California Code
DIVISION 102 - VITAL RECORDS AND HEALTH STATISTICS
PART 1 - VITAL RECORDS

CHAPTER 1 - General Provisions

Section 102100. - 102100. Each live birth, fetal death, death, and marriage that...

Section 102105. - 102105. The department is charged with the uniform and thorough...

Section 102110. - 102110. The State Registrar shall adopt regulations specifying both of...

Section 102115. - 102115. The department may make and enforce regulations for the...

Section 102120. - 102120. The State Registrar shall inform all local registrars which...

Section 102125. - 102125. All certificates of live birth, fetal death, or death...

Section 102130. - 102130. All marriage licenses shall be written legibly and shall...

Section 102135. - 102135. (a) All physicians, informants, funeral directors, clergy, or judges...

Section 102140. - 102140. No alteration or change in any respect shall be...

Section 102145. - 102145. Every person in charge of a hospital or other...

Section 102155. - 102155. “Absence of conflicting information relative to parentage” as used...

CHAPTER 2 - Administration

ARTICLE 1 - State Administration

Section 102175. - 102175. The director shall be the State Registrar of Vital...

Section 102180. - 102180. The State Registrar is charged with the execution of...

Section 102185. - 102185. The State Registrar may investigate cases of irregularity or...

Section 102190. - 102190. When the State Registrar deems it necessary, he or...

Section 102195. - 102195. The Attorney General shall assist in the enforcement of...

Section 102200. - 102200. The State Registrar shall prescribe and furnish all record...

Section 102205. - 102205. The State Registrar shall prepare and issue detailed instructions...

Section 102210. - 102210. The State Registrar shall establish registration districts within the...

Section 102215. - 102215. The State Registrar of Vital Statistics may call into...

Section 102220. - 102220. The State Registrar shall carefully examine the certificates received...

Section 102225. - 102225. The State Registrar shall carefully examine the marriage certificates...

Section 102230. - 102230. (a) (1) The State Registrar shall arrange and permanently...

Section 102231. - 102231. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, birth data files, birth...

Section 102232. - 102232. (a) (1) Any person who violates Section 102230 or...

Section 102233. - 102233. (a) The State Registrar shall create a document no...

Section 102235. - 102235. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law relating to retention...

Section 102240. - 102240. Any certified photographic reproduction of any record stored on...

Section 102245. - 102245. On and after January 1, 1978, whenever the State...

Section 102247. - 102247. (a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury...

Section 102249. - 102249. (a) The State Registrar shall expend funds in the...

ARTICLE 2 - Local Administration

Section 102275. - 102275. The health officer of any approved local health department,...

Section 102280. - 102280. In other areas, the State Registrar shall appoint a...

Section 102285. - 102285. The county recorder is the local registrar of marriages...

Section 102290. - 102290. Each assistant or deputy of a local registrar may...

Section 102295. - 102295. Each local registrar is hereby charged with the enforcement...

Section 102300. - 102300. Each local registrar shall supply blank forms to persons...

Section 102305. - 102305. The local registrar of births and deaths shall carefully...

Section 102310. - 102310. The local registrar of marriages shall carefully examine each...

Section 102315. - 102315. The local registrar shall affix his or her signature...

Section 102320. - 102320. The local registrar shall number the certificates of live...

Section 102325. - 102325. The local registrar shall number each marriage certificate consecutively...

Section 102330. - 102330. The local registrar shall make a complete and accurate...

Section 102335. - 102335. Each local registrar of births and deaths shall transmit...

Section 102345. - 102345. (a) The local registrar of births and deaths shall...

Section 102346. - 102346. (a) The local registrar of births and deaths shall...

Section 102350. - 102350. The county board of supervisors may, by resolution, require...

Section 102355. - 102355. The local registrar of marriages shall transmit to the...

Section 102356. - 102356. (a) For purposes of Section 102233, the local registrar...

Section 102360. - 102360. The local registrar of births and deaths shall furnish...

