Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The director shall be the State Registrar of Vital Statistics.
Article 1 - State Administration
California Health and Safety Code — §§ 102175-102250
Sections (22)
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The State Registrar is charged with the execution of this part in this state, and has supervisory power over local registrars, so that there shall be uniform compliance with all of the requirements of this part.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The State Registrar may investigate cases of irregularity or violations of this part.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
When the State Registrar deems it necessary, he or she shall report cases of violation of any of the provisions of this part to the district attorney of the county where the violation occurred, with a statement of the facts and circumstances; and the district attorney shall forthwith initiate and promptly follow up with the necessary court proceedings.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The Attorney General shall assist in the enforcement of this part upon request of the State Registrar.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The State Registrar shall prescribe and furnish all record forms for use in carrying out the purposes of this part, or shall prescribe the format, quality, and content of forms electronically produced in each county, and no record forms or formats other than those prescribed shall be used.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The State Registrar shall prepare and issue detailed instructions as may be required to procure the uniform observance of this part and the maintenance of a satisfactory system of registration.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The State Registrar shall establish registration districts within the State for the purposes of this part.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The State Registrar of Vital Statistics may call into conference the local registrars or their chief deputies, in groups and at places within the state as may be designated by him or her, to meet with him or her or his or her duly authorized representatives, for the purpose of discussing problems dealing with registration of births, fetal deaths, deaths, and marriages, in order to promote uniformity of policy and procedure throughout the state in matters pertaining to vital registration; provided further, that the actual and necessary expenses incident to attendance at not more than one such meeting per year shall with the prior approval of the local legislative body be a legal charge against the local governmental unit.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The State Registrar shall carefully examine the certificates received from the local registrars of births, deaths, and fetal deaths, and if they are incomplete or unsatisfactory shall require any further information that may be necessary to make the record complete and satisfactory.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
The State Registrar shall carefully examine the marriage certificates received from the county recorders, and if they are incomplete or unsatisfactory shall require any further information that may be necessary to make the record complete and satisfactory. Any certificates that are determined to be incomplete or unsatisfactory shall be returned to the county recorder within 90 days after receipt by the State Registrar. If a certificate is not returned to the county recorder within 90 days, the State Registrar shall register the certificate as presented.
Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 492, Sec. 6. (SB 1511) Effective January 1, 2025.
(a)(1) The State Registrar shall arrange and permanently preserve the certificates in a systematic manner and shall prepare and maintain comprehensive and continuous indices of all certificates registered.
(2)The birth, death, and marriage record indices prepared pursuant to paragraph (1) and all comprehensive birth, death, and marriage record indices prepared or maintained by local registrars and county recorders shall be kept confidential and shall be exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(3)Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the State Registrar, at the registrar’s discretion, may release comprehensive birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices to a government agency. The comprehensive birth record indices released to the county recorder shall be subject to the same restrictions applicable to the confidential portion of a certificate of live birth, as specified in Section 102430. Local registrars and county recorders, when requested, shall release their comprehensive birth, death, and marriage record indices to the State Registrar. Local registrars may release their comprehensive birth and death record indices to the county recorder within its jurisdiction for purposes of the preparation or maintenance of the indices of the county recorder. A government agency that obtains indices pursuant to this paragraph shall not sell or release the index or a portion of its contents
to another person, except as necessary for official government business, and shall not post the indices or any portion of the indices on the internet.
(b)(1) The State Registrar shall prepare and maintain separate noncomprehensive indices of all California birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage records for public release.
(2)For purposes of this section, noncomprehensive birth record indices for public release shall be comprised of first, middle, and last name, sex, date of birth, and place of birth.
(3)For purposes of this section, noncomprehensive death record indices for public release shall be comprised of first, middle, and last name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, place of death, date of death,
and father’s last name.
(4)For purposes of this section, noncomprehensive nonconfidential marriage record indices for public release shall be comprised of the name of each party to the marriage and the date of marriage.
(5)Requesters of the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall provide proof of identity, complete a form, and sign the form under penalty of perjury. The form shall include all of the following:
(A)The proposed use of the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices.
