Form SF VS 111, the English Language Birth Certificate Application, is the form the San Francisco County Clerk uses to order a certified copy of a birth record, and it is the starting point for anyone requesting a San Francisco birth certificate by mail. One document holds the instructions, the application and a sworn statement. People authorized under California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 request a Certified Copy; everyone else may request a Certified Informational Copy. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the County Clerk publishes the original PDF and receives the application.
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What is SF VS 111?
The English Language Birth Certificate Application (form SF VS 111) is the application used to request a certified copy of a birth record from the City & County of San Francisco Office of the County Clerk, with the instructions and the sworn statement that go with the request.
The document has three parts. The first is Birth Certificate Information and Instructions. The second is page 1, the Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record, with applicant information and birth record information. The third is page 2, the Sworn Statement and a Certificate of Acknowledgment for a notary public.
The form offers two kinds of copy. A Certified Copy establishes the identity of the registrant (the person listed on the certificate) and is limited to the authorized individuals named on page 1. A Certified Informational Copy carries the legend "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." Both are certified copies of the record on file, and apart from the legend and the redaction of signatures and Social Security Number they contain the same information.
The name entered for the registrant must be the name given at birth, or a name received through adoption, court-ordered name change or naturalization. AKAs and assumed names cannot be entered as the legal name.
This form does not obtain a birth certificate that contains the confidential information provided when the record was prepared. The instructions send those requests to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Who needs to file SF VS 111?
Anyone who wants a copy of a California birth record from the San Francisco County Clerk completes this application. Complete a separate application for each birth record requested.
To receive a Certified Copy, you must be one of the individuals listed on page 1:
- the registrant, or a parent or legal guardian of the registrant (a legal guardian must provide documentation);
- a party entitled to the record by court order (include a copy), or an attorney or licensed adoption agency seeking it to comply with Section 3140 or 7603 of the Family Code;
- a member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency conducting official business;
- a child, grandparent, grandchild, brother or sister, spouse or domestic partner of the registrant;
- an attorney representing the registrant or the registrant's estate, or a person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act for the registrant or the estate;
- a person with appointed rights in a power of attorney, or an executor of the registrant's estate.
Everyone else may request a Certified Informational Copy, which needs no sworn statement. Do not use this form to obtain a birth certificate with confidential information; those requests go to CDPH.
When to file SF VS 111
Submit the application whenever you need a certified copy of a birth record; the form prints no deadline or validity period. Because the County Clerk searches for the record from what you write, enter all the information you have, since incomplete or inaccurate details may keep the office from locating it.
If you apply for a Certified Copy by mail, allow time to sign the Sworn Statement before a notary public first, unless you are a law enforcement or local or state governmental agency. The form states no processing time. It does say that if no record is found, the fee is retained for the search and a "Certificate of No Public Record" is issued to you.
Documents you need
- Sworn Statement (page 2), for a Certified Copy: signed by the authorized applicant; by mail it must be notarized by a U.S. notary public, unless you are a law enforcement or local or state governmental agency.
- Not required for a Certified Informational Copy: the form says a Sworn Statement does not need to be provided.
- Documentation of guardianship, if you are a legal guardian of the registrant.
- A copy of the court order, if you are a party entitled to the record as a result of a court order.
- Authorization from the government agency, if a company represents a government agency; a business card is not substantiation.
- A copy of the power of attorney or supporting documentation identifying you as executor, if you apply on either basis.
- A court order releasing the original sealed record, if you request a copy of the original birth certificate of an adopted registrant.
- Payment for each copy: a personal check payable to SF County Clerk, preprinted with the account holder's name, from a U.S.A.-issued bank. Do not send cash.
- A self-addressed prepaid stamped return envelope.
- A prepaid return air bill, only if you want return tracking or guaranteed delivery.
How to fill out SF VS 111
Choose the type of copy
On page 1, mark I would like a Certified Copy or I would like a Certified Informational Copy. Only the Certified Copy requires the Sworn Statement.
Select your relationship to the registrant
Under To receive a Certified Copy I am, mark the one relationship that applies, such as the registrant or a parent, or a spouse or domestic partner. Skip this step for an Informational Copy.
Complete the applicant information
Enter today's date, agency name and agency case number if appropriate, purpose of request, your printed name, mailing address, email address and daytime telephone with area code. Sign where indicated.
Enter copies, amount and delivery details
Fill in Number of Copies and Amount Enclosed, checking the current fee on the County Clerk's website. If someone else receives the copies, add that person's name and mailing address.
Enter the birth record information
Mark Adopted No or Yes, then give the registrant's birth first, middle and last name. Enter the city of birth (must be in California), county of birth, date of birth as MM/DD/CCYY (approximate if unknown), sex and whether the record was amended.
