Becoming a surrogate in California involves meeting American Surrogacy’s eligibility requirements, completing screening, matching with intended parents, completing the legal process and receiving medical clearance before embryo transfer.
Carrying a child for another family requires physical energy, emotional commitment and time, which is why working with an agency ensures you receive competitive compensation, legal protections and expert guidance..
To check your eligibility and explore your options, you can fill out our online application today.
Requirements to Become a Surrogate in California With American Surrogacy
To ensure a safe pregnancy and protect both your health and the intended parents' future family, you must meet specific medical, lifestyle and background criteria before entering the program:
- Age between 21 and 40 years old
- BMI of 32 or lower to reduce pregnancy-related medical risks
- Has carried at least one successful pregnancy to term with no major complications
- Currently raising at least one child in your home
- No history of severe pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or premature labor
- No more than two prior C-sections or five total deliveries
- Financial stability without relying on government assistance programs
- Non-smoker living in a smoke-free, drug-free home environment
- Pass criminal background checks for yourself and your spouse or partner
Meeting these requirements for surrogacy protects your health and safety while giving fertility medical specialists confidence that your body can safely carry another pregnancy to term.
The Process to Become a Surrogate in California: Step by Step
Step 1. Apply to be a Surrogate and Complete Agency Screening: 1-3 Months
Your surrogacy process begins with an initial application review, followed by agency pre-screening. American Surrogacy collects and reviews your previous pregnancy medical records, conducts background checks, verifies insurance coverage and coordinates a psychological evaluation.
Completing these evaluations early ensures you are physically and emotionally prepared for the commitment before looking for an intended family.
Medical Record Review: ~1-5 weeks Background Check: ~1 week Psychological Evaluation: Results available in ~1 week Insurance Review: ~1 week
Step 2. Match With Intended Parents: 0-2 Months
Once approved, your specialist presents prospective intended parents whose values and expectations align with yours. You hold full control during mutual matching; you review profiles, speak with intended parents during an initial call and choose whether the match feels right.
To understand how we vet prospective parents, learn how are intended parents screened prior to matching.
Step 3. Complete Medical Clearance: 1-2 Months
After establishing a match, you travel to the intended parents' fertility clinic for an evaluation. The reproductive endocrinologist performs lab work, a pelvic ultrasound and a saline-infused sonogram to confirm your uterine health. Once the clinic issues medical clearance, you can safely proceed to drafting your legal contract.
Step 4. Complete Your Gestational Carrier Agreement: 1-2 Months
Before taking fertility medications, you and the intended parents sign a gestational carrier agreement. You work with independent legal counsel—paid for entirely by intended parents—to negotiate compensation, medical decision-making rights, insurance terms and travel expectations.
To understand what this document protects, consult our complete guide to gestational carrier agreements.
Step 5. Complete the Embryo Transfer: 1-2 Months
With legal contracts signed, you begin a prescribed medication regimen to prepare your uterine lining. On transfer day, a physician performs a quick, minimally invasive procedure to transfer the embryo into your uterus.
You can read a detailed breakdown of the embryo transfer process to know what to expect on procedure day and during immediate post-transfer rest.
Step 6. Confirm Pregnancy and Begin Receiving Monthly Base Payments: 9 Months
About 10 to 14 days after transfer, a blood test confirms pregnancy. Once a fetal heartbeat is detected via ultrasound, your monthly base compensation payments begin in equal installments.
Your specialist remains available to assist with medical coordination, expense submission and emotional support through delivery and recovery.
How Long Does Surrogate Screening Take?
Agency and clinical screening typically takes between 1 and 3 months. You can actively shorten this timeline by requesting complete prenatal and delivery records from your previous OB/GYN immediately, scheduling your psychological evaluation promptly and completing background check authorization forms without delay.