Section 102365. - 102365. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a local registrar of...

Section 102370. - 102370. The local custodian of records is hereby authorized to...

Section 102375. - 102375. Special county records of birth certificates and death certificates...

Section 102380. - 102380. The county recorder and the local registrar of births...

Section 102385. - 102385. If a public agency or private nonprofit agency that...

Section 102390. - 102390. Any record of death and marriage transferred to a...

Section 102395. - 102395. Special county records of birth, death, and marriage and...

CHAPTER 3 - Live Birth Registration

ARTICLE 1 - Duty of Registering Live Birth

Section 102400. - 102400. Each live birth shall be registered with the local...

Section 102405. - 102405. For live births that occur in a hospital, or...

Section 102410. - 102410. For those live births occurring in a hospital, and...

Section 102415. - 102415. For live births that occur outside of a hospital...

ARTICLE 2 - Content of Certificate of Live Birth

Section 102425. - 102425. (a) The certificate of live birth for a live...

Section 102425.1. - 102425.1. (a) Notwithstanding Sections 102465 and 102470, the State Registrar...

Section 102425.2. - 102425.2. (a) If the birth mother is one of the...

Section 102426. - 102426. (a) (1) In addition to the items of information...

Section 102430. - 102430. (a) The second section of the certificate of live...

Section 102440. - 102440. Notwithstanding Sections 102425 and 102430, the department may transmit...

Section 102445. - 102445. After public hearing and consultation with the Vital Statistics...

Section 102447. - 102447. Notwithstanding Section 102430, a parent’s social security number contained...

Section 102450. - 102450. (a) For each registration of live birth submitted to...

Section 102455. - 102455. (a) The medical and health report required pursuant to...

Section 102460. - 102460. With the exception of statistical tabulation purposes, the medical...

Section 102465. - 102465. (a) The State Registrar shall appoint a Vital Statistics...

Section 102470. - 102470. The State Registrar shall publish within 30 days of...

Section 102475. - 102475. (a) Any person who releases a copy of the...

ARTICLE 3 - Foundling Registration

Section 102500. - 102500. A certificate of finding of an unidentified live child...

Section 102505. - 102505. The certificate shall include the name, sex, color or...

Section 102510. - 102510. The person or institution with whom the child is...

Section 102515. - 102515. The certificate of finding shall be handled in the...

Section 102520. - 102520. If the child is later identified and a certificate...

CHAPTER 4 - Delayed Registration of Birth

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 102525. - 102525. This chapter is not exclusive of Chapters 3 (commencing...

Section 102530. - 102530. Delayed certificates of birth issued pursuant to this chapter...

Section 102535. - 102535. An application may be filed with the State Registrar...

ARTICLE 2 - Application

Section 102550. - 102550. The application shall be made on the forms prescribed...

ARTICLE 3 - Evidence

Section 102575. - 102575. “Affidavit,” as used in this chapter, is defined as...

Section 102580. - 102580. “Documentary evidence,” as used in this chapter, is defined...

Section 102585. - 102585. For births that are being registered under this chapter...

ARTICLE 4 - Registration

Section 102600. - 102600. (a) Upon receipt by the State Registrar of an...

Section 102605. - 102605. The State Registrar shall send a certified copy of...

Section 102610. - 102610. The State Registrar shall send certified copies of the...

CHAPTER 5 - Certificates of Birth Following Adoption, Legitimation, Court Determination of Parentage, and Acknowledgment

ARTICLE 1 - Adoption

Section 102625. - 102625. The clerk of the court shall complete a report...

Section 102630. - 102630. The court reports of adoption that are received by...

Section 102635. - 102635. A new birth certificate shall be established by the...

Section 102640. - 102640. When requested by the adopting parent or parents, a...

Section 102645. - 102645. The new birth certificate shall bear the name of...

Section 102650. - 102650. Notwithstanding other provisions in this article, when a child...

Section 102660. - 102660. If both adopting parents were in the home at...

