If any one of these situations applies to you:

• You are staying with in a home that is not yours or your parent’s (or legal guardian’s) because you had to leave your home
• You are in an unstable living situation, without a safe or steady home
• You are sleeping in a motel, car, tent, abandoned building, or public place OR
• You are staying in a shelter or transitional living program

1. Then it’s easier than ever to get your birth certificate (if you were born in California)! You don’t have to pay for it, and you don’t need a parent’s signature. You can do this on your own, even if you’re under 18.

1. Fill out this application form (page 3).
2. If you need an “authorized copy”, complete page 5 of the application in front of a notary.
3. Fill out the top of this form.
4. Get the bottom of the form filled out by your school counselor, a shelter or program for youth experiencing homelessness, your lawyer, or someone helping you with health, mental health, substance use, or public assistance, or employment services.
5. Mail the two forms to California Department of Public Health, Vital Records – MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410.

2. And then, it’s easier than ever to get your ID! You don’t have to pay for it, and you don’t need a parent’s signature. You can do this on your own, even if you’re under 18.

1. Create an online account and complete the ID application form here. (Note: A No Fee Identification Card Eligibility Verification (DL 933) form can be provided by any agency, organization, nonprofit or individual qualified to verify homelessness status in California.)
2. Get proof of your identity (check here for the different ways to prove your identity).
3. Get proof of residency (which could be with school records or a letter from a homeless shelter; check page 2 here for all the ways to prove residency).
4. Bring everything to your local DMV office. 

California state laws give children and youth experiencing homelessness the right to get their birth certificates and IDs at no cost and without the signature of a parent or guardian.

CA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE § 103577

(a) The local registrar, county recorder, or the State Registrar, shall, without an issuance fee or any other associated fee, issue a certified record of live birth to a person who can verify his or her status as a homeless person or a homeless child or youth. A homeless services provider that has knowledge of a person’s housing status shall verify a person’s status for the purposes of this subdivision. In accordance with all other application requirements, as set forth in Section 103526, a request for a certified record of live birth made pursuant to this subdivision shall be made by a homeless person or a homeless child or youth on behalf of themselves, or by a person lawfully entitled to request a certified record of live birth on behalf of a child, if the child has been verified as a homeless person or a homeless child or youth pursuant to this section. A person applying for a certified record of live birth under this subdivision is entitled to one birth record, per application, for each eligible person verified as a homeless person or a homeless child or youth. For purposes of this subdivision, an affidavit developed pursuant to subdivision (b) shall constitute sufficient verification that a person is a homeless person or a homeless child or youth. A person applying for a certified record of live birth under this subdivision shall not be charged a fee for verification of his or her eligibility.

(b) The State Department of Public Health shall develop an affidavit attesting to an applicant’s status as a homeless person or homeless child or youth. The affidavit shall not be deemed complete unless it is signed by both the person making a request for a certified record of live birth pursuant to subdivision (a) and a homeless services provider that has knowledge of the applicant’s housing status.

(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 department may implement and administer this section through an all-county letter or similar instructions from the director or State Registrar without taking regulatory action.

(d) The State Registrar shall provide up to three copies per year of a certified record to a requester pursuant to this section, and may provide additional copies at his or her discretion.

(e) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

• (1) A “homeless child or youth” has the same meaning as the definition of “homeless children and youths” as set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.).
• (2) A “homeless person” has the same meaning as the definition of that term set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.).
• (3) A “homeless services provider” includes:
  • (A) A governmental or nonprofit agency receiving federal, state, or county or municipal funding to provide services to a “homeless person” or “homeless child or youth,” or that is otherwise sanctioned to provide those services by a local homeless continuum of care organization.
  • (B) An attorney licensed to practice law in this state.
  • (C) A local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youth, pursuant to Section 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii) of Title 42 of the United States Code, or a school social worker.
  • (D) A human services provider or public social services provider funded by the State of California to provide homeless children or youth services, health services, mental or behavioral health services, substance use disorder services, or public assistance or employment services.
  • (E) A law enforcement officer designated as a liaison to the homeless population by a local police department or sheriff’s department within the state.

CA VEHICLE CODE § 14902

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of this section, subdivision (c) of Section 13002, and subdivision (c) of Section 14900, upon an application for an identification card a fee of twenty dollars ($20), and on and after January 1, 2010, a fee of twenty-six dollars ($26), shall be paid to the department.

(b) An original or replacement senior citizen identification card issued pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 13000 shall be issued free of charge.

(c) The fee for an original or replacement identification card issued to a person who has been determined to have a current income level that meets the eligibility requirements for assistance programs under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12000) of Part 3 of, or Part 5 (commencing with Section 17000) of, or Article 9 (commencing with Section 18900) of Chapter 10 of Part 6 of, or Chapter 10.1 (commencing with Section 18930) or Chapter 10.3 (commencing with Section 18937) of Part 6 of, Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall be six dollars ($6). The determination of eligibility under this subdivision shall be made by a governmental or nonprofit entity, which shall be subject to regulations adopted by the department.

(d) On and after January 1, 2016, a fee shall not be charged for an original or replacement identification card issued to any person who can verify his or her status as a homeless person or homeless child or youth. A homeless services provider that has knowledge of the person s housing status may verify the person s status for purposes of this subdivision. A determination of eligibility pursuant to this subdivision shall be subject to regulations adopted by the department. A person applying for an identification card under this subdivision shall not be charged a fee for verification of his or her eligibility.

(e) All fees received pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Motor Vehicle Account.

(f) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

• (1) A homeless child or youth has the same meaning as the definition of homeless children and youths as set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.).
• (2) A homeless person has the same meaning as the definition set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.).
• (3) A homeless services provider includes:
  • (A) A governmental or nonprofit agency receiving federal, state, or county or municipal funding to provide services to a homeless person or homeless child or youth, or that is otherwise sanctioned to provide those services by a local homeless continuum of care organization.
  • (B) An attorney licensed to practice law in this state.
  • (C) A local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youth designated as such pursuant to Section 11432 (g)(1)(J)(ii) of Title 42 of the United States Code, or a school social worker.
  • (D) A human services provider or public social services provider funded by the State of California to provide homeless children or youth services, health services, mental or behavioral health services, substance use disorder services, or public assistance or employment services.
  • (E) A law enforcement officer designated as a liaison to the homeless population by a local police department or sheriff s department within the state.
  • (F) Any other homeless services provider that is qualified to verify an individual’s housing status, as determined by the department.