Wildfire victims whose important documents were destroyed can replace them. Here's how
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The recent wildfires in Los Angeles County destroyed thousands of homes and everything inside. For many residents, that included important documents, including birth certificates, passports and tax records.
How do you get them replaced when you don't have any documents to prove who you are? Your first stop is the office of the registrar-recorder/county clerk.
"Our office maintains birth death and marriage records as well as real estate property records," said L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan.
Some of your most important documents are birth certificates, drivers licenses, property deeds, insurance policies and passports
The registrar's office has set up shop at the disaster centers.
"For vital records, the birth, death and marriage. You just fill out a form you do have to be a family member or it has to be your record because those are official documents with personally identifying information... in many cases we are able to produce those documents right there on site for people and get them on the road to recovery," said Logan.
And with that you can get your drivers license and vehicle records. The California Department of Motor Vehicles also has its own dedicated staff for that.
"As far as driver's licenses and id cards, we can give them a temporary in the meantime, that has their information. Typically, it's accepted in most places. But the driver's license or id card. The actual card comes in in about 2 to 3 weeks," said Ricky Perez of the DMV.
Both the registrar and the DMV are waiving most of the fees.
"We can retrieve photos, previous photos of customers just to verify that they're who they say they are. So it makes it really simple for us to authenticate who someone is and then issue there. Whatever replacement they need," said Perez.
And for those who lost financial documents the state and the IRS are extending the tax deadline to give you a chance to recover them.
