HSA 884-2 Revised 12/23/2019
NEED A BIRTH CERTIFICATE?
APPLICATION FOR CERTIFIED COPY OF BIRTH RECORD
DO NOT Complete the Application Before Reading the Instructions!
1. Complete a separate application form for each person whose birth record is requested.
2. An Authorized Certified Copy of a birth record will establish the identity of the registrant. An Informational
Certified Copy contains the same information, but will not establish the identity of the registrant. California law
permits only specified persons (as listed on the application) to receive Authorized Certified Copies of birth
records. All others may only receive an Informational Certified Copy, marked with the legend “Informational,
Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity.”
3. In the top section of the application, specify whether you are requesting an Authorized Certified Copy or an
Informational Certified Copy. If you are requesting only an Informational Certified Copy, you do not need to mark
any of the five options on the list or submit the sworn statement on the last page; just complete the “Applicant
Information” and “Birth Certificate Information” sections.
4. Complete the Applicant Information section and provide your printed name and your signature where
indicated. Complete the Birth Certificate Information section, providing all the information you can. Be sure to
give the registrant’s full name. If the information you furnish is incomplete or inaccurate, we may not be able to
find the record. If the registrant has been adopted, please make the request in the adopted name. (If you are
requesting a copy of the original sealed birth certificate, you must apply to the State Office of Vital Records with
a court order releasing the original sealed record.)
5. SWORN STATEMENT:
For an Authorized Certified Copy (which is needed in order to get a driver’s license, passport, Social Security
card, etc.), you must complete the top section of the application, identifying your relationship to the registrant,
and you must sign the attached sworn statement.
If you apply in person, you must sign the sworn statement in the presence of the Office of Vital Records staff.
If you mail your request, your sworn statement and signature must be notarized by a Notary Public. (To find a
Notary Public, see your local yellow pages or contact your banking institution.) Any request for an Authorized
Certified Copy that does not include a notarized sworn statement will be returned without processing. Law
enforcement and local and state government agencies are exempt from the notary requirement.
PLEASE NOTE: Only one notarized sworn statement is required for multiple certificates requested at the same
time; however, the sworn statement must include the name of each individual whose birth certificate you wish to
obtain and your relationship to that individual.
6. Submit $28 (cash, check or money order ONLY) for each Authorized Certified Copy or Informational
Certified Copy requested. Indicate the number of copies you want and which type you want, and include
sufficient payment with this application, in the form of a personal check or a postal or bank money order
(International Money Order for out-of-country requests) made payable to HSA Vital Statistics.
7. Submit this application with the sworn statement and payment (cash, check, or money order only) to:
(in person) (by mail, with sworn statement notarized)
Office of Vital Records Office of Vital Records
1430 Freedom Boulevard, Suite A P.O. Box 962
Watsonville CA 95076 Santa Cruz CA 95061
You must complete the application with the correct address information in order to insure prompt processing.
For births BEFORE 2018, don’t use this form. Contact the County Recorder’s Office, 701 Ocean Street #230,
Santa Cruz CA 95060; http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/rcd/recorders/birth&death/maincertificates.htm;
831/454-2800.
If the birth occurred over six weeks ago, you can also order a birth certificate via the Internet, by logging onto
www.vitalchek.com, using your credit card to process your request, for an additional fee of about $13.