Search Lassen County Birth Records

Lassen County birth records are held by the County Clerk-Recorder in Susanville, the county seat. This remote northeastern California county keeps vital records for all births that happened within its borders. The clerk-recorder office is the place to go for birth certificate copies. Whether you were born in Susanville or anywhere else in Lassen County, this office has your record on file. Staff can help you through the request process and answer any questions about what documents you need to bring.

Lassen County Clerk-Recorder Office

The Lassen County Clerk-Recorder maintains all birth records for the county. This is the primary source for certified copies of birth certificates. The office sits in the county courthouse in Susanville. You can walk in during business hours to make your request.

Contact details for the Lassen County Clerk-Recorder:

• Address: 220 South Lassen Street, Suite 5, Susanville, CA 96130
• Phone: (530) 251-8234
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

The office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 PM. Plan your visit around this break. Holidays also close the office. Call ahead if you are traveling a long distance to make sure they will be open when you arrive. The phone number above connects you to staff who can check on record availability before you make the trip.

Lassen County is one of the least populated counties in California. The clerk-recorder office is small but handles all vital records for the area. Wait times are usually short since there are fewer people making requests compared to larger counties. Staff can often pull your record and issue a copy within 30 minutes if you have all the right paperwork ready.

How to Get Lassen County Birth Certificates

Getting a birth certificate from Lassen County is a simple process. You have a few options based on where you live and how soon you need the document. Each path leads to the same result, which is a certified copy of the birth record you need.

Walking into the office is the best choice if you live nearby. Bring a valid photo ID. Fill out the request form at the counter. Pay the fee. Wait for the staff to search and print your certificate. Same-day service is normal for in-person requests. The whole thing takes about 20 to 45 minutes depending on how busy they are that day.

Mail requests work well for people who live far away. Write a letter stating what you need. Include the full name on the birth certificate, date of birth, and place of birth in Lassen County. Add the mother's maiden name if you know it. Sign the letter and state your relationship to the person on the record. Send a check or money order for the fee. The office will mail the certified copy back to you within 2 to 3 weeks in most cases.

There is no direct online ordering through the county website at this time. Third-party services exist but they add extra fees. These services send your request to the county on your behalf. You pay their fee plus the county fee. It can be worth it if you want to pay by credit card and do not have time to mail a check. Just know the total cost will be higher than going direct.

Who Can Request Lassen County Birth Records

State law controls who can get an authorized birth certificate copy. California has a list of people who qualify. Everyone else gets an informational copy that cannot be used as ID.

Authorized copies go to the person named on the certificate, their parents, legal guardians, children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, spouse, or domestic partner. Attorneys can request copies for clients they represent in legal matters. Government agencies get access for official purposes. Courts can order copies as part of a case.

If you do not fit into one of those groups, you can still get a copy. It will just be marked as informational. The document shows all the same birth details. It has a statement printed on it saying it cannot be used to establish identity. This type works fine for family history research. It does not work for things like passport applications where you need proof of identity.

The clerk-recorder will verify your identity and relationship before issuing a certified copy. Bring your driver license or state ID. Be ready to explain why you need the certificate. False statements can result in criminal penalties. The rules exist to protect people's privacy and prevent fraud.

Lassen County Birth Record Fees

A certified copy of a birth certificate from Lassen County costs $29. This is the standard fee set by California law. It covers the search and one copy. Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time cost less per copy.

Pay by check or money order when mailing your request. Make it payable to Lassen County Clerk-Recorder. In person, the office accepts cash and checks. Credit card acceptance varies. Call ahead to confirm what payment methods they currently take.

The fee is not refundable even if no record is found. The money covers staff time spent searching the files. If you are unsure whether a birth occurred in Lassen County, contact the office first. They may be able to check their index before you pay. This could save you money if the record turns out to be in a different county or at the state level instead.

Third-party ordering sites charge the $29 county fee plus their own service fee. The extra charge usually runs $10 to $25 depending on the company. These sites offer convenience but at a higher total cost. Weigh your options based on how much you value your time versus your money.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Birth Certificate

Processing times depend on how you submit your request. In-person visits are fastest. Mail takes a few weeks. Remote counties like Lassen sometimes have shorter wait times than busy urban areas because the volume is lower.

Walk-in requests at the Susanville office typically result in same-day certificates. If you arrive early and have complete information, you might have your copy in 20 minutes. Complex searches or missing details can stretch that to an hour or more. Afternoons tend to be slower than mornings.

Mail requests to Lassen County usually take 2 to 3 weeks total. That accounts for mail transit time in both directions plus processing. If your request is incomplete, it will take longer while staff contact you for the missing info. Double-check your paperwork before mailing to avoid these delays.

Newly registered births need time to process. After a baby is born, the hospital sends paperwork to the county. The county sends it to the state. This cycle takes several weeks. If you try to order a birth certificate too soon after the birth, you will get a notice saying no record exists. Wait at least 4 weeks, preferably 6, before ordering for a new baby.

Historical Birth Records in Lassen County

Lassen County was formed in 1864 from parts of Plumas and Shasta Counties. Birth records from the earliest years may be incomplete or stored differently than modern records. The clerk-recorder office can help you navigate older files.

The California Department of Public Health has copies of Lassen County births from July 1905 forward. For births before that date, the county is your only option. Some very old records might be at the California State Archives instead. Contact them at (916) 653-6814 to inquire about historical vital records for the region.

Family history researchers should also check church records, cemetery records, and local historical society collections. These sources can fill in gaps when official records are missing or incomplete. The Lassen County Historical Society in Susanville maintains local archives that might have birth-related information from the pioneer era.

Records older than 75 years become public under California law. Anyone can request these without proving a family connection. This makes genealogy research easier for events that happened long ago. The informational copy restriction still applies, but access is not limited to immediate family members.

Other Ways to Get Lassen County Birth Certificates

The county clerk is the primary source for Lassen County birth records. But you have backup options if that does not work for your situation.

The California Department of Public Health in Sacramento maintains statewide records. They have Lassen County births going back to 1905. You can order by mail or through VitalChek online. The state fee is $29, same as the county. Processing takes longer through the state, often 4 to 6 weeks by mail. The address is CDPH Vital Records, MS 5103, PO Box 997410, Sacramento CA 95899-7410.

VitalChek is the authorized online vendor for California vital records. They charge the state fee plus a service fee. The total runs about $47 to $52 per copy depending on shipping options. Orders through VitalChek go to the state, not the county. They can be faster than mailing yourself since VitalChek has a direct relationship with the health department.

For genealogy, check FamilySearch and Ancestry. These sites have California birth indexes that can help you find names and dates before ordering official copies. They do not provide certified certificates, but the index data points you to the right records.

Nearby Counties

Lassen County sits in the far northeastern corner of California. It borders Shasta, Modoc, and Plumas Counties in California, plus Washoe County in Nevada. If the birth you need did not happen in Lassen County, try one of these neighboring areas.

People living near county lines sometimes have children in hospitals across the border. Check which county the actual birth location was in. The birth certificate is filed where the birth happened, not where the family lived. A Susanville resident who gave birth in Redding would have a Shasta County record, not a Lassen County record.