How to Get a Copy of Your California Divorce Decree (and Why the State Can't Give You One)
California family law · Last reviewed September 29, 2026
People ask for "divorce papers" for many reasons: to remarry, to change a name on a passport or Social Security card, to refinance a house, to prove a support obligation. In California, the document almost everyone needs is a certified copy of the judgment, and only one place has it: the superior court in the county where the divorce was filed.
The decree comes from the county court
The state health department says so plainly on its own records page:
Copies of the actual divorce decree can only be obtained from the Superior Court in the county where the divorce took place.
California's divorce judgment is the Judicial Council form FL-180, Judgment, usually with attachments and a settlement agreement. It is signed by the judge and filed in the court's case file. The court clerk also mails or serves form FL-190, Notice of Entry of Judgment, which shows the date the judgment was entered and the date your marital status ended. Those two dates are what most agencies want to see.
How to request it
- Find the county and case number. The case number is on every document from the case. If you don't have it, the clerk can search by the parties' names.
- Contact the family law clerk's office of that superior court. Most courts take requests in person and by mail, and many have online request systems or portals; the court's website explains its own process.
- Ask for a certified copy if an agency needs an official document. A plain copy is fine for your own records.
- Pay the fees set by the Government Code.
What it costs
Court copy fees are set statewide:
| Item | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy of a dissolution judgment (most people) | $15 | Gov. Code § 70674 |
| Certified copy of a dissolution judgment (public agency) | $10 | Gov. Code § 70674 |
| Copies of other pages | $0.50 per page | Gov. Code § 70627(a) |
| Records search taking longer than 10 minutes | $15 | Gov. Code § 70627(c) |
| Certifying any other document | $40 | Gov. Code § 70626(a)(4) |
Government Code § 70674(b) defines the dissolution record as "the judgment." If you need other papers from the file, such as the settlement agreement filed separately, those can be priced as ordinary copies plus certification.
What the state (CDPH) has, and why it usually isn't what you need
The California Department of Public Health – Vital Records keeps only a limited index of old divorces:
The California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) maintains divorce records for only 1962 through June 1984.
And what it has is not the decree:
These records consist only of the face sheet of the divorce action – not the actual divorce decree. CDPH-VR is only able to provide you with a Certificate of Record, which includes the names of the parties, filing date, county, and case number of the divorce.
The Certificate of Record costs $18 per copy (since January 1, 2026) and is ordered by mail with form VS 113B. It can help you find which county handled an old divorce and what the case number was, and then you ask that court for the judgment. For a divorce after June 1984, CDPH has nothing.
Two cautions. First, CDPH announced that from July 1, 2026 it "will no longer accept applications submitted through online third party vendors"; it processes applications only by mail. Second, private websites sell "California divorce records" and "divorce certificates." Some forward requests to the agencies for an added fee; none can give you a certified court judgment that the court itself would not.
Are California divorce records public?
Mostly, yes, but not online. Family court files are public records, yet California Rules of Court rule 2.503(c) says a court keeping them electronically "may not provide public remote access to these records." Members of the public view them at the courthouse. Some material is protected even there:
- Financial disclosures exchanged between spouses usually never enter the public file. Under Family Code § 2104(b), the preliminary declaration of disclosure "shall not be filed with the court, except on court order"; only proof that it was served is filed.
- Social Security numbers can be redacted from anything filed in the case (§ 2024.5(a)).
- Child custody evaluation reports and mediators' custody recommendations go in the confidential part of the file, open only to the parties, their lawyers and a few others (§ 3025.5).
- Other records can be sealed only by court order, on the showing the California Rules of Court require.
Name changes after divorce
If you asked the court to restore your former name, the judgment itself does it, and a certified copy of the judgment is what the DMV, the Social Security Administration and passport offices usually ask for. If you didn't ask during the case, you still can: under Family Code § 2080, the court "shall restore" a former name on request "regardless of whether a request for restoration of the name was included in the petition." Name restoration is available in a divorce or annulment, but not in a legal separation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a copy of my divorce decree in California?
Ask the superior court in the county where your divorce was filed. Give the case number or the parties' names, and ask for a certified copy of the judgment. A certified copy costs $15 for most people.
Can I get my divorce certificate from the State of California?
Only for divorces from 1962 through June 1984, and only as a Certificate of Record listing the names, filing date, county and case number. It is not the decree. It costs $18 by mail from CDPH – Vital Records.
How long does it take to get a copy of a divorce decree?
It depends on the court and the age of the file. Check the court's website or call the family law clerk for current processing times, especially for older cases, whose files may be stored off site.
Are divorce records public in California?
Generally yes, at the courthouse. Courts may not offer the public remote online access to family files, financial disclosures are usually never filed, and Social Security numbers can be redacted.
What document proves I'm divorced?
A certified copy of the judgment (form FL-180) and the notice of entry of judgment (FL-190), which shows the date your marital status ended.