Santa Clara County, California
Genealogy ~ History

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Birth Records

Birth, Marriage and Death records have been kept by the State California since 1 July 1905, but some earlier vital records are available for Santa Clara County.

Vital events were recorded beginning in 1777 by the Mission Santa Clara de Asis. The Family History Library and the Bancroft Library at the University of California at Berkeley have large collections of early vital records. The California Room at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in San Jose also maintains early vital records collections.

California Birth Index - Santa Clara County
1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910 1911 1912 1913 1914
1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924
1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934
1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944


The following birth records are also available FREE online:

Early California Population Project - California Mission birth, marriage, death records

California Birth Index, 1905 - 1995 - free with guest pass

Trinity Church, San Jose - (baptisms, marriages) USGenWeb CA Archives

FamilySearch.org - LDS Genealogy, records, family trees
There are also records available by paid subscriptions through Ancestry.com.


Birth Records:

Certified Birth Records (Birth Certificates) may be purchased from the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder for births that occurred after 1873. If you order a birth certificate and the requested certificate is not found, you will receive a Certificate of No Record, and the fee will be retained as a search fee. To order a birth record from the County, you must establish you are authorized to receive the record. See the Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record (provided below) and/or the County Clerk-Recorder web site for additional information and fees. To order a copy of a birth record:

Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder
East Wing, First Floor
70 West Hedding Street
San Jose CA 95110

Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record (pdf file - fill out form then print)

To order a copy of a birth record online use VitalChek


The Santa Clara Family History Center has the following microfilms on site:

Santa Clara Family History Center
875 Quince Ave
Santa Clara, California
Phone: (408) 241-1449
Hours: T-F 9am-4pm, 7pm-9:30pm; Sat 12pm-4pm

  • California (Santa Clara Co.) Baptismal Records, 1777-1855
  • California (Santa Clara Co.) Births, Aff. for Correction, 1883-1968
  • California (Santa Clara Co.) Births, Delay and Supp 1938-1967
  • California (Santa Clara Co.) Birth Records, 1873-1901
  • California (Santa Clara Co.) Birth Register Index, 1873-1905


  • The following microfilms are available through any Family History Center:

    Birth records, 1873-1905
    Santa Clara County (California). Recorder (Main Author)

  • Register of births 1873-1889 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302069
  • Register of births 1889-1901 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302071
  • Returns of birth 1873-1883 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302069
  • Returns of birth 1890-1905 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302070


  • NOTE: Microfilm of original records in the County Recorder's Office, San Jose, California.


    Affidavits for correction of birth records, 1883-1968
    Santa Clara County (California). Recorder (Main Author)

  • Index to affidavits for correction of birth records A-Z - FHL US/CAN Film 1302021
  • Affidavits for correction to record book 1889 1934-1968 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302068
  • Amended record of births, affidavits to correct a record, 1883-1905 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302072
  • Amended record of births, affidavits to correct a record, 1883-1905 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302071


  • Note: Affidavits are arranged alphabetically.



    Delayed and supplemental reports of birth, 1938-1967
    Santa Clara County (California). Recorder (Main Author)

  • Index to established births-delayed - FHL US/CAN Film 1302021
  • Delayed birth certificates v. 1 1943-1944 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302021
  • Supp reports of birth 1938-1967 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302068
  • Supp reports relating to birth records prior to 1905 1938-1942 - FHL US/CAN Film 1302068


  • NOTE: Microfilm of original records in the County Recorder's Office, San Jose, California. Supp reports of birth 1938-1967, are arranged alphabetically.



    Index register of births of Santa Clara County, 1873-1905
    Santa Clara County (California). Recorder (Main Author)

  • Index register of births of Santa Clara County, 1873-1905 - FHL US/CAN Film 1468515


  • NOTE: Microfilm of records located in the Santa Clara County Recorder's Office, San Jose, California. Contains an abstract of birth records of Santa Clara County. Contents: item 1. Vol. A, 1873-1889 -- item 2. Vol. B, 1890-1900 -- item 3. Vol. C, 1889-1905.

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    This page was last updated 25 Feb 2010


    Copyright © 2007 Claire Martin. All files on this site are copyrighted by their creator. They may be linked to but may not be reproduced without specific permission from Claire Martin or the file's contributor and/or author.