Section 102670. - 102670. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an adopting parent...

Section 102675. - 102675. At any time after the issuance of a new...

Section 102680. - 102680. The new birth certificate shall supplant any birth certificate...

Section 102685. - 102685. When a new birth certificate is established under this...

Section 102690. - 102690. For court reports of adoptions received from any court...

Section 102695. - 102695. A court report of adoption received from any court...

Section 102700. - 102700. The court report of adoption shall be filed with...

Section 102705. - 102705. All records and information specified in this article, other...

Section 102710. - 102710. The State Registrar shall furnish a certified copy of...

ARTICLE 2 - Adjudication of Facts of Parentage

Section 102725. - 102725. Whenever the existence or nonexistence of the parent and...

Section 102730. - 102730. All records and information specified in this article, other...

Section 102735. - 102735. The State Registrar shall furnish a certified copy of...

ARTICLE 3 - Acknowledgement of Paternity

Section 102750. - 102750. Whenever the mother and the other genetic parent or...

Section 102755. - 102755. Upon receipt of the application and payment of the...

Section 102760. - 102760. All records and information specified in this article, other...

Section 102765. - 102765. The State Registrar shall furnish a certified copy of...

ARTICLE 4 - Voluntary Declaration of Parentage

Section 102766. - 102766. (a) When a voluntary declaration of parentage is filed...

Section 102767. - 102767. (a) When a voluntary declaration of parentage is rescinded...

Section 102768. - 102768. All records and information specified in this article, other...

Section 102769. - 102769. The State Registrar shall furnish a certified copy of...

CHAPTER 6 - Death Registration

ARTICLE 1 - Duty of Registering Death

Section 102775. - 102775. Each death shall be registered with the local registrar...

Section 102778. - 102778. (a) On or before January 1, 2005, the department...

Section 102780. - 102780. A funeral director, or person acting in lieu thereof,...

Section 102785. - 102785. The State Registrar, at his or her discretion, may...

Section 102790. - 102790. The funeral director shall obtain the required information other...

Section 102791. - 102791. (a) (1) The State Department of Public Health shall...

Section 102795. - 102795. The medical and health section data and the time...

Section 102800. - 102800. The medical and health section data and the physician’s...

Section 102805. - 102805. An embalmer may authorize his or her signature to...

ARTICLE 2 - Responsibility of Attending Physician

Section 102825. - 102825. (a) The physician and surgeon last in attendance, or...

ARTICLE 3 - Responsibility of Coroner

Section 102850. - 102850. A physician and surgeon, physician assistant, funeral director, or...

Section 102855. - 102855. The coroner whose duty it is to investigate such...

Section 102860. - 102860. The coroner shall state on the certificate of death...

Section 102865. - 102865. In any case involving an infant under the age...

Section 102870. - 102870. (a) In deaths investigated by the coroner or medical...

ARTICLE 4 - Content of Certificate of Death

Section 102875. - 102875. The certificate of death shall be divided into two...

ARTICLE 5 - American Indians

Section 102900. - 102900. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:...

Section 102905. - 102905. (a) The Rural Health Division of the department shall...

Section 102910. - 102910. For the purpose of conducting the three-year study required...

Section 102915. - 102915. The study shall be conducted in three phases, as...

Section 102925. - 102925. The state department shall begin to implement the activities...

ARTICLE 6 - Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Collection Pilot Program

Section 102935. - 102935. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:...

Section 102936. - 102936. (a) The department shall establish a three-year pilot program...

Section 102937. - 102937. (a) The coroner or medical examiner shall begin data...

Section 102938. - 102938. This article shall become inoperative on the date the...

CHAPTER 7 - Fetal Death Registration

ARTICLE 1 - Duty of Registering Fetal Death

Section 102950. - 102950. (a) Each fetal death in which the fetus has...

Section 102955. - 102955. A funeral director, or if there is no funeral...

Section 102960. - 102960. A funeral director, or if there is no funeral...

