How to Find Out if Someone is Divorced in California
- 1). Ask for proof. If you want to know if someone is divorced, ask for the divorce decree. If the person has no decree, you can ask for other kinds of proof, but make sure the proof comes in the form of an official document like a court order or certified state copy.
- 2). See if you meet the requirements to obtain a certified copy. If the person was divorced in California, you can get a certified copy of the divorce decree. This can be done only by meeting one of five requirements: you are the person who was divorced; a member of law enforcement conducting an investigation; there is a court order authorizing the release of the information; an attorney representing a divorced person; or a child, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, spouse or domestic partner of the person divorced.
If you do not qualify in any of these areas, ask the divorced party, or one of the others who qualify, to request a copy for you. - 3). Send in the request. Get your copy of the Application for Certified Copy of Marriage or Divorce Record from either the California Department of Health website (see Resources) or by contacting the office directly at 916-445-2684. Fill out the form and send it in, along with the $14 fee, to:
California Office of Vital Records
MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
