REPLACING IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
If you run into problems replacing these important documents, please call Neighborhood Legal Services at 1(800) 433-6251 for assistance navigating this process.
Social Security:
Your first step is to apply to the Social Security Administration for a replacement social
security card as soon as possible. To apply, mail or bring the following documents to your local Social Security office: Form SS-5, which is available at your local Social Security office, online at:
Web site: www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ss-5.html
Or can be mailed to you upon request by calling:
Phone: 1(800) 772-1213
Evidence of your identity, such as your driver’s license, marriage or divorce record, military record, adoption record, life insurance policy, or passport; and Evidence of your U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status, such as a U.S. passport or unexpired document issued to you by the Department of Homeland Security.
Documents presented as evidence must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. Uncertified or notarized photocopies will not be accepted. Requests usually take two weeks to process.
To find your local social security office, visit:
Web site: www.socialsecurity.gov/locator Or call:
Phone: 1(800) 772-1213
Medicare Card:
If your Medicare card was destroyed, you should also apply to the Social Security Administration for a replacement. There is no charge for this service. You can request a replacement card at your local Social Security office, online at www.socialsecurity.gov or by telephone at:
Phone: 1(800) 772-1213
Requests usually take 30 days to process. If you need proof right away that you have Medicare, contact your local Social Security office or call the toll-free number noted above, and they can provide you with proof that you can use until you receive your replacement Medicare card.
Federal Income Tax Returns:
Copies of your federal income tax returns may be obtained from your tax preparer or the IRS. To apply for a copy from the IRS, complete Form 4506, “Request for Copy or Transcript of Tax Form,” and send it to the IRS address where you filed your return. Form 4506 may be obtained online at www.irs.gov or by calling (800) 829-3676. Copies of tax returns are free for disaster victims. Be sure to write “CAWildfires” in red at the top of the form. The IRS will waive the usual fees and expedite requests for copies of previously filed tax returns for affected taxpayers who need them to apply for benefits or to file amended returns claiming casualty losses.
Web site: http://www.irs.gov/
State Income Tax Returns:
To get a free copy of your lost or damaged California state returns, you should complete
Form FTB 3516, “Request for Copy of Tax Return.” Print “CAWildfires” in red at the top of the request. You may download the form at the Franchise Tax Board’s website or by calling to order one.
Web site: www.ftb.ca.gov
Phone: 1(800) 852-5711
U.S. Passport Information Center:
Information and forms about replacing a U.S. passport are available online or by calling the U.S. Passport Information Center. If your passport was issued by a country other than the United States, you should contact that country’s consulate and make an application for a replacement passport.
Web site: www.travel.gov
Phone: 1(900) 225-5674
Visa/Resident Alien (Green) Cards:
For information on how to replace your visa/resident alien (green) card, please see the
“Immigration” section of the Hand Book online:
Web site: www.travel.gov
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
California Drivers License/ID Card:
To replace your California driver’s license and/or identification card, you should make an appointment to visit your local DMV office either online at www.dmv.ca.gov or by calling (800) 777-0133. You must submit application form DL 44, give a thumb print, and have your picture taken, and pay the application fee ($12.00 for license, $6.00 for ID card, or $3.00 for senior citizen ID card). You will be issued an interim license and/or receipt for your ID card until you receive your new card in the mail.
Certificate of Title (Cars, Boats/Vessels):
Instructions and forms are available at www.dmv.ca.gov. To obtain a replacement certificate of title, you must complete an Application for Duplicate Title form (Reg 227), attach the damaged title if mutilated, and pay the duplicate title fee of $7.00 ($15.00 for boats/vessels). You may submit the application either in person at your local DMV office or mail it to:
Department of Motor Vehicles
Registration Operations
P.O. Box 942869 Mail Station E-254
Sacramento, CA 94269-0001
Web site: http://dmv.ca.gov/
Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Decree, Death Certificates:
Certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates may be obtained from the County Recorder’s office in the county where the birth, death, or marriage occurred. You must fill out an application with information such as the full name of the person, date of event, and place of event.
A fee in the amount of $18.00 for a birth certificate, and $13.00 for a marriage or death certificate, is also required. If you need the documents quickly, you should go directly to the office to apply for the certificate. A list of the recorders’ offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties is at the end of this section.
The Office of Vital Records has announced that it will expedite applications from fire victims that are directed from local assistance centers.
Certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates may also be obtained from the
Office of Vital Records by mailing your request to:
California Department of Health Services
Office of Vital Records
M.S. 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
To replace a divorce decree or judgment, contact the clerk of the court in the county where the judgment was issued. Procedures vary from court to court. To find the location, phone number, and web site of the superior court, visit:
Web site: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/trial
Certified copies of deeds to real property may be obtained from the County Recorder’s office in the county where the property is located. To apply, you will need the name of the owner of the property, the property address, the recorded year of the deed, and the title of the document or document number. Copy fees vary from $1.25 to $6.00 for the first page, and from $1.00 to $3.00 for each page thereafter.
Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and Checkbooks:
To replace credit cards, debit cards, and/or checkbooks, contact your financial institution. Most banks and credit card companies have toll-free numbers to report lost or stolen cards. If you need replacement checks or bank statements but have no identification, you should go to the branch where you opened the account which has your original signature card on file.
Wills and Trusts:
If the will and/or family trust was prepared by an attorney, you may be able to obtain a copy of the document by contacting the attorney who drafted it. If you do not have the attorney’s current address, contact the State Bar of California at:
Phone: (415) 538-2577 or search for the attorney’s contact information online at:
Web site: www.members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member.aspx
If the attorney does not have a copy of the document, you should have a new will or other document drafted.
Insurance Policy, Premium Notice or Other Insurance Related Documents:
If insurance documents are destroyed, contact your insurance agent or insurance company to obtain a copy of the policy. For information on how to make a claim, see “Insurance.”
County Recorder Office Contact Information Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder:
The Recorder’s Office is responsible for recording legal documents which determine ownership of real property of and maintains files of birth, death and marriage records for Los Angeles. All functions of the office are conducted under provisions of the State Constitution, State and County Codes. The recording operation in Los Angeles is large and complex. It serves the public and other County departments such as the Assessor, Health Services, Public Social Services and Regional Planning.
Web site: www.lavote.net/recorder/realestate.htm
Address: 12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650
Phone: (562) 462-2137 335
Address: A East Avenue K-6, Lancaster, CA 93535
Phone: (661) 723-4494
Address: 9355 Burton Way, First Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: (310) 288-1261
Address: 7807 South Compton Avenue, Room 215, Los Angeles, CA 90001
Phone: (323) 586-6192
Address: 11701 South La Cienega Blvd., Sixth Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: (310) 727-6142
Address: 4716 East Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90022
(323) 260-2991
Address: 14340 West Sylvan Street, Van Nuys, CA 91401
Phone: (818) 374-7176
San Bernardino County Recorder
Address: 222 West Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino, CA 92415
Phone: (909) 387-8314
Web site: http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/acr/
Marriage licenses/birth certificates since 1979 only:
Fontana Library
Address: 8334 Emerald, Fontana, CA 92335
Phone: (909) 854-6397
Apple Valley Library
Address: 14901 Dale Evans Parkway, Apple Valley, CA 92307
Phone: (760) 240-7710
Montclair Library
Address: 9955 Fremont Avenue, Montclair, CA 91763
Phone: (973) 744-0500