The Application for a Birth Keepsake (Form VIT800) is the order form the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk uses for its optional decorative birth keepsake. It is sometimes reached by people searching for a San Diego County birth certificate, so note the difference: this form orders a commemorative gift for a person born in the County of San Diego. You enter the birth details and a mailing address, count the keepsakes and total the amount due. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form itself is published by the County at sdarcc.gov.
Last updated
What is VIT800?
The Application for a Birth Keepsake (Form VIT800) is the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk's order form for a decorative birth keepsake for a person born in the County of San Diego, paid for by check or money order.
The printed title of the PDF is "Application for a Keepsake Souvenir", and its file code reads "VIT800 Keepsake Certificate Application English Ext" with the revision date 06/30/2025. The top of the form is the BIRTH section. Below it is a separate section, marked with a WEDDING or ANNIVERSARY box, for the other two keepsake types the same form can order.
The County describes the keepsake as an optional service for anyone looking for a special gift or remembrance. The birth keepsake is titled "San Diego Native", measures 8 x 10 inches, is embossed with a gold or silver seal, shows the silhouette of a sleeping baby in the background and comes in pink or blue. Samples can be viewed on the County's birth keepsake page and at its offices.
The form also carries the order arithmetic: the number of birth, wedding and anniversary keepsakes is multiplied by a per-keepsake amount, and a per-transaction amount is added. Both amounts are printed on the form.
This is not an application for a birth certificate copy. It asks only for the details needed to produce a keepsake and for the address where it is to be mailed.
Who needs to file VIT800?
Anyone who wants to buy a birth keepsake for a person born in the County of San Diego uses this form when ordering by mail. The County offers the keepsake to the public as an optional service, so nobody is required to order one, and the buyer does not have to be the person named on the keepsake: the form asks for the birth details of the person and a separate name and address for where the keepsake is mailed.
The same form is used by buyers of wedding or anniversary keepsakes. They mark the WEDDING or ANNIVERSARY box and complete the section for the two people and the date of marriage, and may combine keepsake types in one transaction.
Do not use this form if you need a birth certificate copy. It orders only a decorative keepsake. The County's page states the birth keepsake is for individuals who were born in the County of San Diego, so it does not fit a person born elsewhere.
When to file VIT800
Form VIT800 has no deadline: the keepsake is an optional purchase, so you submit the form whenever you decide to order one. It is sent together with payment, because the form instructs you to mail the request along with a check or money order. The County also lets you buy a keepsake in person at its available offices, where no mailed application is needed. The form prints no processing or delivery time, so ask the Recorder/County Clerk at (619) 237-0502 if you need to know when the keepsake will arrive. The revision printed on this version of the form is 06/30/2025, and the amounts on it apply to that revision.
Documents you need
- Payment by check or money order payable to "San Diego County Recorder", sent together with the form when you order by mail; the amount is the total you calculate at the bottom of the form.
How to fill out VIT800
Enter the full name given at birth
In the BIRTH section, write the person's Full Name Given at Birth exactly as it was recorded at birth.
Enter date and place of birth
Fill in Date of Birth and Place of Birth. The birth keepsake is offered for individuals born in the County of San Diego.
Enter the mother's maiden name
Write the Mother's Maiden Name on its line.
Complete the wedding or anniversary section
Only if you are also ordering one of these keepsakes, mark WEDDING or ANNIVERSARY and enter the full names of the first and second person, each one's state of birth, and the date of marriage.
Enter the mailing recipient
Under Mail Keepsake(s) to, enter the Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Email and Phone of the person who is to receive the keepsake.
Count the keepsakes you are ordering
In the cost block, enter the Number of Birth, Number of Wedding and Number of Anniversary keepsakes requested.
Calculate the total payment
Multiply each number by the per-keepsake amount printed on the form, then add the per-transaction amount printed after the plus sign, and write the result on the total line.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the names, dates, address and total, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and mail it with your check or money order as described under How to submit.
How to submit VIT800
You can order a birth keepsake by mail or in person.
- By mail: send the completed form with your payment, a check or money order payable to "San Diego County Recorder", to: San Diego Recorder/ County Clerk, ATTN: Vital Records, P.O Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750. Mail the request and the payment together.
- In person: the County's birth keepsake page says you can view samples and purchase keepsakes at any of its available offices. The form's letterhead gives the Recorder/County Clerk at 1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260, San Diego, CA 92101-2480.
A fee applies. It is figured on the form by multiplying the number of keepsakes by the per-keepsake amount and adding the per-transaction amount; both amounts are printed on the form. For questions, call the Recorder/County Clerk at (619) 237-0502 or visit www.SDARCC.gov. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mailing the application to a street address instead of the P.O. box the form gives: San Diego Recorder/ County Clerk, ATTN: Vital Records, P.O Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750.
- Sending the request without payment; the form says to mail the request along with a check or money order.
- Making the check or money order payable to someone other than "San Diego County Recorder".
- Forgetting to add the per-transaction amount after multiplying the number of keepsakes by the per-keepsake amount printed on the form.
- Ordering a birth keepsake for a person who was not born in the County of San Diego; the County offers it for individuals born there.
- Leaving the wedding or anniversary section without a marked box, or marking neither box when ordering one of those keepsakes.
- Leaving blank the lines for the full name given at birth, date of birth, mother's maiden name or place of birth.
- Using this form to try to get a birth certificate copy; it orders only a decorative keepsake.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form VIT800, the Application for a Birth Keepsake?
It is the San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk's form for ordering a decorative birth keepsake. It asks for the full name given at birth, date and place of birth and mother's maiden name, plus the mailing address and the number of keepsakes. The same form also orders wedding and anniversary keepsakes.
Is this the form for a San Diego County birth certificate?
No. The San Diego County birth keepsake is an optional decorative gift, and this form orders only that. For a birth certificate copy, contact the Recorder/County Clerk at (619) 237-0502 or through www.SDARCC.gov; the keepsake form does not request one.
Who can get a San Diego birth keepsake?
The County offers the birth keepsake for individuals who were born in the County of San Diego. The buyer does not have to be that person: the form lets you enter a separate mailing name and address for the recipient.
Where do I mail the keepsake application?
Mail it with your check or money order to San Diego Recorder/ County Clerk, ATTN: Vital Records, P.O Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750. The form says to send the request together with your payment, payable to "San Diego County Recorder".
How much does a birth keepsake cost and how do I pay?
The form figures it for you: multiply the number of keepsakes by the per-keepsake amount, then add the per-transaction amount, both printed on the form. Pay by check or money order payable to "San Diego County Recorder" when mailing, or ask the office at (619) 237-0502.
Can I buy a birth keepsake in person?
Yes. The County's birth keepsake page says you can view samples and purchase keepsakes at any of its available offices, or buy by mailing in the application. Call (619) 237-0502 to confirm which office to visit.
What does the San Diego birth keepsake look like?
The County describes it as an 8 x 10-inch keepsake titled "San Diego Native", embossed with a gold or silver seal, with a sleeping baby silhouette in the background, in pink or blue. The application has no line for those choices, so ask the office if you want a specific one.
Can I fill out the keepsake application online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, is not affiliated with San Diego County and does not submit the form or payment; you mail it or buy in person through the County's channels.
Ready to fill out VIT800?
Fill out VIT800 now