California note
Vital records can start with the county or the state
The right office depends on the record: county recorders handle many birth, death, and public marriage copies; confidential marriages and divorce decrees use different doors.
Start with two facts: which record you need and where the event took place. Birth, death, public marriage, confidential marriage, and divorce records do not all come from the same office.
CDPH offers a state mail route for many records. A county recorder can issue local birth and death records. It can also issue public marriage records for licenses from that county. A confidential marriage record comes only from the county clerk that issued the license. A certified divorce decree comes only from the Superior Court that granted it.
Before ordering, write down the full names, date, county, and record type. Check who may order the copy, the fee, and the wait time. The right office can save a paid search for the wrong record.
Where to see it
CDPH Vital Records and county registrar, recorder, clerk, or court offices.
Official sources
Official pages
Reviewed July 14, 2026
Current rules, forms, fees, deadlines, maps, and office instructions.
Rules, forms, fees, deadlines, and office procedures can change. Check the current page before you file, pay, or rely on a date.
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