California Birth Index After 1995

Why the California Birth Index Stops at 1995

The California Birth Index covers births from 1905 through 1995. If you're looking for a birth record after 1995 — including 1996, 1997, 1998, or any year through the present — here's why it's not in this database, and what you can do instead.

What Happened After 1995?

In the mid-1990s, California stopped releasing birth index data to the public due to growing concerns about identity theft. The last year included in the publicly available California Birth Index is 1995. This wasn't a decision by CaliforniaBirthIndex.org — it was a statewide policy change by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

No public website has California birth index data after 1995, including Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, or any other genealogy service. If a website claims to have post-1995 California birth index records, it doesn't.

How to Find Post-1995 California Birth Records

If you need information about a California birth that occurred after 1995, you have several options:

1. Order a certified birth certificate

The California Department of Public Health and county clerk-recorder offices still issue certified copies of birth certificates for all years, including after 1995. You just can't search a public index first. See our guide: How to Get a Certified Birth Certificate.

2. Contact the county of birth directly

County clerk-recorder offices maintain birth records from their county. If you know which county the birth occurred in, contact that county's office directly. We have guides for all 58 California counties: County-by-County Birth Certificate Guides.

3. Request from CDPH by mail or online

The California Department of Public Health – Vital Records accepts requests for certified copies of birth certificates for any year. You'll need the person's full name, date of birth, and county of birth. Fee: $31 per copy.

— Online (via VitalChek): Order from CDPH
— By mail: CDPH – Vital Records, MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
— Application form (VS 111): Download PDF

Who Can Request a Birth Certificate?

California law restricts who can receive an authorized (identity-establishing) copy of a birth certificate. Authorized copies are available to:

— The person named on the certificate
— A parent or legal guardian
— A spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild, grandparent, or sibling
— A legal representative with power of attorney or court order

Anyone else can request a certified informational copy, which is marked "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY" and cannot be used for passports or ID purposes.

What About California Birth Records After 2000?

The same rules apply. There is no publicly searchable index for any California births after 1995, whether from 2000, 2010, or last year. The only way to obtain information about a post-1995 birth is through a certified copy from CDPH or the county of birth.

Will the Index Ever Be Updated Past 1995?

It's unlikely. The trend in California has been toward tighter privacy protections for vital records, not looser ones. The state has shown no indication of releasing additional birth index years to the public.

What You Can Search Here (1905-1995)

CaliforniaBirthIndex.org provides free access to 23.8 million birth records from 1905 through 1995. Each record includes the person's full name, date of birth, county of birth, sex, and mother's maiden name. Search now →