ARTICLE 2 - Responsibility of Attending Physician

Section 102975. - 102975. The physician, if any, in attendance on the delivery...

ARTICLE 3 - Responsibility of Coroner

Section 103005. - 103005. (a) The coroner shall, within three days after examination...

ARTICLE 4 - Content of Certificate of Fetal Death

Section 103025. - 103025. The certificate of fetal death shall contain items as...

ARTICLE 4.5 - Missing Angels Act

Section 103040. - 103040. This act shall be known, and may be cited,...

Section 103040.1. - 103040.1. (a) The local registrar of births and deaths of...

CHAPTER 8 - Permits for Disposition of Human Remains

Section 103050. - 103050. (a) A person shall not dispose of human remains...

Section 103055. - 103055. (a) If the certificate of death is properly executed...

Section 103055. - 103055. (a) If the certificate of death is properly executed...

Section 103060. - 103060. (a) A permit for disposition for the purpose of...

Section 103060. - 103060. (a) A permit for disposition for the purpose of...

Section 103065. - 103065. (a) Upon the presentation of a certificate of death...

Section 103070. - 103070. The body of any person whose death occurs in...

Section 103075. - 103075. Except when a permit is not required to be...

Section 103080. - 103080. (a) The person in charge of the place of...

Section 103085. - 103085. When human remains are transported from outside the state...

Section 103090. - 103090. This chapter does not prevent a funeral director from...

Section 103095. - 103095. A permit issued in one county or city is...

Section 103100. - 103100. If any cemetery is located partly in one registration...

Section 103105. - 103105. Permits for the disinterment or removal of interred remains...

CHAPTER 9 - Marriage Registration

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 103125. - 103125. The forms for the marriage license shall be prescribed...

ARTICLE 2 - Duty of Registering

Section 103150. - 103150. Each marriage that is performed shall be registered by...

ARTICLE 3 - Content of Certificate of Registry of Marriage

Section 103175. - 103175. (a) The marriage license shall contain as nearly as...

Section 103180. - 103180. (a) Sections 103150 and 103175 do not apply to...

CHAPTER 10 - Final Decrees of Dissolution of Marriage,or Legal Separation

Section 103200. - 103200. The clerk of the court of each county shall...

Section 103205. - 103205. The State Registrar shall maintain a comprehensive and continuous...

CHAPTER 11 - Amendment of Records

ARTICLE 1 - Amendment of a Record of Birth, Death or Marriage

Section 103225. - 103225. Whenever the facts are not correctly stated in any...

Section 103230. - 103230. Section 103225 shall be applicable to certificates of birth...

Section 103235. - 103235. If the amendment relates to a certificate or marriage...

Section 103240. - 103240. If the amendment relates to a certificate that has...

Section 103245. - 103245. If the amendment is accepted, the State Registrar shall...

Section 103250. - 103250. The State Registrar shall send a certified copy of...

Section 103255. - 103255. The amendment shall be filed with and become a...

Section 103260. - 103260. (a) A person born in this state whose birth...

Section 103265. - 103265. An amended certificate of death of an individual who...

ARTICLE 2 - Amendment of a Death Record of a Previously Unidentified Body

Section 103275. - 103275. The coroner having jurisdiction shall register with the local...

Section 103280. - 103280. This amendment to the record shall be handled in...

ARTICLE 3 - Amendment of Medical and Health Section Data on Death, Fetal Death, and Live Birth Records

Section 103300. - 103300. Notwithstanding other provisions in this part relative to amendment...

Section 103305. - 103305. This amendment shall be handled in the manner prescribed...

ARTICLE 4 - Supplemental Name Reports

Section 103325. - 103325. When any certificate of birth of a living child...

Section 103330. - 103330. The parents shall complete the report and return it...

Section 103335. - 103335. The State Registrar shall send a certified copy of...

Section 103340. - 103340. This amendment to the record shall be handled in...

