www.lavote.net - Birth, Death & Marriage Records/Copies

Birth, Death and Marriage Records Section
P.O. Box 53120
Los Angeles, CA 90053-0120

Certificate Information.....................(562) 462-2137
Marriage License Information........(562) 462-2137

Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 only specific individuals are allowed to receive an AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY of a birth or death record. An AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY of a birth record is required to obtain a driver’s license, passport, social security card and other services related to an individual’s identity. Please see below for list of authorized individuals.

Those who are not authorized may receive an INFORMATIONAL CERTIFIED COPY with the words “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY” imprinted across the face of the copy.

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 estate

Records are available for births occurring in Los Angeles County since 1866. (If the birth occurred outside of L.A. County or California click here.) An Authorized or Informational certified copy of a birth record will be provided for an $17 fee per copy. The fee is nonrefundable; a “No Record Statement” will be issued if the record is not found. Before ordering a birth record please read the Information Sheet which explains the procedure for ordering a birth certificate. After reading the Information Sheet please submit a written request with the person’s full name, birth date if known, or the range of years to be checked, number of copies you need, your relationship to the person and a signed penalty of perjury statement. You must also submit a notarized Certificate of Identity. Include a preaddressed stamped envelope with your request. Payment for mail requests can be made by check or money order payable to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. DO NOT SEND CASH. Out of state checks are accepted. We request that you use the Birth Application and Certificate of Identity to ensure that all required information is received. Please ensure that you sign the application as well as the Certificate of Identity. Failure to do so may delay the processing of your request.

Most mail requests are processed in 20 working days from the date the request is received by this office. The processing time does not include the delivery time to and from the office, weekends or holidays.

For those in need of fast turnaround time, place your request over the Internet if you have one of the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover.* Emergency service is available only to individuals applying for a certified copy. Emergency orders will be processed within 5 working days of receipt of the Certificate of Identity. Credit card orders will be returned by regular mail unless Express Mail or UPS delivery if requested which costs an additional $16.25. A $6.00 special handling fee will be charged on all credit card orders in addition to the copy fee.

Before ordering a birth record please read the Information Sheet which explains the procedure for ordering a birth certificate. After reading the Information Sheet please submit a written request with the person’s full name, birth date if known, or the range of years to be checked, number of copies you need, your relationship to the person and a signed penalty of perjury statement. You must also submit a notarized Certificate of Identity. Please ensure that you sign the application as well as the Certificate of Identity. Failure to do so may delay the processing of your request.

If you do not supply the necessary Certificate of Identity within 5 business days, your order will be cancelled and must be resubmitted.

Same day service is only available for full copies of birth records that occurred from 1964 to the present. Copies that are requested in person for birth records occurring prior to 1964 are mailed within 15 working days. Those making in person requests will be required to sign the application under penalty of perjury in the presence of the cashier. If you are requesting a birth certificate for the purpose of obtaining a passport you must request an Authorized certified copy of the birth certificate. The Passport Agency will not accept a birth abstract or an Informational Copy for the purpose of issuing a passport. Orders for birth certificates can be made in person at the following locations:

* A valid photo ID will be requested when a birth record is requested in-person.

1028 W. Avenue J2	Lancaster	(661) 945-6446	Hrs: 830 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F
11701 S. La Cienega Blvd, 6th Floor	LAX Courthouse	(310) 727-6142	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F
4716 East Cesar Chavez Avenue	Los Angeles	(323) 260-2991	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F
7807 S. Compton Avenue, Room 215	Los Angeles	(323) 586-6192	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F
12400 Imperial Highway	Norwalk	(562) 462-2137	Hrs: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., M-F
14340 West Sylvan Street	Van Nuys	(818) 374-7176	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F

The Norwalk Facility is open 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on the 3rd Thursday of every month.

Please return to Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk main page, click on Branch Office Locations for information about available services at the branch office nearest you.

Payment for in-person requests can be made by cash, check or money order. If paying by check, valid identification (i.e., Driver's License) of the signer is required and must be presented at time of request. Out of state checks are accepted.

If you are requesting a copy of a birth record of a child who has been adopted or had a legal name change, your written request should be sent to the State Department of Health Services, Office of Vital Records - M.S. 5103, PO Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410, the telephone number is (916) 445-2684. There is a $14 charge for each copy requested payable by check or money order to the office of Vital Records.

Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 only specific individuals are allowed to receive an AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY of a birth or death record. An AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED COPY of a death record may be required to obtain death benefits, claim insurance proceeds, notify social security and obtain other services related to an individual’s identity. Please see below for list of authorized individuals.

Those who are not authorized may receive an INFORMATIONAL CERTIFIED COPY with the words “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY” imprinted across the face of the copy.

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 estate
Any funeral director or agent/employee of a funeral establishment acting within the scope of their employment who orders certified copies of a death on behalf of any individual specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive of subdivision (a) of Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code.

Records are available for deaths occurring in Los Angeles County only since 1877. (If the event occurred outside of Los Angeles County or California click here.) An Authorized or Informational certified copy of a death record will be provided for a $12 fee per copy. The fee is nonrefundable. A “No Record Statement” will be issued if the record is not found. Before ordering a death record please read the Information Sheet which explains the procedure for ordering a death certificate. After reading the Information Sheet please submit a written request with the decedent’s name, date of death, if known or the range of years to be checked, number of copies you need, your relationship to the decedent and a signed penalty of perjury statement. You must also submit a notarized Certificate of Identity. Include a preaddressed stamped envelope with your request. Payment for mail requests can be made by check or money order payable to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. DO NOT SEND CASH. Out of state checks are accepted. We request that you use the Death Application and Certificate of Identity to ensure that all required information is received. Please ensure that you sign the application as well as the Certificate of Identity. Failure to do so may delay the processing of your request.

