Santa Cruz County Recorder Vitals Department
701 Ocean Street, Room 230, Santa Cruz, California, 95060
Contact & location
- Address
- 701 Ocean Street, Room 230, Santa Cruz, California, 95060
- Records for
- Santa Cruz County, California
- Phone
- (831) 454-2800
- Official site
- Government website ↗
Last verified July 14, 2026
This office issues California state records
Santa Cruz County follows California’s fees, eligibility rules and processing times. Compare the statewide baseline below before choosing where to go.
- $31.00
- California birth certificate fee
- 5–7 weeks
- Statewide processing
- 39,431,263
- California population
This office charges $32.00 — $1.00 more than the California fee.
See full California requirements, IDs & fees →Office hours
| Thrusday | 8:00 am - 4:00 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Fridays | 8:00 am - 4:00 p.m. |
| Monday | 8:00 am - 4:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 8:00 am - 4:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 8:00 am - 4:00 p.m.. |
| Saturday | closed |
| Sunday | closed |
(CLOSED 12-1PM)
Certificates, fees & processing
| Record | Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|
| Birth Certificate | $32.00 | 5–7 weeksCalifornia estimate |
| Death Certificate | $24.00 | 5–7 weeksCalifornia estimate |
| Marriage Certificate | $17.00 | 5–7 weeksCalifornia estimate |
Processing times are set at state level — county offices do not publish their own — and are estimates that vary with demand.
The Santa Cruz County Recorder Vitals Department’s office or registry of vital records, offers a wide range of crucial services. These offices play a vital role in the protection and provision of essential documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates . In addition to maintaining these primary records, they are responsible for managing and issuing copies of birth, marriage, and death records that occurred within the Township of Santa Cruz. Alongside record maintenance, this office provides valuable services like issuing certified copies of documents, overseeing the registration of domestic partnerships, and offering assistance to rectify any errors detected in vital records. Through these comprehensive services, the vital records office ensures the accuracy, accessibility, and integrity of vital records for the benefit of the community.
Reviews
★★★★★3.6 (9)- ★★★★★Arch theArchGoogle
Two times I came here no issue, took 10 minutes.
- ★★★★★joanna brownGoogle
I don’t understand the low rating …. as the 2 lovely people I spoke with at the County of Santa Cruz Recorder’s office 1) answered the phone, 2) explored options to resolve my questions, 3) found the solution to my question on my call back after two other county offices went to voice mail message. These 2 people at SC County offices deserve our thanks - for sure mine!!!! thank you to you both!! Joanna
- ★★★★★JennyGoogle
They are supposed to record until noon. I walked up to the window at 11:34 am and was told they quit recording at 11:30. I told them I thought they recorded until noon and was told in a rude manner that they stopped recording at 11:30. I asked if they could just record my papers and was told in a more rude manner they quit recording at 11:30. Beware that they can change their hours without notice at any time apparently. It would have saved a lot of inconvenience if they would have posted this change or at the very least put a sign in the office of the time change so I wouldn't have spent so much time waiting in line. I guess it's good to work for the Government and follow your own rules.
- ★★★★★Roshni PatelGoogle
The office staff were super helpful and proving the details and I was promptly helped and recording was done in 10 mins. For questions, they also provided the details on call which was helpful to prepare for recording. Payment with card is accepted with additional fee, so plan to pay by check or cash to avoid the additional fees.
- ★★★★★Patricia ParamoureGoogle
I do historic research for my job. The County Recorder's Office took down all of the historic maps that were online. They used the excuse that there is a new law saying they cannot post personal information about public officials. When I pointed out that many of these maps are over 100 years old, they just made the excuse that they don't have the money or the manpower to go through them and eliminate the modern ones. Just a BS excuse! Now it's necessary to go to their office and pay for the maps. Just what we need. More traffic on our roads!