California · Evidence Code

EVID §1316: Evidence of a statement concerning a person’s birth, marriage, divorce, death, parent and child relationship, race, ancestry, relationship by blood or marriage, or other similar fact of family history

What this law says, in plain English

This statute addresses evidence regarding statements about family history facts such as birth, marriage, divorce, death, and familial relationships. It establishes rules for what constitutes admissible evidence in civil proceedings.

Read the full statutory text

Evidence of a statement concerning a person’s birth, marriage, divorce, death, parent and child relationship, race, ancestry, relationship by blood or marriage, or other similar fact of family history is not made inadmissible by the hearsay rule if the statement is contained in a certificate that the maker thereof performed a marriage or other ceremony or administered a sacrament and: (a) The maker was a clergyman, civil officer, or other person authorized to perform the acts reported in the certificate by law or by the rules, regulations, or requirements of a church, religious denomination, or religious society; and (b) The certificate was issued by the maker at the time and place of the ceremony or sacrament or within a reasonable time thereafter.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.