How Do You Get a Newborn's Birth Certificate?

Two tracks from one worksheet

At a hospital birth, parents give information for the child's birth certificate. That single worksheet starts two separate processes. First, the birth is registered with the records office, and a certified copy of the birth certificate can then be ordered. Second, if the parents answer yes when asked whether they want to apply for a Social Security number, the birth registration information is sent to the Social Security Administration through Enumeration at Birth. Neither track delivers the other's document. The Social Security card does not arrive with the birth certificate, and the birth certificate does not arrive automatically because a Social Security number was requested.

This guide is about the birth certificate track. It is distinct from the guide on getting a Social Security card for a newborn, which covers the card application. Do not confuse the two documents: the birth certificate is issued by the state or local records office, and the Social Security number is assigned by the federal Social Security Administration.

Step 1: the birth is registered

Registration comes first. In California, each live birth must be registered with the local registrar of births and deaths for the district in which the birth occurred within 21 days following the date of the event, under Health and Safety Code section 102400. The hospital reports the birth information to the local registrar; for births outside a hospital, the person who attended the birth, or a parent where no physician or licensed midwife attended, is responsible for registration. The California Department of Public Health states that birth records are only available from CDPH Vital Records after they have been recorded by the County Recorder's Office, and suggests requesting birth copies from the county health department or county recorder's office for the first 3 months after the event.

Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder states that newborn certificates are available approximately 4 weeks after the birth date, and asks applicants to call the office to verify that the record is available before visiting. Availability timing varies by county and state. If the record is requested before it is in the database, the California state office issues a Certificate of No Public Record and retains the fee as a search fee under state law. Check that the record is available before ordering.

Step 2: order the certified copy separately

A certified copy is ordered from the records office that holds the record, using that office's application form, fee, and identification rules. The office, form, fee, and processing time depend on the state and county where the birth occurred. The state guides in this series state each office's current fee and channels. In California, the state fee for a certified copy of a birth record on form VS 111 is $31 per copy, effective January 1, 2026, and the state office averages 4 to 6 weeks to process a certified copy request. County offices often issue copies more quickly, and county fees may differ.

What the hospital gives parents at discharge is not a certified copy. A hospital keepsake, a confirmation of birth, or a worksheet copy is not the certified record. Only the certified copy issued by the records office serves as the official record for purposes such as a passport application or a Social Security number application made outside the hospital process.

The Social Security number track, kept separate

The Social Security Administration states that Enumeration at Birth eliminates the need for a parent to gather documents, complete an Application for a Social Security Card (SS-5), and take or mail original documents to a local Social Security office. New parents at a hospital, birthing center, or using a licensed midwife can request a Social Security number during the birth registration process. Through Enumeration at Birth, the bureaus of records electronically send birth registration information to the Social Security Administration, which assigns a number, issues a card, and updates its records with proof of birth. The national average processing time for Enumeration at Birth cases is 2 weeks, and parents may expect to wait up to an additional 2 weeks to receive the card in the mail.

The Social Security Administration's blog states that when parents give information for the child's birth certificate at the hospital, they are asked whether they want to apply for a Social Security number, and if they answer yes they are asked to provide both parents' Social Security numbers. Even if a parent does not know both parents' Social Security numbers, the parent can still apply for a number for the child. A Social Security number is needed to claim the child as a dependent on an income tax return, and may be needed to open a bank account, buy savings bonds, get medical coverage, or apply for government services.

Requesting the number at the hospital is optional. Saying no at the hospital does not prevent a later application, but the later application is a direct application to the Social Security Administration, not a birth and death records order, and it requires evidence including the child's certified birth certificate. Do not send a Social Security card application to the records office.

If the birth happened outside a hospital

For a birth outside a hospital, registration follows the route the state sets for out-of-hospital births. In California, the birth must still be registered with the local registrar within 21 days, and the worksheet and supporting documents go to the local registrar's office. Enumeration at Birth is available through a licensed midwife as well as at a hospital or birthing center, according to the Social Security Administration. If no licensed attendant was present, the parents register the birth, and the Social Security number application is made directly to the Social Security Administration after the birth is registered and the certified copy is available. Contact the local registrar for that county's registration process before assuming the hospital route applies.

What to check before ordering

Confirm three things with the records office that holds the record: that the birth has been registered and the record is available, which application form and fee that office requires, and what identification the office requires from the requester. Order the number of certified copies needed at one time, because later orders repeat the fee and the wait. Keep the certified copies in a safe place; replacing a lost certified copy means ordering again from the same office.

Source

• Social Security Administration, What is Enumeration at Birth and how does it work?
• Social Security Administration, How To Get Your New Baby's Social Security Number
• California Health and Safety Code section 102400
• California Department of Public Health, Vital Records Important Information
• California Department of Public Health, Vital Records Processing Times
• California Department of Public Health, Vital Records Fees
• Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder, Birth Certificates

Facts verified 2026-11-03. No fee for the Enumeration at Birth request itself is stated on the Social Security Administration pages opened for this guide, and none is claimed here; the $31 figure is the California certified-copy fee only.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to the records office that holds the record.