Surrogacy in California

Surrogacy in California – Statutory, Inclusive & Parentage-Friendly

California is among the most favorable states in the U.S. for gestational surrogacy. This guide lays out how the process works under California law—what “statutory permissibility” means, how parentage is established, what must go into your contracts, and what steps Surrogacy4All’s physician-led team follows to keep your journey compliant, transparent, and supportive from start to finish.

Who This Guide Is For

Heterosexual couples, LGBTQ+ couples, and single intended parents seeking a legally sound pathway in California.
Professionals wanting concierge coordination, clear budgets, and secure fund management.
Prospective clients comparing programs and needing a compliance-first checklist to avoid delays or legal risk.

In California, the smoothest path begins with understanding your legal rights under statute, ensuring independent legal counsel, and structuring clinical and financial steps in a coordinated way.

Why Surrogacy4All’s Approach Suits California

Our model is built around pillars that align with California’s legal landscape:

Legal Integrity First — Contracts drafted to comply with California Family Code §§ 7960–7962, explicit disclosure of gamete sources, neutral escrow for funds.
Clinical Excellence — Partnering with fertility clinics and labs that follow best practices in screening, monitoring, and embryo strategy.
Full-Journey Support — Wellness for surrogates, mental health, consistent updates to intended parents, and legal/parentage coordination in parallel with clinical protocols.

You’ll see fewer bottlenecks, fewer surprises, and a more stable experience—because we sequence legal, insurance, and medical work side by side, not one after another.

Legal & Contractual Framework in California

1) Surrogacy Agreements & Disclosures

The surrogacy contract must identify the source of gametes (egg and sperm)—whether donor or intended parent(s).
It should cover all critical terms: compensation and reimbursements, medical decision-making, insurance obligations, contingencies, and parental rights after birth.
Surrogacy contracts should be signed before any fertility medications or embryo transfer begin (i.e. legal protections in place before clinical steps).
Both the surrogate and the intended parent(s) should have independent legal counsel to protect their respective interests.

2) Compensation, Reimbursement & Reasonable Costs

3) Statutory Authorization & Core Requirements

Parentage & Court Orders in California

Pre-Birth Parentage Orders

California allows intended parents to obtain pre-birth parentage orders, which recognize them as legal parents before birth.
In many cases, no court hearing is required for these orders, depending on the county and the factual compliance of the parties.
With a valid pre-birth order, hospital and birth records typically list the intended parents directly.
Post-Birth Orders (If Pre-Birth Not Pursued)
If the pre-birth process is not completed, a post-birth legal order (judgment) may be required to establish legal parentage.

Donor Rights & Parental Presumption

Under California Family Code § 7613, egg and sperm donors have no parental rights arising from donation in assisted reproduction.

California law places emphasis on intent (i.e., the agreement and roles) rather than genetic or gestational link alone.

Costs & Timelines

While exact numbers vary by program, your budget should transparently separate:

Agency / Program Management — administrative, support, case coordination
Surrogate Compensation & Benefits — base pay, allowances, travel, wellness support
Clinical / IVF Costs — screening, embryo creation, transfer, monitoring
Legal — contracts, filings for parentage, counsel for both sides
Insurance — surrogate medical coverage, newborn insurance, policy addenda

Typical timeline: 12–18 months from intake to birth. Parallel workflows (legal, insurance, medical) can reduce inactive periods.

Step-by-Step California Journey

Step 1

Consultation & Readiness

Define your timeline, budget, and legal domicile.

Step 2

Contract & Compliance Check

Draft and review surrogacy agreement, confirm legal counsel, disclose gamete sources.

Step 3

Clinical Onboarding

Select embryo strategy, medical screening, fertility plan.

Step 4

Surrogate Matching

Align on expectations, communication style, hospital preference, and logistics.

Step 5

Legal Finalization

Execute contracts with both parties represented before any medical intervention.

Step 6

Treatment & Transfer

Begin protocols, monitor, and conduct embryo transfer at qualified clinic.

Step 7

Pregnancy Support

OB hand-off, regular updates, health and wellness support, payments via escrow.

Step 8

Parentage Order Filing

File for a pre-birth parentage order or prepare for post-birth if necessary.

Step 9

Delivery & Homecoming

Ensure birth certificate lists intended parents, manage newborn care and insurance.

Surrogate Screening & Support

Medical screening: obstetric history, uterine health, labs, fitness for ART
Psychological evaluation: mental health, readiness for third-party reproduction
Background & social assessment: lifestyle, home environment, references
Wellness support: nutrition, stress management, travel logistics, appointment coordination

Case Study

From Match to Baby in 15 Months

A single intended mother with embryos stored at an FDA-registered clinic. After compliance checks, she matched with a surrogate in 6 weeks. Contracts finalized within 30 days. First transfer was successful. A pre-birth order was granted in the second trimester. She left the hospital with her baby 48 hours after delivery—smoothly, thanks to parallel processing of legal, insurance, and medical steps.

In California, surrogacy is safe, legally secure, and efficient when handled by a physician-led, compliance-first team like Surrogacy4All.

Surrogacy in California