(B)A disclaimer crediting analyses, interpretations, or conclusions reached regarding the birth, death,
or nonconfidential marriage record indices to the author and not to the State Department of Public Health.
(C)Assurance that technical descriptions of the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices are consistent with those provided by the State Department of Public Health.
(D)Assurance that the requester shall not sell, assign, or otherwise transfer the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices.
(E)Assurance that the requester shall not use the birth or death record indices for fraudulent purposes.
(6)Birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices obtained pursuant to this subdivision, and any portion thereof, shall
not be used for fraudulent purposes.
(c)(1) The State Registrar shall prepare and maintain separate noncomprehensive indices of all California birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage records for purposes of law enforcement or preventing fraud.
(2)For purposes of this section, noncomprehensive birth record indices for the purpose of preventing fraud shall be comprised of first, middle, and last name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, and mother’s maiden name.
(3)For purposes of this section, noncomprehensive death record indices for the purpose of preventing fraud shall be comprised of first, middle, and last name, place of death, mother’s maiden name, sex, social security number, date of
birth, place of birth, date of death, and father’s last name.
(4)For purposes of this section, noncomprehensive nonconfidential marriage record indices for the purpose of preventing fraud shall be comprised of the name of each party to the marriage and the date of marriage.
(5)The birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall be made available to financial institutions, as defined in Section 6827(4)(A) and (B) of Title 15 of the United States Code, its representatives or contractors, consumer credit reporting agencies, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 1785.3 of the Civil Code, its representatives or contractors, those entities providing information services for purposes of law enforcement or preventing fraud, officers
of the court for the sole purpose of verifying a death, and to persons or entities acting on behalf of law enforcement agencies or the court, or pursuant to a court order.
(6)The death record indices prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall be made available to all of the following entities for the sole purpose of verifying a death to promote accuracy of patient records used for patient care, reporting, and quality improvement:
(A)A health care service plan as defined in the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2) or a Medi-Cal managed care plan contracted with the State Department of Health Care Services to provide full scope benefits to a Medi-Cal enrollee pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section
14000) or Chapter 8.75 (commencing with Section 14591) of, Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(B)A health insurer licensed to provide health insurance as defined in Section 106 of the Insurance Code.
(C)A physician organization as defined in Section 127500.2.
(D)A health facility as defined in Section 1250, including a general acute care hospital.
(7)The birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices prepared pursuant to this subdivision may be released to a government agency.
(8)Requesters of the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices
prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall provide proof of identity, complete a form, and sign the form under penalty of perjury. The form shall include all of the following:
(A)An agreement not to release or allow public access to the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices, and an agreement not to post the indices on the internet, except as permitted by this subdivision.
(B)The proposed use of the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices.
(C)The names of all persons within the organization, if applicable, who will have access to the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices.
(D)A disclaimer crediting
analyses, interpretations, or conclusions reached regarding the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices to the author and not to the State Department of Public Health.
(E)Assurance that technical descriptions of the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices are consistent with those provided by the State Department of Public Health.
(F)Assurance that the requester shall not sell, assign, or otherwise transfer the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices, except as permitted by this subdivision.
(G)Assurance that the requester shall not use the birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record indices for fraudulent purposes.
(9)(A) Birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices, and any portion thereof, obtained pursuant to this section, shall not be used for fraudulent purposes and shall not be posted on the internet.
(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), individual information contained in birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices may be posted on the internet if all of the following requirements are met:
(i)The individual information is posted on an internet website that is protected by a password.
(ii) The individual information is posted on an internet website that is available to subscribers only for a fee.
(iii) The individual information is not posted for public display.
(iv) The individual information is available to subscribers pursuant to a contractual agreement.
(v)The individual information is posted for purposes of law enforcement or preventing fraud.
(d)Mail-in requests from nongovernmental agencies for birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices requested pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) shall include a notarized statement attesting to the identity of the requester.
