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

San Francisco, 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 and County of San Francisco, 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 Francisco Public Library, the City and County of San Francisco, the Superior Court of California, the California Department of Public Health, the California Secretary of State, the State of California, 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 Francisco: San Francisco is a combined city and county, and its record offices are in City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. The Office of the County Clerk (Room 160) issues marriage licenses and sells birth and death copies for records more than 3 years old ^[1][2]. The Department of Public Health Office of Vital Records (also Room 160) handles birth and death certificates from the last 3 years ^[3][4]. The Assessor-Recorder (Room 190) sells public marriage certificates and recorded documents ^[5][6]. Court records come from the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco ^[7], and apostilles from the California Secretary of State ^[8].

Short version: San Francisco Public Library card holders get $2 of free printing and copying a day; after that it's $0.10 a page in black and white and $0.40 in color, and scanning and U.S. faxing are free ^[9]. The passport locator lists 4 San Francisco post offices, all taking photos ^[10]. Marriage licenses are $129, public or confidential ^[11]. California notaries may charge at most $15 per signature (statewide), and a 2026 law raises that to $20 ^[12][13].

Printing, copying, scanning and fax

San Francisco Public Library

Where: printing, copying, scanning and fax stations are at every library location, but not on the bookmobiles ^[9].
Free allowance: library card holders get $2 of free copying and printing per patron per day; log in to library computers or mobile print jobs with your card number ^[9].
Prices after that: $0.10 a page in black and white and $0.40 in color, for prints and copies, on letter or legal paper. Pay by credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or cash ($1 and $5 bills, nickels, dimes and quarters); change is given only after the prints or copies are made. Card charges may show as "Today's Business Solutions" or "NYX-Todays Business" ^[9].
Mobile printing: send files up to 100MB from your own computer or phone to a library printer through the library's mobile printing site or the ePRINTit SaaS! app ^[9].
Scanning: free to email, fax or a USB drive. The Main Library's Magazines and Newspapers Center also has microfilm and microfiche reader-scanners, no appointment needed ^[9].
Fax: free to U.S. numbers; the library's machines won't fax to international numbers ^[9].

The UPS Store: it lists 22 locations in San Francisco; see its city page for addresses and phone numbers. That page says they offer packing, shipping, printing, shredding, notarizing, faxing and mailbox services ^[14]. We didn't find prices on the store pages.

See printing prices and fax prices.

Notary in San Francisco

Library: we didn't find notary service on the San Francisco Public Library pages we checked.
The UPS Store: its San Francisco page lists notarizing ^[14]. 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 ^[12]. The Secretary of State's January 2026 Notary Public Handbook lists the same maximums and says a notary may charge less or nothing ^[15]. Notarizing vote-by-mail ballot envelopes, and a veteran's application or claim for benefits, is free ^[12].
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 ^[13]. 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 ^[16], which for this bill is Jan. 1, 2027. The published code section still shows $15 ^[12].
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 ^[15]. 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 ^[15].

Passports in San Francisco

The U.S. Department of State's Passport Acceptance Facility Locator data lists 4 facilities with a San Francisco address, all post offices, and lists all 4 as taking photos on site ^[10]:

Facility	Address and phone	Passport hours (locator)	Photos
Marina Station (USPS)	2055 Lombard St., San Francisco, CA 94123. 415-351-1875	Mon–Thu and Sat 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; Fri 9:30–10 a.m.	Listed as on site
Noe Valley Station (USPS)	4083 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114. 415-821-3863	Mon–Fri 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.–2 p.m.	Listed as on site
San Francisco P/DC Finance (USPS)	1300 EVANS LN., San Francisco, CA 94188. 415-550-5245	Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (closed 12:30–1:30); Sat 7 a.m.–1 p.m.	Listed as on site
Excelsior Station (USPS)	15 Onondaga Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112. 415-334-1057	Mon–Fri 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sat 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.	Listed as on site

Appointments: for each of these post offices, the locator says to schedule a passport appointment at usps.com/scheduler ^[10].
Post office fees (national): a $35.00 acceptance fee and a $15.00 photo fee "if needed" ^[17].
Faster service (national): the State Department's 1–3 business day return delivery is $26.87, for passport books only ^[18].

