Quick facts
- Some countries require an exemplified (triple-certified) copy — confirm before ordering ($50 + pages, §70628).
- Order enough certified copies up front if you must present originals to multiple foreign agencies — each apostille attaches to its own certified order.
- Never notarize the order — a court order is authenticated by the clerk's certification.
- The new birth/marriage certificate issued under the NC-330 is a SEPARATE vital record (CDPH / county) with its own apostille path — don't substitute one for the other.
- General condition rules: no lamination · no post-notarization alterations · no tape · staple multipage · legible signatures/seals.
What to know
Issuing office. The Superior Court clerk in the county where the gender-recognition petition was filed/granted. Certified route (how to obtain a certified copy): 1. After the judge signs the NC-330 (often without a hearing if unopposed after the ~6-week window), the clerk files it. 2. Return to the clerk's office (usually ~6 weeks after filing) and request a certified copy of the NC-330 — say it's "for apostille / international use." Order extra certified copies if you'll update several IDs (each is $40). 3. Pay the fees (see below) or present a granted fee waiver (FW-001). 4. Confirm the clerk's seal and signature are present and legible. Who can request it. The petitioner can request certified copies directly. A confidential/under-seal gender-and-name change (Safe at Home / NC-400) has restricted access. Required forms. The court's records/copy request form, if any. The NC-330 is the.
Frequently asked questions
Do I even need a court order?
Not for CA driver's license/ID/birth certificate (self-attestation under SB 179). You need the NC-330 court order when you also want a legal name change or an official decree for out-of-state/foreign use.
What exactly do I order?
A certified copy of the NC-330 Order Recognizing Change of Gender from the Superior Court that granted it.
How much is the certified copy?
$40 each (Gov. Code §70626(a)(4); stated on courts.ca.gov). A fee waiver (FW-001) covers it.
Is there a newspaper-publication or hearing requirement?
No publication (CCP §1277.5), and no hearing if no good-cause objection is filed in the ~6-week window.
Common destinations
Countries this document is most often sent to (pulled from this page's own guidance). Every destination has its own rulebook — apostille (Hague) or full legalization (non-Hague).