California Divorce Records: Official Certificates, Decrees, and Search Options

California divorce records originate from cases filed in a Superior Court's Family Law Division to terminate a marriage. These records officially document the court's actions and the final judgment that dissolves the union. Access to divorce records varies by state, with California statutes and court rules generally favoring public access.

Divorce records have several practical applications in California. For instance, they may be needed to establish eligibility for pension benefits, determine inheritance rights, remarry, or trace ancestral lines (genealogy). In addition, aggregated data from divorce records provides valuable statistics for analyzing current trends and shifts in marriage and divorce rates.

In FY 2024 (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024), California recorded 108,403 marital filings, encompassing dissolutions (divorces), legal separations, and nullities. This figure represented approximately 34% of all Family and Juvenile Filings statewide and marked a 3% decrease compared to the prior year's marital filings (Judicial Council of California, 2025 Court Statistics Report).

Notably, California is among the states whose divorce rate is not currently reported in the National Vital Statistics System. The last report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) was in 1990, which placed the state's divorce rate at 4.3 per 1,000 people.

Official Types of Divorce Documentation in California

In California, the term "divorce record" covers two distinct forms of documentation. Firstly, there are the records generated from divorce proceedings filed and heard in the state's Superior Courts, collectively referred to as the divorce case files. This category includes the final judgment or decree, an essential document that determines rights and responsibilities and can be used to prove marital status, enforce court orders, and resolve associated disputes. On the other hand, there are the Certificates of Record, which are face sheets that validate a divorce filing but do not substitute for the actual divorce decree.

The table below summarizes these record categories, along with their official custodians and respective contents.

Document Type	Issued By	Purpose	Contains
Certificate of Record	California Department of Public Health - Vital Records (CDPH-VR)	Verifies a divorce was filed in California	Names of the parties, filing date, county, and divorce case number
Divorce Decree	California Superior Court	Court order that legally ends a marriage and sets the final terms and orders of the divorce	Marital property division, spousal support/alimony, custody, visitation, child support, name change (if ordered), restraining order (if issued)
Divorce Case File	California Superior Court	Comprehensive record of all filings and proceedings in a divorce action	Petition and response, reports (e.g., mediation and custody evaluation reports), proofs of service, income and expense declarations, court orders, settlement agreements, motions, notices, fee waivers, exhibits, final judgment

Public Access and Confidentiality of California Divorce Records

Divorce records in California are available to the public upon a direct request to the official custodian. The California Rules of Court, specifically Rules 2.400-2.507, authorize access to divorce records maintained by the courts. However, these regulations also recognize certain restrictions on disclosure to safeguard sensitive or confidential information as per statute, regulation, rule of court, or case law.

Exempt divorce court records or information, as highlighted in Section 10.3.1 and Appendix 1 of the California Trial Court Records Manual (TCRM), include

• Minors' identifying information
• Child custody recommending counselor reports
• Income tax returns (Fam. Code § 3552)
• Psychological evaluations of children and custody and visitation recommendations (Fam. Code § 3025.5)
• Test results for controlled substances or alcohol abuse of individuals seeking custody or visitation (Fam. Code, § 3041.5)
• Personal identifiers, such as financial account numbers, home addresses, Social Security numbers (SSNs), and government-issued identification card numbers
• Subpoenaed records (Evidence Code § 1560(d))
• Any information sealed by judicial order

Sealed or confidential divorce records, however, are accessible to parties of the case, their appointed counsel, the court, and designated agencies acting in an official capacity.

Per the California Public Records Act (CPRA), codified at GC §§ 7920.000 et seq., divorce records held by the State Department of Public Health are also generally public. The CDPH-VR office can be reached at the following mailing address (in-person service is not currently offered):

What Information Do California Divorce Records Include?

The following data are commonly included in California divorce records:

Parties' Information

• Full names, addresses, occupations, and ages of the case parties (i.e., the petitioner and respondent)
• Names and birthdates of minor children, if applicable
• Name of the attorney of record and their assignment date

Case Details

• Place and date of marriage
• Grounds for dissolution
• Case number, title, and status (active, dismissed, or closed)
• Filing date and type
• Assigned judge, court location, and department
• Hearing dates, types, and outcomes
• Register of Actions (ROA) entries (the chronological log of all case events and document filings)
• Disposition or outcome of the case (e.g., settlement, dismissal, decree) and entry dates

The contents of a divorce record may differ depending on the type of record and the specific county/court where the divorce was initially filed.

Procedures for Locating Divorce Records in California

Procedures for locating divorce records in California vary depending on the official custodian of the records. Nonetheless, common approaches include visiting the record custodian's office, sending a request via mail or email, or utilizing a remote public records database. A nominal fee may be charged per page or document for copies of divorce records. If the request is for a divorce case file and the case number is unknown, a search fee may also be applied per name or year searched.

The table below outlines the access points, fees, and available document types for each divorce records custodian in California.