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) ^[19].
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 ^[19].
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 and death certificates from the last 3 years: Office of Vital Records

Fees: $31 per birth certificate copy (certified or informational) and $26 per death certificate copy, for births or deaths in San Francisco less than 3 years ago ^[3][4].
In person: City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 160, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m., 415-554-2700. Bring unexpired government-issued photo ID (foreign government IDs are accepted). Pay by credit card, personal check, money order, cashier's check or cash. The fee is charged for every search, even if no record is found ^[3][4].
By mail: send the application with a notarized sworn statement (not needed for an informational copy), a prepaid return envelope and a money order, cashier's check or personal check; the office says to expect the certificate in 5 to 10 business days ^[3][4].

Older birth and death records, marriage licenses and confidential marriages: Office of the County Clerk

Birth and death records: for San Francisco births or deaths after 1906 and more than 3 years ago, the County Clerk charges $31 to search a birth record and $26 to search a death record, including a certified copy if found, and the same for each additional copy (fees effective Jan. 1, 2026) ^[11][2][20]. Online orders through the County Clerk are pickup only; mail orders need a notarized sworn statement for an authorized copy, and the office expects about 4 to 6 weeks ^[2][20].
Marriage licenses: $129 for a public or a confidential license, $30 for a duplicate and $37 to amend a confidential license (fees effective July 1, 2026) ^[11]. You need an appointment, booked with your application; both people must come with unexpired government-issued photo ID, and the license is good for 90 days anywhere in California. A confidential license requires that you live together and needs no witnesses ^[1].
Confidential marriage records: $19 to search, including a certified copy if found, and $19 for each additional copy ^[11].
Civil ceremony: $113 at City Hall during office hours, by appointment ^[11].
Other County Clerk fees: $18 to authenticate a public official's or notary's signature, $8 a page for copies of records on file (pages 1–3, then $0.20 a page) and $2 to certify. In person, the office takes cash, checks, money orders, cashier's checks, major cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay; by mail, checks or money orders payable to SF County Clerk ^[11]. Office hours are Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m., 415-554-4950 ^[1].

Public marriage certificates and recorded documents: Assessor-Recorder

Marriage certificates: $19 per copy of a public marriage certificate. Order online, by mail with a notarized application, or in person at City Hall, Room 190, for same-day service; newly married couples can book a same-day recording-and-copy appointment ^[5].
Recorded documents: $1.81 per document online (viewing is free), or $9.70 for the first page and $0.39 for each additional page in person or by mail, plus $1.00 to certify the whole document. Records from 1990 on are searchable online; older ones only at City Hall, Room 190 ^[6].

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 ^[21].

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

Civil, family and probate fees: the court's civil records request form lists plain copies at $0.50 a page, a certified divorce decree at $15 plus $0.50 a page, a certification or clerk's certificate at $40 plus $0.50 a page, exemplification at $50 plus $0.50 a page, a $15 search and $6 warehouse retrieval ^[22].
Where and when: Civil Records Division, 400 McAllister St., Room 103, Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (drop box 12:30–4 p.m.), 415-551-3802. Requests under 15 pages for an on-site file are done while you wait; you must leave a government-issued photo ID to view a file ^[7].
Criminal records: $0.50 a page for copies, $40 to certify and $15 for a search over 10 minutes; off-site retrieval is $6, or $38 next day and $56 for a two-hour rush ^[23].
Vital records: the court doesn't keep birth, death or marriage certificates; it refers you to the County Clerk ^[7].

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 ^[8]. The office doesn't notarize, so get the notarization first ^[24].
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 ^[24].
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 ^[8].
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 ^[8].
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 ^[8]. The office also runs pop-up apostille events around the state^[8]. See the apostille guide.

