SUTTER COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 876 last night, September 28th which allows California County Recorders the option to deliver certified electronic versions of birth, death, and marriage records in place of paper-based certificates.

Sutter County is on target to be the first county in California to offer this service, said Sutter County Clerk-Recorder Donna Johnston, whose advocacy for use of secure blockchain digital technology in 2018 was the impetus for the change in the law.

“Having the opportunity to have an electronic birth, death, or marriage certificate delivered electronically to customers would have been extremely beneficial during the pandemic,” noted Johnston. “Thankfully, with the bill now becoming law, our customers will experience a higher level of service in a safe, effective, and expedited manner.”

The bill amends California Health and Safety Code section 103526.5 and now allows all County Recorders the authority and option to issue certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records by means of blockchain technology. California has modeled this after the success of the state of Nevada’s use of this technology in Nevada County Recorder offices.

Currently, if a customer is unable to make a request in person at the Recorder’s office, they will request via mail or fax. The Recorders office will then mail the certified copies of marriage certificates on secure banknote paper with a wet signature. This whole process takes on average 10 to 20 days from the initial request to the customer receiving the document. This can impact the start of Social Security benefits, veteran’s benefits, pension benefits, or any situation where official documentation birth, death, and marriage are required.

This legislation began when Johnston advocated for electronic delivery of vitals as President of the County Recorder’s Association of California (CRAC) in 2018. Previous attempts to pass legislation for electronic copies of such records were halted because of security concerns, but this time a working group was created at the state level to vet the blockchain technology. Johnston worked with CRAC, who sponsored the bill, and Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Robert Hertzberg (Los Angeles), and has testified at legislative hearings from a Recorder’s perspective in support of the bill.

Requests for the certificates will not change. Customers can request and pay for the requested certificate and will have the option of receiving it as a traditional paper certificate, or an electronic certificate which includes an authentication page. This two-page electronic certificate will be delivered via email to the customer who can then forward it to the requesting agency. The requesting agency can then verify the certificate through the blockchain using the information contained on the authentication page. An added benefit to the customer purchasing the electronic certificate is that it can be reused, stopping the need to purchase additional copies of the paper certificate.

This process is more secure than the traditional current method of paper certification which can theoretically be forged, due the nature of a decentralized computer network working together to protect the authenticity of the transaction.

Washoe County in Nevada has successful distributed over 4,500 digital marriage certificates to customers since implementing blockchain technology in 2018. Certificates are delivered within minutes--not just in the United States, but to destinations such as Spain, Canada, and Asian countries. Agencies that have accepted the

electronically certified marriage record from Washoe County includes the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles, cruise lines, veteran's benefits offices, and other offices that need proof of marriage."¯ Additional Nevada counties have begun using blockchain technology to increase services to their customers.

The electronic certificates will be available at the Sutter County Clerk-Recorder beginning January 1, 2023, when the law becomes effective. The office will offer customers the option of a paper-based certificate in addition to the electronic certificate for a few months to introduce the new process.