Clerk Recorder

I was adopted. How do I obtain a copy of my birth certificate?

Adoption records are sealed at the time of adoption. If there is no birth record in the county where you were born, you must contact the California State Office of Vital Records for a copy.

For information on how to order a copy from the state, you may call their information line at 1-916-445-2684 or go on line to www.cdph.ca.gov.

If you wish to obtain a copy of your original birth certificate, you must obtain a court order. For further information on how to obtain the court order, you should contact your legal advisor or go to www.stanct.org, for information.

How do I legally change my name?

To legally change a name, or add, or change a parent on a birth record requires a court order. To add a parent does not always need a court order.  If the father is willing to sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, no court order is required. For further information, contact the Stanislaus County Court Clerk at 209-558-6000 or your legal advisor.  Or go to their website: www.stanct.org for information.

How do I add or change a parent on a birth record?

There are two processes to add or change a parent on a birth record:

Acknowledgement of Paternity/Parentage:

  • This is a legal process whereby the parents “acknowledge” (establish) a parental relationship with their child.
  • This process should only be used if you want to add the fathers name to the child’s birth certificate if he was not included on the original birth certificate.

Adjudication of Facts of Parentage:

  • This is a legal process whereby the court makes a decision as to the existence or nonexistence of the parent and child relationship.
  • This process should only be used if you want to change the father or mother from the party listed on the child’s original birth certificate.

Please visit the California Department of Public Health’s website www.cdph.ca.gov for additional information or seek legal advice.

How do I correct information on a vital record?

Some incorrect information on a vital record can be corrected by amending the record. To amend a record, a "Request to Amend a Vital Record" must be completed and mailed to the California State Office of Vital Records or go to www.cdph.ca.gov.   If the amendment is filed within a year of the event, there is no charge. If more than a year has passed since the event, there will be a $26.00 processing fee. Once the request has been processed, the State will mail you a new certified copy of the record. The "Request to Amend a Vital Record" form is available from the following Agency.

Vital Statistics Division of the Stanislaus County Health Department,
Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder

California State Office of Vital Records.

Order Online at VitalChek and Pay by Credit Card?

Order online at www.VitalChek.com. VitalChek is a private company that provides a secure Internet site, allowing the public to order vital records 24 hours a day. A processing fee of $7.00 applies to all credit card transactions. When ordering an authorized certified copy online through VitalChek, you must also mail or fax your notarized Sworn Statement to our office. Authorized certified copies cannot be issued without a notarized Sworn Statement. California Civil Code 1189(b) states: “Any certificate of acknowledgment taken in another place shall be sufficient in this state if it is taken in accordance with the laws of the place where the acknowledgment is made.”


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