Enter the parents' names
Write the first, middle and last names of the father/parent and the mother/parent; use the mother's or parent's birth last name. Give as much as you know, because incomplete information may prevent the office from finding the record.
Leave the office-use block blank
Do not write in the For Office Use Only area, which holds the issue date, LRN, banknote number, receipt number and deputy.
Complete the Sworn Statement
For a Certified Copy, print your name, the registrant's name and your relationship, which must be listed on page 1. Sign and date it before a notary public or SF County Clerk Vital Records staff; a mailed request needs the notary's Certificate of Acknowledgment.
Review, sign and download the PDF
Check names, dates and the relationship you selected. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, sign where the form requires, and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit SF VS 111
The form describes one channel: mailing the completed application to the San Francisco County Clerk.
- By mail: send the application, the payment and a self-addressed prepaid stamped return envelope to SF County Clerk Vital Records, SF City Hall #168, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102.
- Payment: the fee is shown on the County Clerk's website, www.sfgov.org/countyclerk; the form gives no amount. Make the check payable to SF County Clerk, preprinted with the account holder's name, from a U.S.A.-issued bank. Page 1 excludes foreign checks, money orders and cashier's checks, and neither page accepts cash. The instructions mention an International Money Order only for out-of-country requests.
- Sworn Statement: for a Certified Copy by mail, a U.S. notary public must notarize it. The form says the rest of the statement is completed in the presence of a notary or SF County Clerk Vital Records staff.
- Tracking: include a prepaid return air bill (for example Federal Express, USPS Priority or UPS) if you want tracking or guaranteed delivery.
Send requests for a birth certificate with confidential information, or the adoption requests covered by instruction 4, to California Department of Public Health Vital Records - MS 5103, PO Box 997410 Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mailing a Certified Copy request with a Sworn Statement that is not notarized; only law enforcement and local or state governmental agencies are exempt.
- Using a notary outside the USA; the instructions say acknowledgements executed by notaries public outside the USA are not accepted.
- Sending cash, a foreign check, a money order or a cashier's check; page 1 allows only a preprinted personal check from a U.S.A.-issued bank.
- Entering an AKA or assumed name; the registrant's name must be the name given at birth or received through adoption, court-ordered name change or naturalization.
- Putting more than one birth record on a single application; each record needs a separate application.
- Selecting a relationship that is not on the page 1 list, or leaving it unmarked when requesting a Certified Copy.
- Leaving out the self-addressed prepaid stamped return envelope or the payment for each copy requested.
- Sending a confidential-information or adoption request to the SF County Clerk instead of CDPH Vital Records - MS 5103 in Sacramento.
- Expecting tracked or guaranteed delivery without enclosing a prepaid return air bill; the office is not responsible for non-delivery by your chosen method.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a San Francisco birth certificate with this form?
Complete Form SF VS 111 and mail it with the payment and a self-addressed prepaid stamped return envelope to SF County Clerk Vital Records, SF City Hall #168, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102. For a Certified Copy, add the notarized Sworn Statement.
Who can get a certified copy of a birth certificate in San Francisco?
Only authorized individuals under Health and Safety Code Section 103526, such as the registrant, a parent or legal guardian, a child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, certain attorneys, agency representatives and executors. Others may request an Informational Copy.
What is the difference between a Certified Copy and an Informational Copy?
A Certified Copy establishes the registrant's identity and needs a Sworn Statement. An Informational Copy is marked "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY" and needs none. Apart from the legend and redacted signatures and Social Security Number, the content is the same.
Does the Sworn Statement have to be notarized?
Yes, if you mail an application for a Certified Copy, a U.S. notary public must notarize it. Law enforcement and local or state governmental agencies are exempt. Notarizations made outside the USA are not accepted, and an Informational Copy needs no Sworn Statement.
How much does a San Francisco birth certificate cost and how do I pay?
A fee applies for each copy, but the form gives no amount; see the County Clerk's website, www.sfgov.org/countyclerk. By mail, pay with a preprinted personal check payable to SF County Clerk from a U.S.A.-issued bank. Do not send cash.
What happens if the County Clerk finds no birth record?
The fee is kept to cover the search, as required by law, and you receive a "Certificate of No Public Record." Because incomplete or inaccurate details may prevent the office from locating the record, fill in everything you know.
Can I fill out the San Francisco birth certificate application online?
You can complete the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF does not send the application to the County Clerk or notarize the Sworn Statement; you mail the package yourself.
How do I get a birth certificate with confidential information?
Not through this form. The instructions say only specific individuals may obtain confidential copies and direct you to the Birth Record section of www.cdph.ca.gov. Send that request and fee to California Department of Public Health Vital Records - MS 5103, PO Box 997410 Sacramento, CA 95899-7410.
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