SERVICE

Get a birth certificate for someone under 3

We sell birth certificates for children under 3 years old. You can get them in person or by mail.

Office of Vital Records

What to know

Cost

  • Birth Certificate: $31 per copy
  • Informational Birth Certificate: $31 per copy

The birth certificate must be for someone:

  • Born in San Francisco
  • Born less than 3 years ago

You can apply for a certified 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.

What to do

Get a birth certificate in person

1. Please visit our location and check in:
Office of Vital Records, City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 160
San Francisco, CA 94102

2. The person applying must bring an unexpired government-issued photo ID. We will accept IDs from foreign governments.

3. Fill out the form

4. Complete your purchase: Credit card, personal check, money order, cashier's check or cash.

To save time, please bring a completed application.

Note: We charge for every search, so you will pay the fee even if we cannot find the record.

Get a birth certificate by mail

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 get your application notarized to receive an Informational Copy. But the certificate will say “Informational: Not a valid document to establish identity".

3. Mail the application

You must include:

  • Your application
  • Notarized sworn statement
  • Prepaid and addressed return envelope
  • A money order, cashier's check or personal check for $31 per copy.

San Francisco Department of Public Health
Office of Vital Records, City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 160
San Francisco, CA 94102

You should get the birth certificate in 5 to 10 business days.

We recommend a pre-paid self-address express envelope (USPS, UPS or FedEx). 

Special cases

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)
  • Requests from other government agencies must include a worker’s ID and a letter from the supervisor that approves the request.
     

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.

Contact us

Address

Office of Vital RecordsCity Hall, Room 160
1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Get directions
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Phone

Office of Vital Records - General Line415-554-2700