What to do
For someone older than 3 years, get the birth certificate from the County Clerk.
Go to the Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records
Apply to get a birth certificate in person. The birth certificate must be for someone:
-
Born in San Francisco
-
Born less than 3 years ago
The person applying must bring an unexpired government-issued photo ID. We will accept IDs from foreign governments.
You can pay by Visa, MasterCard, or cash. You can also pay by money order, in US dollars.
We charge for every search, so you will pay the fee even if we can not find the record.
To save time, you can also bring your completed application.
Department of Public Health
Office of Vital Records101 Grove Street, Room 105
San Francisco, CA 94102
Mon to Fri,
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Closed on public holidays.
1. Fill out the form
Download the application. Fill out the form.
2. Get the statement notarized
Take your form to a notary public and have it notarized.
You don’t need to have your application notarized for an Informational Copy. But your certificate will have “Informational: Not a valid document to establish identity” printed on the document.
3. Mail the application
You must include:
- Your application
- Notarized sworn statement
- Prepaid and addressed return envelope
- A money order for $29 per copy
Mail to:
San Francisco Department of Public Health
Office of Vital Records
101 Grove Street, Room 105
San Francisco, CA 94102
You should get the birth certificate in 5 to 10 business days.
4. Expedited service
If you need your certificate quickly, you can add a $30 fee to speed up processing of your application.
Fee does not include express delivery. You can include an express envelope (like UPS or FedEx) instead of a self addressed stamped envelope.
Who can get a birth certificate
You can apply for a Certified Authorized Copy of a birth certificate for:
- Yourself
- Your child
- Your spouse, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or state-registered domestic partner
Anyone can request an informational copy of a birth certificate.
Special cases
Get a birth certificate for someone else
Get a birth certificate for someone else
You can also apply for a Certified Authorized Copy of a birth certificate if you:
- Have a certified court order
- Have a valid Power of Attorney document
- Are an authorized attorney (with supporting documents)
- Are a licensed adoption agency (with an order of relinquishment)
- Work for another government agency (with work ID and a letter from a supervisor authorizing your request)
Correcting or amending birth certificates
Correcting or amending birth certificates
Correcting or amending birth records is done at the state level. Go to the California Department of Public Health page to amend records.
Get help
Department of Public Health
Office of Vital Records101 Grove Street
Room 105
San Francisco, CA 94102
Mon to Fri,
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Closed on public holidays.
Phone
Office of Vital Records
Last updated November 21, 2023