City guide · San Diego, California · All details last checked Oct 29, 2026

San Diego, California document errands: printing, fax, notary, passports and certified copies (2026)

Where to print, fax, notarize, apply for a passport and get certified copies in the City of San Diego, using only official and provider pages. Each fact links to its source. Some facts are statewide or national rather than local. We label those.

Not affiliated, not legal advice. Errand Desk isn't affiliated with the San Diego Public Library, the City or County of San Diego, the Superior Court of California, the California Department of Public Health, the California Secretary of State, the State of California, San Diego State University, USPS, The UPS Store, the U.S. Department of State or any business named here. This page is general information. Hours and fees change, so call or check the source before you go.

Which offices serve San Diego: the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk issues marriage licenses, records documents and sells birth, death and marriage copies. Its main Recorder/Clerk office is downtown in the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260; it also has Recorder/Clerk offices in Chula Vista, Santee and San Marcos. Its Kearny Mesa office doesn't offer Recorder/Clerk services ^[1]. State birth, death and marriage copies also come from the California Department of Public Health ^[2]. Apostilles come from the California Secretary of State ^[3].

Short version: San Diego Public Library prints are $0.15 a page in black and white and $0.30 in color, and faxing and scanning on library copiers are free ^[4]. The locator lists 10 San Diego passport facilities, including the City Clerk, a county office and 7 post offices ^[5]. California notaries may charge at most $15 per signature (statewide), and a 2026 law raises that to $20 ^[6][7]. A San Diego County public marriage license is $129 ^[8].

Printing, copying, scanning and fax

San Diego Public Library

Printing: black-and-white prints are $0.15 a page and color $0.30 a page. You can pay online or pay cash at the library's front desk when you pick up; the library doesn't give refunds ^[4].
Remote printing: send jobs from a phone, tablet or computer with the Princh app or print.princh.com, using the printer ID of the library you'll visit, and pick them up within 24 hours with a 4-digit release code. Jobs are deleted after 24 hours, and staff can't see the release code. Old print cards aren't accepted and their balances can't be refunded ^[4].
Fax and scanning: free. You can send digital faxes to U.S. phone numbers from library copiers, and scan to a USB flash drive or email; ask staff for details ^[4].
Central Library: 330 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101, 619-236-5800. Regular hours are Mon–Tue 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m., Wed–Fri 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Sunday ^[9].

The UPS Store: it lists 38 locations in San Diego; see its city page for addresses and phone numbers. That page says they offer packing, shipping, printing, shredding, notarizing, faxing and mailbox services ^[10]. We didn't find prices on the store pages.

See printing prices and fax prices.

Notary in San Diego

Library: we didn't find notary service on the San Diego Public Library pages we checked.
County: the Recorder/County Clerk says its office doesn't offer notary public services ^[11]. It does keep a list of Authorized Notary Publics who can issue confidential marriage licenses, sometimes outside office hours; confirm with the notary directly ^[8].
The UPS Store: its San Diego page lists notarizing ^[10]. We didn't find store notary prices; California's legal maximum is below.
Fees now (statewide): California Government Code § 8211 caps notary fees at $15 for each signature on an acknowledgment and $15 for an oath or affirmation with a jurat; certifying a copy of a power of attorney is also $15 ^[6]. The Secretary of State's January 2026 Notary Public Handbook lists the same maximums and says a notary may charge less or nothing ^[12]. Notarizing vote-by-mail ballot envelopes, and a veteran's application or claim for benefits, is free ^[6].
Scheduled change (statewide): AB 1597 (Chapter 39, Statutes of 2026), approved by the Governor on June 30, 2026, amends § 8211 to raise those caps to $20 ^[7]. The bill text doesn't print a start date; under the state constitution, a statute enacted at a regular session takes effect on January 1 after a 90-day period from enactment ^[13], which for this bill is Jan. 1, 2027. The published code section still shows $15 ^[6].
Extras and remote notarization (statewide): the handbook says any travel fee should be entered separately in the notary's journal; it sets no travel amount ^[12]. California notaries can't yet perform remote online notarizations: those parts of the Online Notarization Act start once the Secretary of State finishes its system, or by Jan. 1, 2030, whichever is earlier ^[12].