Record Source	Office or Platform	Years Covered	Access/Record Type	Fees
Vital Records Division	California Department of Public Health	1962 to June 1984	Certificate of Record	$16 per copy
Superior Court Clerks	Local Superior Courts	All years	Certified Divorce Decree, also called Certified Copy of a Final Judgment of Divorce	$10 for a public agency request; $15 for any other applicant (GC 70674)
		Varies	Divorce Case File	Standard Copies: 50 cents per page. Certified Copies of a Document or File: $40 per certification + 50 cents per page Exemplified Copies: $50 per case + 50 cents per page Viewing Files at the Courthouse: Free
Case Search Portals	Local Superior Courts	Varies	Divorce Case Search (registers of action, calendars, and case indexes)	Free with a case number, or a per-search fee for name searches in some counties

How to Request Certified Copies of Divorce Records in California

Certified copies are documents that bear the official seal of an authorized government body (e.g., a court). This seal verifies that the copies are true and legal reproductions of an original record held by the body or agency. These copies are frequently required for legal and official purposes, such as verifying a person's marital status.

Requesting certified copies of divorce records in California generally involves these steps:

Step 1. Identify the Official Records Custodian

Members of the public can order a certified California divorce decree or other divorce case document from a Superior Court Clerk's Office in the county where the divorce was finalized, or a Certificate of Record from the State Department of Public Health for applicable years.

The CDPH only issues Certificates of Record for divorces filed between 1962 and June 1984. For divorces outside this period, records are only available through the applicable clerk's office (see California Superior Courthouses and Clerk's Office locations).

Step 2. Verify Access Procedures

The exact method for obtaining a certified divorce record differs based on the records custodian. Some offices require a separate application form per request, while others offer in-person, remote (where documents are purchased online and mailed), or combined access options. A valid government-issued photo identification may also be required for certified copy requests made to Superior Court Clerk's Offices, especially to see confidential or sealed information.

Inquirers can confirm the applicable procedures (request channels, requirements, fees, office hours) on the custodian's official website or by calling the office during normal business hours. This approach ensures that requests are correctly submitted and minimizes potential unnecessary delays or rejections.

Step 3. Draft/Prepare the Request

Regardless of the preferred access method, each requester will need to provide specific details to facilitate record retrieval. This information typically includes

• Divorced parties' first and last names
• Divorce case number, if known
• Approximate divorce filing date
• County of divorce

Step 4. Remit the Assessed Fee(s)

The total fee for a certified divorce record in California depends on the specifics of the request. Charges for a name search, postage, or offsite retrieval may apply in addition to the certified copy fees, where applicable.

Fees and accepted payment methods can be verified through the records custodian's office or (for court record requests) via the California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule. Accepted payment methods include credit/debit cards, cash (limited to in-person requests), money orders, or cashier's checks.

Step 5. Receive the Record

Certified copies are mailed to the requester or may be picked up at the custodian's office. Processing times vary by the custodian. Courts often process divorce record requests within a few business days, but CDPH-VR requests may take several weeks (the department cautions that processing periods may exceed six months).

Copy Type	Where to Request	Who Can Order	Legal Use
Certificate of Record	California Department of Public Health - Vital Records	Anyone	Verifies that a divorce was filed between 1962 and June 1984 in California. However, the document does not reveal whether the case was ever finalized.
Certified Decree	Superior Court Clerk's Office	Anyone, except if the record or portions thereof are sealed. Parties and their counsel retain unrestricted access.	Change of name, remarriage, immigration, or other legal purposes
Certified Divorce Case File (Full Court Record)	Superior Court Clerk's Office	Anyone unless restricted by law, court order, or court rule	Case research, post-judgment motions, appeals

Why Search for Divorce Records in California?

Varying circumstances may prompt a search for divorce documents in California. Individuals may request a divorce record for an administrative or legal purpose, such as to

• Enter a new marital union
• Travel/relocate abroad
• Update government records (e.g., passport, Social Security, DMV)
• Qualify for pension or insurance benefits
• Adjust tax status following a dissolution

Divorce records may also be required for court-related matters, such as to

• File an appeal
• Modify support or custody orders
• Enforce a judgment (e.g., back support, property division)
• Prove legal claims in property, probate, or inheritance matters

Lastly, divorce records may serve informational or background check purposes, such as for genealogical research or verifying marital history.

How Long Are Divorce Records Kept in California?

The following regulations govern the retention and disposition of divorce case records in California:

• Title 10, Chapter 10 of the California Rules of Court
• The California Trial Court Records Manual
• GC §§ 68150-68153 (Management, Retention, and Disposition of Trial Court Records)

According to these schedules, California courts generally retain family law records, including divorce records, for 30 years, except as otherwise specified. However, divorce decrees and other judgments are kept permanently. Once a retention period ends, the affected case record may be destroyed in accordance with GC § 68153 and Judicial Council procedures.

Conversely, Certificates of Record maintained by the CDPH-VR are preserved permanently under the department's vital records retention policies, as per HSC §§ 102230 and 102235.