Birth Certificate

• VS-24B
• VS-20
• Notarizing your VS-20
• Mailing the Application

VS-24B

The VS-24B form is used to amend your birth certificate, such as to change your name and gender.

If you only change your name, you'll receive a two-page birth certificate listing both your new and old name.

If you change both your name and gender, you'll receive a new birth certificate without any indication that it isn't the original. The original birth certificate is then sealed and can only be obtained with a court order.

• On page 1
  • Under Applicant Name and Mailing Address, use your new name (the one you're changing to), and put the address where you'd like to receive your new birth certificate and/or any mail pertaining to your request. This does not have to be your permanent address.
  • It is recommended to provide an email address so that the CDPH can notify you when they receive the request and when they mail out the new birth certificate.
  • Under Calculate the Fee, write $26 in Total Fee unless you want additional copies on top of the one included with the amendment, in which case, you can add $29 to the total fee for each extra copy.
• On page 2
  • In Part 1, fill out your information as it appears on your current (unchanged) birth certificate. This information is used by the CDPH to find your original birth record.
  • In Part 2, check the boxes to the left of all the options you'd like to change. For example, "Child's First Name", "Child's Middle Name", "Child's Last Name", and "Sex". Then, put the new details in the boxes to the right of the items you checked.
  • Under Reason for the Correction
    • If you're changing your gender, write "To change the sex specified on my birth certificate to conform to my gender identity and not for any fraudulent purposes."
    • If you're changing your name, write "Name is changed pursuant to Superior Court of California, County of [county of name change], Court Case Number [name change court case number], dated [mm/dd/yyyy]." If you changed your name in a state other than California, replace "Superior Court of California" with the name of the court that issued the order.
    • If you're changing both, write both of the reasons.
  • Under Printed Name, put your new name (the one you're changing to).
  • Under Relationship, write "Self".
  • Under Address, put the address where you'd like to receive your new birth certificate and/or any mail pertaining to your request. This does not have to be your permanent address.
  • Sign and date the form. Despite the form saying that two people must sign, if you're changing your own record, only you have to sign the form.

Example

Here's what your form should look like once it's finished (Everything I added is in red for emphasis. Use black when you're filling your form out):

VS-20

The VS-20 form is a sworn statement that you are authorized to receive a copy of the birth certificate once it's amended. This form must be notarized before it's sent to the CDPH. You can learn more about that on the next page.

• Above Applicant's Printed Name, write your new legal name (the one you want to change to).
• Under Registrant, write your new legal name (the one you want to change to).
• Under Applicant's Relationship to Registrant, write "Self".
• Leave everything else blank. You will need to complete the rest in the presence of a Notary Public.

Example

Here's what your form should look like once it's finished (Everything I added is in red for emphasis. Use black when you're filling your form out):

Notarizing your VS-20

After you fill out your VS-20 form as detailed on the previous page, you'll need to notarize it. Notarizing a document means visiting a Notary Public, who is a person entrusted by the state to verify your identity.

The Notary Public will look at your ID, verify that you are who you say you are, fill out the Certificate of Acknowledgement, and stamp and sign your form. Then, they'll have you fill out the portion of the VS-20 that has to be completed in their presence. Once the notarization is complete, they'll have you sign and provide your fingerprint in their record book so that they have a record of the notarization.

Where to notarize a document

Notaries can be found in many places. Most UPS stores have a notary. That's where I notarized my VS-20. If you use a UPS store's notary services, verify on their website that the location you're visiting has a notary before going. Once you arrive, tell the cashier that you need to notarize a document and they'll get the notary for you.

What to bring

When you visit a notary, you will need your partially filled out VS-20 form, a form of photo ID such as a driver's license or passport, your name change court order, and a payment method to pay for the notary's services. In California, notaries cannot charge you more than $15 for their services by law. In other states, the cost of a notary's services may vary.

Mailing the Application

Once you've filled out the VS-24B and VS-20, and had the VS-20 notarized, you'll need to mail your amendment application to the California Department of Public Health's Vital Records department (CDPH-VR).

What to include

You'll need to include the following items in your application:

• Both pages of your filled-out VS-24B form
• Your notarized VS-20 form
• A certified copy of your name change court order (this will not be returned to you)
• A check or money order for the amount you calculated in the Calculate the Fee section on the VS-24B page, payable to "CDPH - Vital Records". See instructions for filling out checks.
• Optionally, include a photocopy of your current birth certificate to speed up the process of finding your original record.

Payment Methods

The CDPH only accepts payment by check or money order. They do not accept cash or card details. You can get checks from your bank or purchase a money order from the post office when you go to mail your documents. Make sure to fill out your check or money order so that it's payable to "CDPH - Vital Records". Take a look at our guide on filling out checks. If your payment method is not provided correctly, the CDPH will return your application.

How to mail

For mailing instructions, see Sending Mail in the United States. The CDPH allows you to fold your documents to fit in a standard-sized envelope.

After Mailing

If you provided an email address on the application, the CDPH will send an email notification once they start processing your application. Don't expect to receive an email notification until 4 to 6 weeks after you mailed it. They may also send a postcard by mail. Don't expect that until 6 to 8 weeks after you mailed your application.

Once the amendment request has been processed and the CDPH mails out your new birth certificate, they'll send an email notifying you of that.