Did you know the guidelines for ordering birth and death records are
changing
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Did you know the guidelines for ordering birth and death records
have changed?
Because of the increased occurrence of identity
theft, new laws were passed to protect birth and death records from misuse.
These laws went into effect July 1, 2003. At this time, the steps necessary to
obtain a birth or death record have changed significantly.
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Birth
Records
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Birth Certificate Request Form
Birth Certificate Request Form (Spanish)
Effective July 1, 2003, the California Health and Safety Code, Section
103526, permits only authorized individuals to receive certified copies
of birth records. Those who are not authorized by law to receive a certified
copy will receive a certified copy marked "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT
TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." The new law describes an authorized person as: ·
- The registrant or a parent or legal guardian of the
registrant.
- 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 in order to comply with the requirements of Section 3140 or 7603
of the Family Code.
- A member of a law enforcement agency or a
representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is
conducting official business.
- 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 or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on
behalf of the registrant or the registrant's estate.
In order to obtain a Certified
Copy, you MUST
complete the sworn statement included with the birth certificate application
form and sign the statement under penalty of perjury. If you mail your
request, your sworn statement must be notarized. If your mailed request
indicates that you want a Certified Copy but does not include a notarized
statement sworn under penalty of perjury, the request will be rejected as
incomplete and returned to you without being processed.
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Death
Records
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Death Certificate Request Form
Death Certificate Request Form (Spanish)
California Health and Safety Code, Section 103526, permits only
authorized individuals to receive certified copies of death records. Those
who are not authorized by law to receive a certified copy will receive a
certified copy marked "INFORMATIONAL,
NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." The law describes an authorized
person as: · A parent or legal guardian of the registrant.
- 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 in order to comply with the
requirements of Section 3140 or 7603 of the Family Code.
- A member of a law enforcement
agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided
by law, who is conducting official business.
·
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 or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on
behalf of the registrant or the registrant's estate.
- A funeral director ordering
certified copies of a death certificate on behalf of an individual
specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of
Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code.
In order to obtain a Certified Copy you MUST complete the sworn
statement included with the death certificate application form and sign the
statement under penalty of perjury. If you mail your request, your sworn
statement must be notarized. If your mailed request indicates that you want a
Certified Copy but does not include a notarized statement sworn under penalty
of perjury, the request will be rejected as incomplete and returned to you
without being processed. (Note: A funeral director ordering copies on behalf
of an individual specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of
subdivision (a) of Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code is not required
to complete the notarized statement.)
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