Health and Safety Code section 102134
(a)
Beginning no earlier than two years after an appropriation of funds by the Legislature, the State Registrar shall require the use of a diacritical mark on an English letter to be properly recorded, within the name field of a parent or registrant on a certificate of live birth, fetal death, death, marriage license and certificate, or confidential marriage license and certificate. The use of a diacritical mark on an English letter within a name field shall be deemed an acceptable entry on a certificate of live birth, fetal death, or death, and a marriage license and certificate or confidential marriage license and certificate by the State Registrar.(b)
The absence or presence of a diacritical mark on a document listed in subdivision (a) shall not render the document invalid nor affect any constructive notice imparted by proper recordation of the document.(c)
Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the State Registrar may develop a list of acceptable diacritical marks for use on a certificate of live birth, fetal death, or death, or a marriage license and certificate or confidential marriage license and certificate, through all-county letters or similar instructions from the State Registrar without taking further regulatory actions.(d)
Notwithstanding Section 102140, the State Registrar may remove any diacritical marks on the birth, fetal death, death, and marriage license and certificate data before furnishing the vital statistics relating to birth, death, fetal death, and marriage license and certificates to a federal, state, or local government agency.(e)
For purposes of this part, a diacritical mark includes, but is not limited to, accents, tildes, graves, umlauts, and cedillas.
Source:
Section 102134, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=102134. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 15, 2025).