Send request and fee to: Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Birth Records PO Box 53120 Los Angeles, California 90053-0120

For those in need of fast turnaround time, you may place your request over the Internet if you have one of the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover.* Emergency service is available only to individuals applying for a certified copy. Emergency orders will be processed within 5 working days of receipt of the Certificate of Identity. Credit card orders will be returned by regular mail unless Express Mail or UPS delivery is requested which costs an additional $16.25. A $6.00 special handling fee will be charged on all credit card orders in addition to the copy fee.

If you do not supply the necessary Certificate of Identity within 5 business days, your order will be cancelled and must be resubmitted.

The Norwalk Facility is open 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on the 3rd Thursday of every month.

Copies ordered in person for death records prior to 1995 will be mailed within 15 working days. Same day service is available for copies of death records from 1995 to present. Please return to Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk main page, click on Branch Office Locations for information about available services at the branch office nearest you.

Payment for in-person request can be made by cash, check or money order. If paying by check, valid identification (i.e., Driver's License) of the signer is required and must be presented at time of request. Out of state checks are accepted.

* A valid photo ID will be requested when a death record copy is requested in-person.

The Department of Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk is located at 12400 Imperial Highway in Norwalk. The following will provide you with the procedure for viewing vital records. Certificates and indexes of birth, death and marriage records not exempt from public inspections may be examined at the Office of the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. In addition to certificates on file, there are indexes of birth, death and marriages available for public inspection as follows: Births prior to 1905 and from 1964 to the present; Deaths from 1877 to the present; and Marriages from 1852 to the present. Records of confidential marriages performed pursuant to Family Code Section 500 are not available for public review. Certificates and indexes may be examined at no charge unless a deputy is requested search and/or retrieve more than five records. Random searches of the indexes or the certificates are not allowed. An application is required for each record searched. Information sufficient to identify the requested record must be provided.

Records are available for marriages where the license was issued in Los Angeles County only since 1852. (If license was issued outside of Los Angeles County or California click here.) A certified copy of a marriage record will be provided for a $13 fee per copy. The fee is nonrefundable. A "No Record Statement" will be issued if the record is not found. Please submit a written request with the name of the bride and/or groom, date of the marriage or the range of years to be checked, the number of copies you need, and include a preaddressed stamped envelope. Payment for mail requests can be made by check or money order payable to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Do not send cash. Out of state checks are accepted. You may use the Marriage Application to provide the information on the record you are requesting.

Send request and fee to: Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Marriage Records PO Box 53120 Los Angeles, California 90053-0120

If you were married pursuant to Family Code Section 500 (Formerly Civil Code Section 4213) your written request must also include one of the following documents:

Court Order, or

Application provided at the time of marriage, or

Certificate of Identity from a Notary Public or the County Clerk in the County of Residence.

A Verification of Confidential Marriage Statement and a Certificate of Identity form or an Application for Court Order will be issued instead of a certified copy of a marriage certificate if you are unable to provide one of the required documents. If a completed Certificate of Identity or Court Order and the Verification Statement are returned within 30 days, and the court approves the application, if required, a certified copy of the marriage certificate will be provided at no additional cost.

For those in need of fast turnaround time, you may place your request over the Internet if you have one of the following credit cards: Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Discover. Emergency service is available only to individuals applying for a certified copy. Emergency orders will be processed within 3 working-days of receipt. Credit card orders will be returned by regular mail unless Express Mail or UPS delivery is requested which costs an additional $16.25. A $6.00 special handling fee will be charged on all credit card orders in addition to the copy fee.

Orders for marriage certificates can be made in-person at the following locations:

1028 W. Avenue J2	Lancaster	(661) 945-6446	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F
11701 S. La Cienega Blvd, 6th Floor	LAX Courthouse	(310) 727-6142	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F
4716 East Cesar Chavez Avenue	Los Angeles	(323) 260-2991	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F
7807 S. Compton Avenue, Room 215	Los Angeles	(323) 586-6192	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F
12400 Imperial Highway	Norwalk	(562) 462-2137	Hrs: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., M-F
14340 West Sylvan Street	Van Nuys	(818) 374-7176	Hrs: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F

The Norwalk Facility is open 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on the 3rd Thursday of every month.

Same day service is available for marriage records for events occurring in January 1997 to the present. Please return to Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk main page, click on Branch Office Locations for information about available services at the branch office nearest you.

* A valid photo ID will be requested when a marriage record copy is requested in-person.

Record information for divorce filings is available at the Superior Court where the divorce was filed. The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk does not have any divorce information or files. If the Superior Court location is not known, information can be obtained at the County Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, telephone (213) 974-5171 or (213) 974-5192. Divorce filings which took place within the Central Los Angles area are transferred to the County Record Center (Archives) normally within 2-3 years of the filing. Divorce filings outside of the Central Los Angeles area can take five or more years for transfer to the Archives. Records are transferred to the Archives when storage space at the courthouses becomes limited. The Archives are located at 222 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, telephone (213) 974-1378 or (213) 974-1379. Some divorce records are available online. For more information click here.