En esta noticia
The state of California enacted a law that changes the way surnames and names are recorded in the state’s official documents.
With the signing of the Names Accuracy Act (AB 64), birth, marriage, and death certificates may include accents, tildes, ñs, and other diacritical marks that had been banned since 1986. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the measure on October 13, 2025.
The measure ends a policy of nearly four decades that prevented the names of millions of Hispanic families from being accurately reflected on their vital records.
The original restriction was implemented by the California Department of Health in 1986, after English was declared the state’s official language. The law was promoted by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey), who had introduced earlier versions unsuccessfully in 2023 and 2024.
What changes with the new surname registry law in California?
AB 64 changes the way the state records names in vital records. Since its implementation, civil registry offices must accept and record characters such as á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ and other marks used in languages other than English. The change applies to birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates.
The process is being implemented in two phases. The first already has a set date: starting on July 1, 2026, the California Department of Health will begin accepting amendment requests to correct existing records that omit diacritics.
For new records, the requirement will take effect no earlier than two years after the state Legislature approves the corresponding funding. This means the law will not take effect before 2027.
How does this law affect Hispanic families in California?
The impact is direct for Spanish-speaking communities, which for decades had to omit accents and ñs when registering their children. Under the new rule, surnames such as Núñez or García will be able to be recorded correctly on the certificate from the first registration. Those who already have documents issued without diacritics will be able to request correction starting in July 2026.
California thus joins states such as Texas, Illinois, Hawaii, Oregon, and Maryland, which already include these characters in their official records. Assemblymember Pacheco stressed that recording names accurately has implications that go beyond administration: it represents formal recognition of the cultural identity of residents of the country’s most populous and diverse state.