(e)Noncomprehensive birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) shall be updated annually.
(f)(1) Birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices provided pursuant to this section shall be made available subject to cost recovery provisions of the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), death record indices provided pursuant to this section by the State Department of Public Health shall be made available subject to reasonable cost recovery. Moneys collected for cost recovery pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited with the Treasurer for credit to the Health Statistics Special Fund.
(g)Noncomprehensive birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage record indices created by local registrars or county recorders shall be subject to the conditions for release required by this section. This subdivision does not apply to data required to be made available by paragraph (6) of subdivision (c).
(h)A person or entity that obtains a birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage record index, or any portion thereof, from a requester who has obtained the index in accordance with
paragraph (7) of subdivision (c) shall not sell, assign, or otherwise transfer that index, or any portion thereof, to a third party.
(i)Paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) and subdivisions (b) to (h), inclusive, shall be implemented only to the extent that funds for these purposes are appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other statute.
Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 492, Sec. 7. (SB 1511) Effective January 1, 2025.
(a)Notwithstanding any other law, birth data files, birth data files for public release, death data files for public release, death data files for purposes of law enforcement or preventing fraud, and nonconfidential marriage data files prepared and maintained by the State Registrar, local registrars, and county recorders shall only be released as follows:
(1)Birth data files containing personal identifiers shall be subject to the same restrictions as the confidential portion of a birth certificate and shall only be released under the terms and conditions specified in Section 102430.
(2)Birth data files for public release
shall not contain the mother’s maiden name.
(3)Death data files for public release shall not contain the mother’s maiden name and social security number.
(4)Death data files for purposes of law enforcement or preventing fraud shall include the mother’s maiden name and social security number. Death data files prepared pursuant to this subdivision may be released to governmental agencies and to those entities described in paragraphs (5) and (6) of subdivision (c) of Section 102230.
(5)Death data files containing personal identifying information may be released to persons expressing a valid scientific interest, as determined by the appropriate committee constituted for the protection of human subjects that is
approved by the United States Department of Health and Human Services and has a general assurance pursuant to Part 46 (commencing with Section 46.101) of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(6)Nonconfidential marriage data files shall include the name of each party to the marriage and the date of the marriage. Nonconfidential marriage data files for public release shall not contain the maiden names of the mothers.
(b)Requesters of birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage data files pursuant to this section shall provide proof of identity, complete a form, and sign the form under penalty of perjury. The form shall include all of the following:
(1)An agreement not to release the birth, death, or marriage data
files and not to post the files on the internet, except as permitted by this subdivision.
(2)An agreement not to provide public access to data files obtained pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (4) of subdivision (a).
(3)The proposed use of the data file.
(4)For data files obtained pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (4) of subdivision (a), the names of all persons within the organization, if applicable, who will have access to the data files.
(5)A disclaimer that credits analyses, interpretations, or conclusions reached regarding the birth or death data files to the author and not to the State Department of Public Health.
(6)Assurance that technical descriptions of the data files are consistent with those provided by the State Department of Public Health.
(7)Assurance that the requester shall not sell, assign, or otherwise transfer the data files, except as permitted by subdivision (e).
(8)Assurance that the requester shall not use the data files for fraudulent purposes.
(c)Mail-in requests for birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage data files pursuant to this section shall include a notarized statement attesting to the identity of the requester.
(d)(1) Birth,
death, and nonconfidential marriage data files provided pursuant to this section shall be made available subject to cost recovery provisions of the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), death data files provided pursuant to this section by the State Department of Public Health shall be made available subject to reasonable cost recovery. Moneys collected for cost recovery pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited with the Treasurer for credit to the Health Statistics Special Fund.
(e)(1) Birth, death, and nonconfidential marriage data files, and any portion thereof, obtained pursuant to this
section, shall not be used for fraudulent purposes and shall not be posted on the internet.
(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), individual information contained in death data files obtained pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) may be posted on the internet if all of the following requirements are met:
(A)The information is posted on an internet website that is protected by a password.
