California counties face low supplies of secure paper for birth, death, marriage certificates

Many counties across the state may soon be in short supply of birth, death and marriage certificates due to secure printing operations closing.

California legislation requires birth, death and marriage certificates be printed using a method known as intaglio. The documents can only be printed on secure paper that has a special border, bar code, raised lettering and specific fibers to prevent counterfeiting.

Only a limited number of plants in the world do intaglio printing, according to a statement from Stanislaus County officials. Earlier this month, the only plant in the U.S. – located in Cincinnati – closed.

But Merced County should not run short of the paper, said Barbara Levey, the county’s clerk and recorder.

When the plant closed, the county clerk’s office placed one last order to ensure a one-year supply of the special paper. The clerk’s office kept the paper as a regular part of its inventory. Since the fee for licenses and certificates is set by state statute, prices will not change, she said.

“Some counties are limiting the amount of certificates, but not here,” Levey said.

Because there is no other source in the country for intaglio printing, Levey said, the state is considering using a company in Canada. If that doesn’t work, the state may consider updating its legislation to resemble other states in which intaglio printing is not required.

The secure paper costs anywhere from 21 cents to 27 cents per page, Levey said. If there is an issue with the paper, it must be shredded or voided.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 5:07 PM with the headline "California counties face low supplies of secure paper for birth, death, marriage certificates."