Vital Records
Services
Sacramento County Vital Records strives to provide timely and accurate services to meet the needs of the public while being in compliance with statutory requirements. Vital Records performs the following functions for all births and deaths occurring in the County:
- Registers all births, including home births or births on a Military Base or Facility
- Registers all deaths, including fetal deaths
- Issues birth certificates
- Issues death certificates
- Issues burial permits for the interment or movement of human remains
Vital Records coordinates with the County Coroner, local funeral homes, hospitals, and other agencies to complete these functions.
Vital Records also issues Medical Marijuana Identification Cards for County residents.
Order
Order Birth and Death Certificates Online
For birth and death certificates that occurred in Sacramento County in the past two years.
Fee Schedule
Our office accepts cash, checks, and credit/debit cards* in person. Check or money order payments only via mail.
Effective January 1, 2026 vital records fees will increase pursuant to Assembly Bill (AB) 64.
| Category | Fee | Fee (Effective 1/1/2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Birth Certificate | $32 | $34 |
| Government Birth Certificate | $22 | $24 |
| Certified Death Certificate | $24 | $26 |
| Government Death Certificate | $24 | $26 |
| Certified Fetal Death Certificate | $21 | $23 |
| Disposition Permit | $12 | $12 |
| Cross-File Permit | $17 | $17 |
*Note:
- A fee is charged for all credit/debit card transactions. Credit: 2.29% (minimum $1.95). Debit: $1.95 per transaction.
- Credit/debit cards must have your first and last name.
- Preferred and Valued Customer cards are not accepted.
- Third party credit/debit cards and checks are not accepted; must list applicant's name.
Purpose
Under the supervision of the County Health Officer, Sacramento County Vital Records mandates serve to achieve the following:
- Establish permanent records legally recognized as prima facie evidence of fact in courts
- Reduce fraud by reporting information on births and deaths to other governmental agencies
- Promote the health of our citizens by studying statistical data for health evaluation and planning
In coordination with the Epidemiology Unit, Vital Records routinely provides vital statistics to the Sacramento County Child Death Review Team and Fetal Infant Mortality Review Team to ensure that all child abuse and neglect deaths are identified and that multi-agency review of fetal-infant mortality is performed
Funding
Sacramento County Vital Records is self-funding, existing entirely from revenues generated from user fees for Vital Records services. Fee schedules are determined by state and local legislation. Our fees contribute to programs that support the health and well-being of our community, including the following:
- California Peace Officer Standards and Training fund (POST)
- Sacramento County Children's Trust Fund (CTF)
- Sacramento County Indigent Burial Fund
- California Department of Justice DNA Testing Fund
- Sacramento County Vital Records Improvement Fund
- Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program
A portion of the fees that are collected are also shared with the State Office of Vital Records for their operations. All other revenues are exclusively used to support Sacramento County Vital Records operations and improvement.
Location
Closures: Our office is closed on County holidays. We close early at 3:00 pm on the workdays before December 25th and December 31st and on four additional Fridays for staff development and training. Please call our office to verify office hours.