Contact your medical providers to authorize sharing your medical records Upload your insurance card and policy booklet (if applicable) Submit IDs for all household members 18+ Send your profile materials to your specialist as soon as possibleTips to Keep Things Moving
How California Law Affects Your Surrogacy Agreement
California is one of the most legally favorable states for gestational surrogacy due to explicit statutory authorizations. Under Cal. Fam. Code § 7962, gestational carrier contracts are explicitly authorized, legally binding and fully enforceable when executed according to statutory guidelines. This statute requires that both parties be represented by separate independent legal counsel and that the agreement be executed prior to clinical medication administration, enabling attorneys to obtain pre-birth parentage orders in California superior courts.
Escrow and Compensation Requirements
Under California law, all surrogate compensation and reimbursable expenses must be deposited into an independent, licensed escrow account managed by a neutral trust company or attorney before you begin medical protocols. This statutory safeguard ensures your agreed-upon base compensation, monthly allowances and covered medical fees are funded in advance and paid automatically on time without risk of non-payment.
Independent Legal Representation
California law strictly mandates that the surrogate and the intended parents have independent legal representation distinct from each other's attorney. Intended parents cover all legal fees, allowing your attorney to negotiate terms, clarify health insurance responsibilities and safeguard your medical autonomy without financial burden.
Insurance Requirements
Because health insurance policies vary across commercial carriers in California, your agency team conducts an insurance review to verify whether your current health plan contains surrogacy exclusions. If your policy excludes gestational surrogacy, intended parents purchase a dedicated surrogacy medical insurance policy to protect you from out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Abortion and Medical Decision-Making
California explicitly protects personal privacy and reproductive choices under Article 1, Section 1.1 of the California Constitution. State courts recognize that a gestational carrier retains personal decision-making authority over her body and healthcare during pregnancy. Your gestational carrier agreement will clearly reflect these legal protections while incorporating medical decision-making protocols to protect your autonomy within legal limits.
How Much Do Surrogates Make in California?
First-time surrogates in California can earn $70,000 - $80,000+ in base compensation through American Surrogacy, while experienced repeat surrogates earn between $90,000 - $110,000+.
When factoring in milestone bonuses, signing incentives, housekeeping stipends, travel reimbursements and medical allowances, your overall compensation package ranges from $70,000 - $110,000+.
Your final compensation depends on key individual factors:
- Previous surrogacy experience and proven success as a gestational carrier
- Your current location and local cost of living in California
- Employment status and verified lost wage reimbursement rates
- Single versus multiple gestation pregnancies
All medical expenses, health insurance deductibles, legal fees and travel costs are paid separately by intended parents, ensuring you never pay out of pocket for your surrogacy process. You can also evaluate earnings using our compensation breakdown calculator with your specialist at the end of your initial consultation.
How American Surrogacy Screens Prospective Surrogates in California
American Surrogacy conducts rigorous pre-screening before matching you with an intended family:
- Comprehensive review of prenatal, delivery and hospital medical records by our clinical team
- Clinical psychological assessment by a licensed mental health professional
- Local, state and FBI background checks for you and adult household members
- In-clinic medical evaluations conducted by the intended parents' reproductive endocrinologist
This thorough screening process protects your physical health, confirms emotional readiness and reduces the risk of unexpected medical disqualifications after matching.
Why Become a Surrogate With American Surrogacy?
Choosing the right agency directly impacts your safety, control and overall financial compensation throughout pregnancy:
- Highest-Possible Compensation: Experience-based pay, negotiable compensation and an agency commitment to match higher qualifying agency offers.
- More Control and Stronger Protections: Mutual matching selection, independent legal counsel paid by intended parents and FBI-level background screening of intended families.
- Support That Stays With You: Accessible surrogacy professionals and professional support available around your personal schedule from application through postpartum recovery.
What If You Don’t Meet the Requirements to Become a Surrogate?
If you do not meet current eligibility requirements—such as currently nursing, working toward a qualifying BMI or recovering from a recent birth—you can often reapply once your circumstances change.
If you are permanently ineligible to carry, you can still assist intended parents through our surrogate referral program. Referring qualified friends or family members allows you to support family creation while earning generous referral bonuses.
Apply to Become a Surrogate in California
When you submit an initial application, an American Surrogacy specialist will review your history, answer your questions about California laws and outline your personalized compensation potential.
To learn more and get started, fill out our online application today.