Passports in San Diego

The U.S. Department of State's Passport Acceptance Facility Locator data lists 10 San Diego facilities: 7 post offices, the San Diego City Clerk, the County of San Diego Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and the SDSU Passport Office. It lists 8 of them as taking photos on site ^[5]:

Facility	Address and phone	Passport hours (locator)	Photos
County of San Diego Clerk of the Board of Supervisors	1600 Pacific Highway Room 402, San Diego County Administration Building, San Diego, CA 92101. 619-531-5600	Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–3:15 p.m.	Not listed
Carmel Mountain Postal Store (USPS)	11251 Rancho Carmel Dr., San Diego, CA 92128. 858-674-0208	Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m.–4 p.m.	Listed as on site
Rancho Bernardo Annex (USPS)	16767 Bernardo Center Dr., Ste. L-1, San Diego, CA 92128. 858-674-4067	Mon–Fri 8:45 a.m.–2:45 p.m. (closed 11:45–12:45)	Listed as on site
College Grove Postal Store (USPS)	3426 College Ave., San Diego, CA 92115. 619-583-9486	Mon–Fri 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (closed 1–2)	Listed as on site
Navajo Station Post Office (USPS)	6519 Bisby Lake Ave., San Diego, CA 92119. 619-461-8667	Mon–Thu 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (closed noon–1); Fri 9 a.m.–2 p.m. (closed 12:30–1); Sat 9 a.m.–1 p.m.	Listed as on site
University City Finance Post Office (USPS)	3298 Governor Drive, San Diego, CA 92122	Mon–Fri 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (closed noon–1)	Listed as on site
SDC Riverfront Carrier Annex (USPS)	2600 Camino Del Rio North, San Diego, CA 92108. 619-296-2661	Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–3:45 p.m. (closed noon–12:45)	Listed as on site
Otay Mesa Carrier Annex Post Office (USPS)	2960 Fern Avenue, San Diego, CA 92154. 619-429-8414	Mon–Fri 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.	Listed as on site
San Diego City Clerk	202 C Street, San Diego, CA 92101. 619-533-4000	Mon–Thu 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.; Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m.	Listed as on site
SDSU Passport Office	6475 Alvarado Road, Suite 124, San Diego, CA 92120. 619-594-3800	Tue–Fri 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m.	Not listed

Appointments: for the post offices, the locator says to schedule at usps.com/scheduler; for Navajo Station it also lists walk-ins Monday–Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m., first come, first served ^[5].
City Clerk: the locator says appointments are at sandiego.gov/passports, with no walk-in service ^[5].
County office: the locator note for the Clerk of the Board says it has photo and money order services from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday–Friday, though its photo field isn't marked ^[5].
SDSU Passport Office: the locator note says to bring a check or money order ^[5].
Post office fees (national): a $35.00 acceptance fee and a $15.00 photo fee "if needed" ^[14].
Faster service (national): the State Department's 1–3 business day return delivery is $26.87, for passport books only ^[15].

See the passport checklist and passport photo prices.

Birth, death, marriage, court and recorded-document copies

Birth, death and marriage records: California Department of Public Health (statewide)

State fees: since Jan. 1, 2026, CDPH Vital Records charges $31 for a certified copy of a birth record, $26 for a death record and $19 for a marriage record, under AB 64 (Chapter 662, Statutes of 2025) ^[2].
Paying by mail: make the check or money order payable to CDPH Vital Records, drawn on a U.S. bank; don't send cash. Requests without the right fee are returned. If no record is found, you get a Certificate of No Public Record and the fee is kept as a search fee ^[2].
County copies: county recorders also issue certified copies; the county office for this city is below. County prices can differ from the state's.

Birth, death and marriage records: San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk

County fees: $34 for each birth certificate ^[16], $26 for each death certificate ^[17] and $19 for each marriage certificate ^[18]. The fee isn't refunded if no record is found; you get a "Letter of No Record" ^[16].
Paying: in person, cash, check or money order payable to San Diego Recorder/County Clerk, or a credit or debit card with a $2.50 surcharge. By mail, check or money order only ^[16].
In person: no appointment needed at the downtown San Diego, Chula Vista, Santee and San Marcos offices; not at Kearny Mesa. You sign the application in front of a County Clerk and show government-issued photo ID ^[16]. Offices are open Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ^[1].
Timing: allow 3 weeks after a birth or death ^[16][17], and 10 business days after a marriage license is returned, before requesting a copy ^[18].
Online: VitalChek is the county's only authorized online vendor and adds a $12.95 handling fee, plus $19 for optional expedited delivery ^[16].
By mail: for a certified copy, the sworn statement on the application must be notarized. Mail to San Diego Recorder/County Clerk, ATTN: Vital Records, P.O. Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750 ^[16].
Confidential marriage records: only the spouses, or someone with a court order, can get a certified copy ^[18].