(B)The information is posted on an internet website that is available to subscribers only for a fee.
(C)The information is not posted for public display.
(D)The information is available to subscribers
pursuant to a contractual agreement.
(E)The information is posted for purposes of law enforcement or preventing fraud.
(f)A person or entity that obtains a birth, death, or nonconfidential marriage data file, or any portion thereof, from a requester who has obtained the data file in accordance with subdivision (b) shall not sell, assign, or otherwise transfer that data file, or any portion thereof, to a third party.
(g)This section shall be implemented only to the extent that funds for these purposes are appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other statute.
Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 712, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003.
(a)(1)
Any person who violates Section 102230 or 102231 may be denied further access to the indices or data files maintained by the department.
(2)Any person who violates Section 102230 or 102231 is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed one year, or a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the imprisonment and fine, for each violation.
(3)The penalties described in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not be construed to limit any other remedies provided by law.
(b)Notwithstanding Section 126 of the Penal Code, the crime of perjury specified in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 102230, paragraph (6) of subdivision (c) of Section 102230, and subdivision (b) of Section 102231, shall be punishable as a misdemeanor.
(c)Paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall be implemented only to the extent that funds for these purposes are appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other statute.
Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 660, Sec. 10. (SB 273) Effective January 1, 2019.
(a)The State Registrar shall create a document no later than March 1, 2020, with annual updates no later than March 1 of each year thereafter, disaggregated by county, containing only the information received by a local registrar during the preceding calendar year pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 102356, concerning marriage certificates in which one or both of the parties were minors at the time of solemnization of the marriage.
(b)The document shall not contain the names, addresses, or other personal identifying information of parties to a marriage certificate, or any information identifying a marriage certificate. The document shall not contain a marriage
certificate or a copy of the court order described in Section 304 of the Family Code.
(c)The State Registrar shall make the document available to the public upon request.
Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 984, Sec. 1. (SB 575) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2028, by its own provisions.
(a)(1) The State Registrar shall create a report, disaggregated by county, containing the number of marriage certificates that were transmitted to the State Registrar by a local registrar pursuant to Section 102355 each year between 2019 and 2024, inclusive, in which one or both of the parties were minors at the time of solemnization of the marriage.
(2)The report shall itemize, for each marriage, the ages of each party to the marriage and the gender of each party, if available.
(b)Every marriage in which one or both of the parties were minors at the time of solemnization of the marriage shall be counted in the report, whether the marriage was submitted
to the State Registrar by a local registrar pursuant to Section 102356.
(c)The report shall not contain the names, addresses, or other personal identifying information of parties to a marriage certificate or information identifying a marriage certificate. The report shall not contain a marriage certificate or, if applicable, a copy of the court order described in Section 304 of the Family Code.
(d)The report shall compare the total number of marriage certificates counted pursuant to subdivision (a) to the number of marriages reported by each county, each year, pursuant to Section 102356.
(e)(1) On or before
September 1, 2027, the State Registrar shall publish the report on its internet website and submit a copy of the report to the Legislature and the relevant policy committees.
(2)The State Registrar shall submit the report required in paragraph (1) in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(f)This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.
Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 569, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2001.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of law relating to retention of public records, the State Registrar may cause the original records of birth, death and marriage filed under this part to be destroyed if all of the following requirements have been met:
(a)One year has elapsed since the date of registration of the records.
(b)The birth, death, or marriage records have been reproduced onto microfilm or optical disk or by any other technique that does not permit additions, deletions, or changes to the original document in compliance with Section 12168.7 for recording of permanent records or nonpermanent records.
(c)Adequate provisions are made that the permanent storage medium reflects additions or corrections to the records.
(d)A permanent copy is maintained in a manner that permits it to be used for all purposes served by the original record.