ARTICLE 5 - Amendment of Birth Certificate to Delete Racial Slurs

Section 103350. - 103350. The purpose of this article is to provide a...

Section 103355. - 103355. Any person who was born in this state and...

Section 103360. - 103360. Upon receipt of the application and payment of the...

Section 103365. - 103365. The entry for race or color in the new...

Section 103370. - 103370. The State Registrar shall transmit a certified copy of...

Section 103375. - 103375. When a new birth certificate is established pursuant to...

ARTICLE 6 - Amendment of Birth Record to Reflect Court Order Change of Name

Section 103400. - 103400. (a) If a person who has a birth certificate...

Section 103405. - 103405. Upon receipt of the application, affidavit, certified copy of...

Section 103410. - 103410. The State Registrar shall furnish a certified copy of...

ARTICLE 7 - Revision of Birth and Marriage Records to Reflect Change of Gender and Sex Identifier

Section 103425. - 103425. (a) A person may file a petition with the...

Section 103426. - 103426. (a) The State Registrar shall issue a new birth...

Section 103430. - 103430. (a) A petition for a court order to recognize...

Section 103431. - 103431. (a) (1) If a judgment pursuant to Section 103430...

Section 103435. - 103435. (a) In lieu of separate proceedings, a single petition...

Section 103440. - 103440. (a) The new birth certificate, marriage license and certificate,...

Section 103443. - 103443. (a) The State Registrar shall transmit a certified copy...

Section 103445. - 103445. This article shall become operative on January 1, 2023....

ARTICLE 8 - Revision of Birth Records to Correct Gender Errors Made by Birthing Hospitals or Local Registrars

Section 103446. - 103446. It is the intent of the Legislature that this...

Section 103447. - 103447. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any...

Section 103447.5. - 103447.5. Upon receipt of the application and sworn affidavit or...

Section 103448. - 103448. The new birth certificate established pursuant to this article...

Section 103448.5. - 103448.5. The State Registrar shall transmit a certified copy of...

Section 103449. - 103449. (a) When a new birth certificate is established pursuant...

CHAPTER 12 - Court Proceedings to Establish Record of Birth, Death or Marriage

Section 103450. - 103450. (a) A verified petition may be filed by any...

Section 103451. - 103451. (a) For purposes of this chapter, “mass fatalities incident”...

Section 103455. - 103455. The petition shall be verified and shall contain all...

Section 103460. - 103460. If the time and place of birth are not...

Section 103465. - 103465. Upon the filing of the petition a hearing shall...

Section 103466. - 103466. Notwithstanding Section 103465, upon the filing of a petition...

Section 103470. - 103470. The fee for filing the petition is two hundred...

Section 103475. - 103475. If, upon the hearing, the allegations of the petition...

Section 103480. - 103480. If the time and place of birth are not...

Section 103485. - 103485. The order shall be made in the form and...

Section 103490. - 103490. (a) The State Registrar shall send certified copies of...

CHAPTER 13 - Recording Certification of Foreign Births and Deaths

Section 103501. - 103501. A county recorder shall issue a certified copy of...

Section 103505. - 103505. (a) A certification of birth or death outside of...

CHAPTER 14 - Certified Copy and Verification of Records

Section 103525. - 103525. (a) The State Registrar, local registrar, or county recorder...

Section 103525.5. - 103525.5. (a) (1) Until January 1, 2006, in addition to...

Section 103526. - 103526. (a) (1) If the State Registrar, local registrar, or...

Section 103526.5. - 103526.5. (a) Each certified copy of a birth, death, or...

Section 103526.6. - 103526.6. (a) The State Registrar, in consultation with the County...

Section 103527. - 103527. (a) The State Registrar shall appoint a Vital Records...

Section 103528. - 103528. The department may create an automated system for the...

Section 103530. - 103530. Certified copies of certificates of births shall be issued...

Section 103535. - 103535. Upon application of a parent, the local registrar or...

Section 103540. - 103540. Prior to issuing a certified copy of a birth...