Local step for birth and death certificates: the San Francisco County Clerk authenticates a local birth or death certificate before the Secretary of State will add the apostille, in person or by mail with a cover letter and a self-addressed stamped envelope ^[25]. The fee to authenticate a signature is $18 ^[11].
Local pop-up: we didn't find an apostille pop-up scheduled in San Francisco on the official pages we could open.

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 ^[26]. Other sellers: money order guide.

Shredding

Library: we didn't find shredding on the San Francisco Public Library pages we checked.
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 Francisco page lists shredding ^[14]. We didn't find prices.

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

Questions

Can I fax at the San Francisco Public Library?

Yes. Faxing is free to U.S. numbers from the library's machines at every location, but not to international numbers ^[9].

How much does printing cost at the library?

Card holders get $2 of free printing and copying a day; after that it's $0.10 a page in black and white and $0.40 in color ^[9].

Where can I apply for a passport in San Francisco?

The locator lists 4 San Francisco post offices: Marina Station, Noe Valley Station, the San Francisco P/DC Finance unit and Excelsior Station. Book at usps.com/scheduler ^[10].

How much is a marriage license in San Francisco?

$129 for either a public or a confidential license, by appointment at the County Clerk in City Hall ^[11][1].

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) ^[12][13][16].

Where do I get an apostille in San Francisco?

From the California Secretary of State, in Sacramento or Los Angeles or by mail to Sacramento, for $20 per apostille (statewide) ^[8]. A San Francisco birth or death certificate first needs the County Clerk's $18 signature authentication ^[25][11].

Sources

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

Office of the County Clerk, City and County of San Francisco, "Get a marriage license": sf.gov/get-marriage-license (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
Office of the County Clerk, City and County of San Francisco, "Get a birth certificate for someone over 3": sf.gov/get-birth-certificate-someone-over-3 (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Francisco Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records, "Get a birth certificate for someone under 3": sf.gov/get-birth-certificate-someone-under-3 (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Francisco Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records, "Get a death certificate for someone who died in the last 3 years": sf.gov/death-certificate-under-three-years (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Francisco Assessor-Recorder, "Get a copy of your marriage certificate": sf.gov/get-copy-your-marriage-certificate (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Francisco Assessor-Recorder, "Get copies of recorded documents": sf.gov/get-copies-recorded-documents (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, "Civil Records": sf.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-division/civil-records (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Secretary of State, "Request an Apostille": sos.ca.gov/notary/request-apostille (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
San Francisco Public Library, "Printing, Copying, Scanning, and Faxing at the Library (FAQ)": sfpl.libanswers.com/faq/341987 (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)
Office of the County Clerk, City and County of San Francisco, "Fees for County Clerk Services": sf.gov/information--fees-county-clerk-services (last checked Oct 29, 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)
The UPS Store, "The UPS Store Locations in San Francisco, California": locations.theupsstore.com/ca/san-francisco (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)
California Department of Public Health, "Vital Records Fees": cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/pages/vital-records-fees.aspx (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
Office of the County Clerk, City and County of San Francisco, "Get a San Francisco death certificate more than 3 years ago": sf.gov/get-san-francisco-death-certificate (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 Francisco, "Civil Records Request Form (Rev. Oct. 2026)" (PDF): sf.courts.ca.gov/system/files/forms-and-filings/civil-records-request-form-rev-2025.pdf (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, "Criminal Records Fees" (PDF): sf.courts.ca.gov/system/files/criminal-records-fee-schedule.pdf (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
California Secretary of State, "Apostille Frequently Asked Questions": sos.ca.gov/notary/apostille-faqs (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
Office of the County Clerk, City and County of San Francisco, "Signature Authentication for Apostille": sf.gov/information--signature-authentication-apostille (last checked Oct 29, 2026)
USPS, "Money Orders": usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm (last checked Oct 29, 2026)

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Los Angeles, California document errands
San Diego, California 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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