Marriage licenses: San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk

Fees: $129 for a public marriage license, $144 for a confidential license, $107 for a civil ceremony and $58 for a witness provided by the County Clerk. Cash, check, money order or card ($2.50 card surcharge); license fees aren't refunded ^[8].
How: by appointment only, booked up to 7 weeks ahead. Both people come together with valid government-issued photo ID, and both must be 18 or older. The license is valid for 90 days in California ^[8].

Recorded documents: San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk

Recording fees: the Jan. 1, 2026 fee schedule lists $14.00 for the first page of most documents, or $17.00 for titles that carry the real estate fraud fee (such as deeds of trust and reconveyances), plus $3.00 for each additional page and the $75.00 SB 2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee unless exempt. Pages that aren't 8½ by 11 inches cost $3.00 more each ^[19].
Copies: $2 for the first page and $0.05 for each additional page, plus $1 per document to certify. You can order in person, online through the Official Records Index (mailed), or by mail ^[11].
Where and paying: record in person at the downtown San Diego, Chula Vista, Santee and San Marcos offices without an appointment. Fees can be paid by cash, card in person ($2.50 surcharge), check or money order ^[11].

Court records: California superior courts (statewide fees)

Fees (statewide): under Government Code § 70627, the court clerk charges $0.50 a page to prepare copies of a record on file, $1 a page to compare a copy you bring with the original (plus the certificate fee), and $15 for a records search that takes a court employee more than 10 minutes ^[20].

Court records: Superior Court of California, County of San Diego

Local fee schedule: the court's Sept. 1, 2026 fee schedule lists $40 to certify a copy, $0.50 a side for copies, $1 a page for comparison, $15 for a search over 10 minutes and $50 for an exemplification. Off-site file retrieval is $41 standard, $61 rush and $75 emergency ^[21].
Online case documents: $1 a page for the first five pages, then $0.40 a page, up to $50.00 ^[21]. The court says most civil, small claims and probate documents can be previewed (first page only) and downloaded for a fee ^[22].
Divorce records: the county recorder doesn't hold divorce decrees; they're with the Superior Court ^[18]. A certified copy of a dissolution record is $15 for the public ^[21].

Apostilles (statewide)

Who: California apostilles come from the Secretary of State, not the county. The document must be signed by a California public official or be an original notarized or certified document; photocopies aren't accepted ^[3]. The office doesn't notarize, so get the notarization first ^[23].
Birth and death certificates: a certificate signed by a local health officer or registrar may first need certifying by the county clerk, or you can get a certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH ^[23].
Fee: $20.00 per apostille. Include a cover sheet naming the country where the document will be used. In person there is also a $6.00 special handling fee for each different public official's signature ^[3].
In person, same day: Sacramento, 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor (card, check, money order or cash), or Los Angeles, 300 South Spring Street, Room 12513, with no appointments (card, check or money order; no cash). The Los Angeles office says it is temporarily serving customers on the 1st floor in Suite 1215 because of an elevator outage ^[3].
By mail: Sacramento only, with a $20.00 check or money order per apostille payable to Secretary of State and a self-addressed return envelope. USPS mail goes to Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001; FedEx, UPS or DHL to 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. Mail requests aren't expedited ^[3]. The office also runs pop-up apostille events around the state, including San Diego on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2026 ^[3]. See the apostille guide.

San Diego pop-up (local): on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2026, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., the Secretary of State's Apostille Pop-Up Shop will be at the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 273. Bring the original document and a completed pop-up cover sheet; payment is Visa, Mastercard, check or money order, with no cash. The county says waits can reach 2–3 hours and on-site notarization isn't guaranteed ^[24].
County authentication: the county charges $21 to authenticate a notary's or public health officer's signature ^[19].

More on certified copies: how to get a certified copy.

Money orders

USPS money order fees are national: $2.65 for $0.01 to $500.00, and $3.75 for $500.01 to $1,000.00. Pay with cash or a debit card, not a credit card. The limit is $1,000 per domestic money order ^[25]. Other sellers: money order guide.

Shredding

Free events: we didn't find an upcoming free document shred event on the official pages we checked for this guide.
The UPS Store: its San Diego page lists shredding ^[10]. We didn't find prices.

For paid per-pound shredding, see where to shred documents.

Questions

Can I fax for free in San Diego?

Yes, at the San Diego Public Library. Library copiers send digital faxes to U.S. numbers for free, and scanning to USB or email is free too ^[4].