Section 103545. - 103545. Certified copies of birth, fetal death, death, and marriage...

Section 103550. - 103550. Any birth, fetal death, death, or marriage record that...

Section 103555. - 103555. A short form of certification of birth registration that...

Section 103560. - 103560. A short form of certification of death registration, including...

Section 103565. - 103565. The Office of the State Registrar, upon request, may...

Section 103570. - 103570. A certification limited to a statement as to the...

Section 103575. - 103575. The state or local registrar or county recorder may,...

Section 103577. - 103577. (a) The local registrar, county recorder, or the State...

Section 103578. - 103578. (a) Each local registrar or county recorder shall, without...

Section 103580. - 103580. The State Registrar, local registrar or county recorder may...

Section 103585. - 103585. Certified copies or certification of abstract information required to...

Section 103590. - 103590. (a) The State Registrar shall, upon request and payment...

CHAPTER 15 - Fees of State and Local Registrars

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 103600. - 103600. The State Registrar and local registrars shall keep a...

Section 103605. - 103605. (a) The moneys collected by the State Registrar shall...

Section 103610. - 103610. The money collected by the local registrar shall be...

Section 103615. - 103615. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no fees other...

ARTICLE 2 - Fee for Certified Copy or Search of Records

Section 103625. - 103625. (a) A fee of twelve dollars ($12) shall be...

Section 103625. - 103625. (a) A fee of twelve dollars ($12) shall be...

Section 103626. - 103626. (a) The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, upon...

Section 103627. - 103627. (a) (1) The Alameda County Board of Supervisors, upon...

Section 103628. - 103628. (a) The Solano County Board of Supervisors, upon making...

Section 103630. - 103630. If the information supplied by the applicant is not...

Section 103635. - 103635. Overpayment of the required fee received in the office...

Section 103650. - 103650. The fee for any search of the files and...

Section 103655. - 103655. No fee shall be charged any publisher or editor...

Section 103660. - 103660. No fee shall be charged by the State Registrar...

ARTICLE 3 - Other Fees

Section 103675. - 103675. Except as otherwise provided in Section 103065, the fee...

Section 103680. - 103680. (a) An additional fee of three dollars ($3) for...

Section 103685. - 103685. An additional fee of three dollars ($3) shall be...

Section 103690. - 103690. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the local registrar...

Section 103692. - 103692. (a) (1) Commencing January 1, 2003, in addition to...

Section 103695. - 103695. A fee of eleven dollars ($11) shall be paid...

Section 103700. - 103700. A fee of eleven dollars ($11) shall be paid...

Section 103705. - 103705. A fee of eleven dollars ($11) shall be paid...

Section 103710. - 103710. A fee of eleven dollars ($11) shall be paid...

Section 103715. - 103715. A fee of eleven dollars ($11) shall be paid...

Section 103720. - 103720. A fee of eleven dollars ($11) shall be paid...

Section 103725. - 103725. (a) A fee of eleven dollars ($11) shall be...

Section 103730. - 103730. A fee of twenty dollars ($20) for each individual...

CHAPTER 16 - Compensation of Appointed Local Registrars of Births and Deaths

Section 103750. - 103750. For local registrars serving under authority of Section 102280...

Section 103755. - 103755. All amounts shall be paid by the treasurer of...

Section 103760. - 103760. Each local registrar entitled to compensation shall be paid...

Section 103765. - 103765. If no births or no deaths were registered during...

CHAPTER 17 - Penalties

ARTICLE 1 - Misdemeanors

Section 103775. - 103775. (a) Every person, except a parent informant for a...

Section 103780. - 103780. (a) Every person, except as provided in subdivision (b),...

Section 103785. - 103785. Every person who is required to fill out a...

Section 103790. - 103790. Every local registrar, deputy registrar, or subregistrar, who fails,...

Section 103795. - 103795. Any person who uses any information from a certificate...

ARTICLE 2 - Felony

Section 103800. - 103800. Any person who willfully makes or files or causes...