Recorder’s office. In order to obtain an authorized certified copy, other than in person, you MUST complete the sworn statement on the request form, sign it before a notary public, and have your signature acknowledged.

If you are submitting your order by mail, you must sign the sworn statement in the presence of a notary public and the notary public must also fill out a Certificate of Acknowledgment. If your mailed request indicates that you want an authorized certified copy, but does not include a notarized statement, the request will be considered incomplete and returned unprocessed.

You may request authorized certified copies for multiple individuals by mail and collectively notarize them; however, a separate application must be completed for each request.

No Record/Search Fee

The fee for birth certificate copies must be paid in advance by the applicant. If no record of the event is found, the fee will be retained for searching as required by California statute, and a Certificate of No Record Found will be issued.

Requesting a copy of a Birth Certificate Online

For your convenience, you can place an online request for a copy of a birth certificate through VitalChek Network, an independent service provider. An additional fee of $7.00 is charged by VitalChek for their services. All major credit cards are accepted, including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®.

Requesting Documents within 60 days of a Birth

If the birth has occurred within the past six weeks, please contact the Marin County Office of Vital Statistics