Find a Surrogate Mother in California
Surrogacy in California
With its diverse population, welcoming laws, and engaging social and political climate, California is a great place to have a baby, whether you call the state home or are just passing through. Our office and staff in Northern California is proud to work where surrogacy has been legal and well-established for many years.
California is special in that it has specific language in its law allowing intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement to be named as the legal parents prior to their child’s birth. We work with a team of experienced attorneys to help you establish legal parentage of your child.
Our intended parents in California and around the world have the opportunity to decide whether they would like to be matched with a California surrogate or a surrogate in one of the other states we work in. They can work with the fertility clinic of their choice or ask us for a referral to one of our highly successful clinic partners.
THE DETAILS
Advantages of a California Surrogacy:
- Surrogacy is legal in California
- It is legal to compensate surrogates in California
- You will obtain a judgment establishing that you are the child’s legal parents
- The parentage judgment will be recognized and enforceable in other states
- Your name can be on the child’s birth certificate at birth
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Schedule a free consultation with our team to answer your questions and discuss the surrogacy process, including matching times and costs.
FAQs
The cost of surrogacy in California can vary somewhat depending on different surrogate agencies. However, surrogates living in California do typically get compensated more to accomodate for the higher cost of living. While every surrogacy is a different journey, the costs of surrogacy at NWSC typically range from around $140,000 to $169,000. However, please note this number does not include fertility treatments or the newborn baby’s medical expenses.
The costs of surrogacy in California include:
- Agency fees
- Compensation for the surrogate
- Surrogate’s expenses such as travel and lost wages
- Legal fees
- Health insurance for the surrogate and bills
NWSC is an experienced and highly reputable West Coast surrogacy agency with an office based in San Francisco and we are committed to supporting our intended parents at every step. We know the surrogacy process—and the costs—can feel overwhelming at first. We’re here to guide you through the surrogacy costs, answer your questions, and make sure you feel informed and confident every step of the way.
Becoming a surrogate in California is the beginning of a transformative and selfless commitment. Surrogate mother requirements in California are necessary for the safety and success of the surrogate and there is a comprehensive screening process that requires candidates to be physically and mentally healthy. Transparency and ethical surrogacy are at the forefront of NW Surrogacy Center’s values, and we believe it is the job of the surrogacy agency to make sure all potential surrogates are fully informed about the process of becoming a surrogate. Each agency may have slightly different surrogate requirements.
To meet NWSC’s surrogate requirements in California, the woman must:
- Reside in California
- Be between the ages of 21 and 42
- Be a non-smoker
- Abstain from alcohol and drugs
- Be raising her own child
- Have a healthy pregnancy history
- Be willing to inject herself with fertility medicines
- Have a BMI of 18 to 34
Absolutely! Same-sex couples use surrogacy in California to achieve their dreams of parenthood. At NW Surrogacy Center, we are proud to have guided hundreds of same-sex couples through surrogacy to have a baby and build their family. We are honored to support parents from many walks of life. In fact, 60% of our intended parents are members of the LGBTQ community. We are committed to matching you with a surrogate who shares your values and wants to help you become a parent.
Our experienced and highly qualified medical and legal experts do not discriminate as they provide their services. We work with many surrogates who specifically want to help gay and lesbian couples and individuals build their families. NWSC is a proudly LGBTQ-friendly San Francisco surrogacy agency that insists on mutual trust and respect among all parties through every step of the process.
Same-sex couples who choose surrogacy in California may use their own sperm or egg to combine with a donor’s genetic material, or they may choose to use a fully donated embryo. We work to ensure that the baby’s birth certificate lists both members of a same-sex couple as the legal parents. Gay couples, in particular, benefit from establishing that both dads have equal custody and parenting rights from birth.