(e)A permanent copy has been stored at a separate physical location in a place and manner that will reasonably assure its preservation indefinitely against loss or destruction.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
Any certified photographic reproduction of any record stored on a permanent storage medium under this chapter shall be deemed to be a certification of the original record.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
On and after January 1, 1978, whenever the State Registrar receives a death certificate from a local registrar, the State Registrar shall determine whether the state records contain the birth certificate of the deceased or a reproduction thereof as authorized under this chapter. If the State Registrar has such a record of birth, it shall be revised to indicate the date of the death of the registrant, or, alternatively, a notation to that effect shall be entered in the State Registrar’s index of births adjacent to the name of the deceased. The State Registrar, pursuant to an ongoing program, shall distribute, without charge, on a monthly basis to each county, a list of deceased registrants to enable local registrars and recorders to update their files. Upon receipt of such a list the local registrar or county recorder shall revise the local records or indexes accordingly.
Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for that purpose, the State Registrar may similarly revise or index birth records of registrants whose death certificates were filed prior to January 1, 1978.
Amended (as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 296, Sec. 170) by Stats. 2017, Ch. 38, Sec. 5. (AB 114) Effective July 10, 2017. Section operative January 1, 2023, by its own provisions.
(a)There is hereby created in the State Treasury the Health Statistics Special Fund. The fund shall consist of revenues, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1)Fees or charges remitted to the State Registrar for record search or issuance of certificates, permits, registrations, or other documents pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 26801) of Part 3 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code, and Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 102525), Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 102625), Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 103050), and Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 103600) of Part 1 of Division 102 of this code.
(2)Funds remitted to the State Registrar by the federal
Social Security Administration for participation in the enumeration at birth program.
(3)Funds remitted to the State Registrar by the National Center for Health Statistics pursuant to the federal Vital Statistics Cooperative Program.
(4)Any other funds collected by the State Registrar, except Children’s Trust Fund fees collected pursuant to Section 18966 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and fees allocated to the Judicial Council pursuant to Section 1852 of the Family Code, all of which shall be deposited into the General Fund.
(b)Moneys in the Health Statistics Special Fund shall be expended by the State Registrar for the purpose of funding its existing programs and programs that may become necessary to carry out its mission, upon appropriation by the Legislature.
(c)Health Statistics Special Fund moneys shall be expended only for the purposes set forth in this section and Section 102249, and shall not be expended for any other purpose or for any other state program.
(d)It is the intent of the Legislature that the Health Statistics Special Fund provide for the following:
(1)Registration and preservation of vital event records and dissemination of vital event information to the public.
(2)Data analysis of vital statistics for population projections, health trends and patterns, epidemiologic research, and development of information to support new health policies.
(3)Development of uniform health data systems that are integrated, accessible, and useful
in the collection of information on health status.
(e)This section shall become operative on January 1, 2023.
Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.
(a)The State Registrar shall expend funds in the Health Statistics Special Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for all of the following:
(1)Support existing programs within the State Registrar’s office.
(2)Implement and support new programs within the State Registrar’s office that meet its goals and objectives.
(3)Build a data system that will support policy analysis and program decisions at all levels, be useful to health care providers, local and community agencies, and the state, and ultimately benefit consumers of health care services.
(4)Develop and maintain public health data bases.
(5)Access and analyze data in order to develop and evaluate California’s health policy.
(6)Conduct special studies and prepare statistical reports concerning the health status of Californians.
(7)Develop and maintain an automation system for vital event registration.
(8)Disseminate vital event information and statistical reports to the public.
(b)This section shall become operative on July 1, 1995.
Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 984, Sec. 2. (SB 575) Effective January 1, 2025.
(a)(1) The State Registrar shall, upon appropriation, establish a grant program for the purpose of studying extralegal marriages involving minors in the state.
(2)An “extralegal marriage involving minors” means a marriage in which one or both of the parties is under 18 years of age, and the marriage was not solemnized in accordance with the laws of this state, including, but not limited to, circumstances in which no marriage license was applied for, no marriage certificate was returned, or court approval was not sought.
(b)(1) A report completed through the grant program shall address the prevalence of, conditions of, and circumstances
surrounding extralegal marriages in the state and include both qualitative and quantitative data.
(2)A report completed through the grant program shall not include personal identifying information about any person discussed in the report.