Vacaville Birth Records Lookup
Birth records for Vacaville residents are kept by the Solano County Clerk-Recorder office. Vacaville does not maintain its own vital records department. The city is located in Solano County, between the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area regions. About 105,000 people live in Vacaville today. The county seat is in Fairfield, which is where the clerk-recorder office is located. You can order birth certificates in person, by mail, or online through approved vendors.
Vacaville Birth Records Quick Facts
Solano County Clerk-Recorder for Vacaville
Vacaville is in Solano County. The Solano County Clerk-Recorder handles all vital records for the area. This includes birth certificates for births that happened in Vacaville. The office has records going back many years. Vacaville has been a city since 1892, and the county has birth records from that entire period.
The clerk-recorder office is in Fairfield. That is the county seat, located about 10 miles south of Vacaville. The drive takes 15 to 20 minutes on Interstate 80. Fairfield is also home to Travis Air Force Base. The county building is in the downtown Fairfield area near the courthouse.
Here is how to reach the Solano County Clerk-Recorder:
- Phone: (707) 784-6224
- Address: 675 Texas Street, Suite 2700, Fairfield, CA 94533
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Website: solanocounty.com/depts/recorder/vital_records
Solano County charges $36 per copy of a birth certificate. This is higher than some neighboring counties. Additional copies cost $36 each. Payment can be made by cash, check, money order, or credit card. The office accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cards.
How Vacaville Residents Get Birth Certificates
There are three ways to order a birth certificate if you live in Vacaville. Choose the method that works for your situation.
In-person visits are the fastest option. Go to the Solano County office in Fairfield. Bring a valid photo ID. Fill out the application at the counter. Staff will look up the record while you wait. If they find it, you get your copy that same day. Most visits take 30 to 45 minutes. Try to arrive early for shorter lines.
The Fairfield office handles a moderate amount of traffic. It is not as busy as larger county offices in places like Los Angeles or San Diego. Wait times are generally reasonable. Calling ahead can give you an idea of current conditions. Staff can tell you if it is a good time to come in.
Mail orders are good when you cannot make the trip. Download the application from the county website. Fill it out completely. Send it with payment to the address on the form. Use a check or money order made out to Solano County Clerk-Recorder. Processing takes 2 to 4 weeks. Add mail time on both ends. Total wait is often 4 to 6 weeks.
Online ordering goes through VitalChek. You enter the birth details on their site. Pay by credit card. VitalChek adds a service fee on top of the county fee. Total cost is higher than ordering direct. Orders ship in 2 to 4 weeks. Rush shipping costs more but arrives faster.
The VitalChek website walks you through each step of the ordering process.
Who Can Request Vacaville Birth Certificates
California law controls who can receive an authorized copy of a birth certificate. The Health and Safety Code lists who qualifies. Only authorized people can get a certified copy that works as legal ID.
The person named on the certificate can request their own copy. Parents and legal guardians can get copies for their children. Spouses and domestic partners are eligible too. Family members who qualify include children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings of the person named. Attorneys working on behalf of the person or their estate can request copies. Government workers and law enforcement have access for official purposes.
If you do not fit these categories, you can still get a copy. It will be an informational copy. This type has text printed on it that says it cannot be used to establish identity. You cannot use it for a passport or driver's license. But it does confirm a birth occurred. Genealogists and family historians often use informational copies.
You must show ID to get a birth certificate. Bring valid photo ID to the office. Mail requests require a signed statement under penalty of perjury. The form asks your relationship to the person on the record. Lying on this form is a crime under California law.
Vacaville Birth Certificate Processing Times
How quickly you get your copy depends on the ordering method. Solano County handles a moderate volume of requests.
Walk-in service is usually same-day. Plan for 30 to 45 minutes at the office. Come when they open at 8 AM for the shortest wait. Mondays and the first of the month are typically busier. Midweek visits often have lighter traffic.
Mail orders need 2 to 4 weeks for county processing. This does not count mail delivery time. From when you mail your request to when you receive the copy might be 4 to 6 weeks. Double-check your form before sending. Errors cause delays.
Online orders from VitalChek ship in 2 to 4 weeks. Standard shipping adds several days. Expedited shipping is available at checkout. It costs extra but cuts delivery time.
New births take extra time to enter the system. Hospitals have 21 days to file birth paperwork with the state. The state and county then process the records. Wait at least 6 weeks after a birth to order. If you order too soon, the record might not exist yet. The county still charges the fee even when no record is found.
State Birth Records for Vacaville Births
The California Department of Public Health keeps copies of all California birth records. They have records since July 1905. Vacaville births are included. You can order from the state instead of Solano County if you prefer.
The state charges $29 per copy. This is $7 less than the Solano County fee. VitalChek handles state online orders too. They add a service charge. Mail orders go to the CDPH office in Sacramento. Use form VS 111 for mail requests.
State processing takes longer than county. Mail orders need 10 to 15 business days after the office gets your request. Online orders ship in 2 to 4 weeks. There is no walk-in service at the state level. All requests must go through mail or web.
If you are not sure where a birth took place, start with the state. They can search the statewide index covering all 58 counties. Once they tell you which county has the record, you can order from the state or contact that county directly.
Historical Vacaville Birth Records
Vacaville has been a city since 1892. Solano County has birth records from that time forward. The county clerk-recorder office keeps these historical records. Some very old records may be on microfilm or in archival storage.
For births before July 1905, the county is your only source. The state did not start keeping statewide birth records until then. Contact the Solano County Clerk-Recorder if you need a very old birth certificate. Staff can search their historical files. The search may take longer than looking up a recent birth.
The California State Archives also has some Solano County vital records. Their collection includes records from various time periods. Records older than 75 years are open to anyone without restriction. The Archives can be a good resource for genealogy research on Vacaville families.
Older records sometimes have less information than modern ones. Names may be spelled differently. Dates might be off by a day or two. Keep this in mind when searching for historical Vacaville birth records.
Nearby Cities for Birth Records
Other cities near Vacaville use the same Solano County office for birth records. If you need a certificate for someone born in a nearby city, check these pages.
These cities are in Solano County. They use the same clerk-recorder office in Fairfield. Fees and procedures are the same across the county.
Some Vacaville residents may have been born in nearby counties. If the birth occurred in Yolo, Napa, or Sacramento County, contact that county's office instead. Each county handles its own birth records.
Solano County Birth Records
For full details on birth certificates in Solano County, see our main county page. It has complete information about the clerk-recorder office, forms needed, current fees, and all ordering options.