Where can I apply for a passport in San Diego?

At 10 locator-listed facilities, including the San Diego City Clerk at 202 C Street (appointments at sandiego.gov/passports), the county Clerk of the Board, the SDSU Passport Office and 7 post offices ^[5].

What does a notary cost in California?

At most $15 per signature under Government Code § 8211 as published now. AB 1597 raises the cap to $20, and under the state constitution's timing rule that takes effect Jan. 1, 2027 (statewide) ^[6][7][13].

How much is a marriage license in San Diego County?

$129 for a public license and $144 for a confidential license, by appointment only ^[8].

Where do I get an apostille in San Diego?

From the California Secretary of State, in Sacramento or Los Angeles or by mail to Sacramento, for $20 per apostille (statewide) ^[3]. The Secretary of State's pop-up shop comes to the County Administration Center on Dec. 2, 2026 ^[24].

Sources

All sources last checked Oct 29, 2026, except the locator data file.

San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, "Office Locations": sdarcc.gov/content/arcc/home/about/locations.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Department of Public Health, "Vital Records Fees": cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/pages/vital-records-fees.aspx (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Secretary of State, "Request an Apostille": sos.ca.gov/notary/request-apostille (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego Public Library, "Print, Copy, Scan and Fax Services": sandiego.gov/public-library/services/printing (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
U.S. Department of State, Passport Acceptance Facility Locator (locator data file, downloaded Oct 28, 2026, filtered to California): passportfacilitylocator.travel.state.gov (last checked Oct 28, 2026)
California Legislative Information, "Government Code § 8211" (as amended effective Jan. 1, 2017): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=8211 (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Legislative Information, "AB-1597 Notary public: service fees" (Chapter 39, Statutes of 2026, approved June 30, 2026): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1597 (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, "Marriage License & Civil Ceremony": sdarcc.gov/content/arcc/home/divisions/recorder-clerk/marriage-license-civil-ceremony.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego Public Library, "Central Library": sandiego.gov/public-library/central-library (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
The UPS Store, "The UPS Store Locations in San Diego, California": locations.theupsstore.com/ca/san-diego (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, "Recording": sdarcc.gov/content/arcc/home/divisions/recorder-clerk/recording.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Secretary of State, "Notary Public Handbook" (PDF, January 2026): notary.cdn.sos.ca.gov/forms/notary-handbook-current.pdf (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Legislative Information, "California Constitution, Article IV, Section 8": leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC.%208.&article=IV (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
USPS, "Passports": usps.com/international/passports.htm (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
U.S. Department of State, passport fees page (Last Updated March 19, 2026): travel.state.gov/en/passports/apply/help/fees.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, "Birth Certificate Request": sdarcc.gov/content/arcc/home/divisions/recorder-clerk/birth-death-marriage-certificate/birth-certificate.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, "Death Certificate Request": sdarcc.gov/content/arcc/home/divisions/recorder-clerk/birth-death-marriage-certificate/death-certificate.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, "Marriage Certificate Request": sdarcc.gov/content/arcc/home/divisions/recorder-clerk/birth-death-marriage-certificate/marriage-certificate.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, "Recorder/County Clerk Fee Schedule" (PDF, effective Jan. 1, 2026): sdarcc.gov/content/dam/arcc/recorder-county-clerk/forms/Recorder%20County%20Clerk%20Fee%20Schedule_Changes%20Effective%2020260101.pdf (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Legislative Information, "Government Code § 70627": leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=70627 (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, "Fee Schedule" (PDF, effective Sept. 1, 2026): sdcourt.ca.gov/sites/default/files/sdcourt/generalinformation/forms/adminforms/adm001.pdf (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, "Access Court Records": sdcourt.ca.gov/sdcourt/generalinformation/accesscourtrecords (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Secretary of State, "Apostille Frequently Asked Questions": sos.ca.gov/notary/apostille-faqs (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, "California Secretary of State Apostille Pop-Up Shop": sdarcc.gov/content/arcc/home/divisions/recorder-clerk/ca-sos-apostille-pop-up-shop.html (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
USPS, "Money Orders": usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm (last checked Oct 29, 2026)

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Las Vegas, Nevada document errands
Where to get something notarized, and what it costs: banks, credit unions, libraries, AAA, The UPS Store and online notary, plus state fee limits.
US passport application checklist: what to bring, fees, forms and photocopy rules from the State Department.
How to get a certified copy: birth, death, marriage, property and court records from the offices that issue them.
Free notary options
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