Find Santa Clara Birth Records
Birth records for the city of Santa Clara are handled by the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder office in San Jose. The city shares its name with the county, which can be confusing. Santa Clara is a city of about 130,000 people in the heart of Silicon Valley. It does not have its own vital records office. All birth certificate requests go through the county clerk in San Jose. The county seat is only about 5 miles from Santa Clara, making in-person visits convenient. You can also order by mail or online through approved services.
Santa Clara Birth Records Quick Facts
Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder for City of Santa Clara
The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder is where city residents get birth certificates. Do not confuse the city with the county. The city of Santa Clara is just one of 15 cities in Santa Clara County. The county office in San Jose handles vital records for the entire county. This includes the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, and others.
Contact information for the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder appears below. Call ahead to verify hours and check if appointments are needed.
- Phone: (408) 299-5688
- Address: 70 West Hedding Street, East Wing, San Jose, CA 95110
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- Website: clerkrecorder.sccgov.org
Birth certificates cost $35 per copy in Santa Clara County. This fee applies to all requests from the city of Santa Clara and other county cities. Additional copies run the same rate each. Payment options include cash, check, or credit card at the counter. Mailed requests need a check or money order payable to Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder.
The image shows the state vital records website as an alternative ordering source. Santa Clara residents can order through the state when the county office is not convenient. State processing may take longer but costs $29.
Getting a Birth Certificate in Santa Clara
Residents of Santa Clara have multiple paths to obtain birth certificates. Which you choose depends on your timeline and convenience preferences. Each approach has trade-offs to consider.
Visiting the San Jose office in person is quickest. The drive from Santa Clara is short, about 10 minutes without traffic. Bring your photo ID and any information about the birth. Fill out the request form at the counter when you arrive. Staff search records while you wait. Most visits wrap up within an hour. You leave with a certified copy that same day. This option works best for urgent needs.
Mail requests suit those who can wait. Download the application from the Santa Clara County website. Fill in all the birth details you have. Include a $35 check payable to Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder. Send everything to the San Jose address. Processing runs 2 to 3 weeks from when they receive your request. Factor in mail transit time both directions. Total turnaround is about 4 to 5 weeks.
Online ordering through approved vendors provides another option. Complete a form on their website and pay with a credit card. Service fees add to the $35 county rate. Total cost runs roughly $47 to $52. Orders ship within 2 to 4 weeks with standard delivery. Faster shipping options cost more. This works well when you prefer not to mail a check or drive to San Jose.
The California state health department also issues birth certificates. They have records for all California births since July 1905. State fee is $29 per copy. This option helps when you are unsure which county holds the record.
Who Can Get Santa Clara Birth Certificates
State law limits who receives authorized birth certificates. These restrictions protect privacy and guard against identity theft. The rules apply to all California counties including Santa Clara.
You can get an authorized copy if you are the person named on the record. Parents may request copies for their children at any age. Legal guardians have the same rights as parents. Spouses and registered domestic partners qualify. Adult children can get their parents' birth certificates. Grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings also have access. Attorneys representing eligible people can file requests. Government and law enforcement agencies get copies for official duties.
Anyone outside this list can still obtain a copy. It will be an informational copy with a notice printed on it. The notice states the document is not valid for establishing identity. Informational copies work for family history research. They do not work for passports, driver's licenses, or official identification purposes.
All requests require identity verification. Bring government-issued photo ID to the counter. Mail applicants sign sworn statements. You must state your relationship to the person on the certificate. Making false claims is a crime under California law.
Santa Clara Birth Record Resources
The city of Santa Clara does not issue birth certificates. But local resources can help with related needs. The city library has research materials. City staff can point you toward county services.
Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center is a major hospital in the city. Babies born there have births registered through the hospital. Staff file paperwork with Santa Clara County automatically. Parents do not need to visit the county office to register a newborn. The hospital handles that. Wait at least 4 to 6 weeks after birth before ordering a certificate. It takes time for records to process into the county system.
Santa Clara is in the heart of Silicon Valley. Many residents moved from other states or countries. If a birth happened outside California, you need to contact that jurisdiction. The California state office only has records for births that occurred within the state. Foreign birth records require contacting the country where the birth took place.
Legal assistance exists for complex situations. The Santa Clara County Bar Association offers lawyer referrals. Attorneys can help with birth certificate amendments, name corrections, and adoption searches. A consultation can clarify what steps you need to take.
Historical Birth Records in Santa Clara
Santa Clara has deep roots in California history. The city incorporated in 1852, making it one of the state's oldest cities. Mission Santa Clara was founded in 1777. Birth records from the mission era are in church archives, not government offices.
Santa Clara County has records going back to the late 1800s for some births. California began statewide birth registration in July 1905. Before that, only counties kept records, and not all births were documented. The clerk can tell you what old records they have available.
The California State Archives holds historical vital records. Records more than 75 years old are open to anyone without proving a relationship. Researchers can access these for genealogical purposes. Contact the archives at (916) 653-6814 for assistance with hard-to-find records.
Family historians have several local resources. The Santa Clara City Library has a California Room with local history. Santa Clara University has historical archives related to the mission. The Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History focuses on Silicon Valley genealogy. These collections can fill gaps in government records.
Nearby Cities for Birth Records
If the birth did not happen in Santa Clara, check nearby cities. Many are also in Santa Clara County and use the same clerk office. Others are in different counties with their own offices.
Cities near Santa Clara include:
Unsure where a birth occurred? The California state health department has an index of all births since 1905. They can identify which county holds the record.
More Santa Clara County Birth Record Info
For full details on Santa Clara County birth records, see our county page. It covers complete contact information, current fees, and all ordering methods.