The Surrogacy Journey in San Francisco, California

Your Guide to Finding or Becoming a Surrogate in San Francisco and Throughout the Bay Area

Embarking on a surrogacy journey in San Francisco is a deeply personal and meaningful decision. Whether you're a hopeful parent ready to grow your family or a local San Francisco woman considering becoming a surrogate, GSHC is here to help guide you every step of the way. We proudly support intended parents and surrogates across the Golden Gate City with expert legal guidance, compassionate care, and a dedicated team by your side. With years of experience and deep knowledge of California surrogacy law, GSHC is a trusted partner in one of life’s most important journeys.

Let's explore what you need to know about surrogacy in San Francisco, including how the process works, what California law requires, and why so many families and surrogates choose GSHC to kickstart their journey.

Who Becomes a Surrogate?

Surrogacy is a deeply meaningful and life-changing experience, and the reasons behind choosing to become one are as unique as each woman. Many women in San Francisco choose to become surrogates for a variety of reasons, including:

  • The desire to help loving intended parents build a family
  • To improve their own family’s financial future
  • To experience the joy of pregnancy again for a compassionate cause

To qualify as a surrogate in San Francisco, you must be between 21 and 38 years old, have had at least one successful pregnancy and birth, be a U.S. citizen, and have a BMI between 18 and 34.

As a surrogate, you'll become a vital part of someone’s life for at least a year, supporting them through doctor visits, treatments, the pregnancy journey, delivery, and beyond. That’s why having GSHC right here in your backyard makes all the difference. We’re more than just an agency; we’re your support system, your advocates, and your guides every step of the way.

Who Uses a Surrogate?

Surrogacy opens the door to parenthood for so many people who once thought it might be out of reach. Intended parents come from all walks of life, but they share one powerful dream: to create or grow their own family.

Many intended parents include:

  • Couples who face fertility challenges or medical conditions that make pregnancy risky
  • LGBTQ+ individuals and same-sex couples who are ready to welcome a child into their loving homes
  • Single individuals who know they’re meant to be parents and are ready to make it happen on their own terms

If you're looking for a surrogate in San Francisco, GSHC will work closely with you to find someone who aligns with your values, preferences, and personality.

Become a Surrogate in San Francisco, CA

GSHC is proud to support surrogates across California, including San Francisco, through every step of the surrogacy journey. California has some of the most comprehensive and surrogacy-friendly laws in the country, allowing for different types of legal surrogacy:

  • Gestational surrogacy: The surrogate carries a baby conceived using the intended parents' or donors' egg and sperm. The surrogate is not biologically related to the child.
  • Traditional surrogacy: The surrogate uses her own egg, which is fertilized with sperm from the intended father or a donor, making her the biological mother. While traditional surrogacy is technically legal, it is no longer practiced due to the legal and emotional complexities involved.
  • Altruistic surrogacy: This option, often chosen when helping a close friend or family member, involves no financial compensation beyond reimbursement for reasonable expenses.

Once you have decided that surrogacy is the right choice for you, here’s what the process to become a surrogate typically involves:

Here's what the process to become a surrogate typically involves:

  1. Initial Screening & Qualifications: When you work with an agency like GSHC, we will begin with a simple application and screening process, ensuring you meet the necessary criteria.
  2. Medical & Psychological Evaluation: Next, you'll undergo a full physical and psychological assessment to ensure you're ready for the impending journey. These aren’t meant to be obstacles; they’re safety nets, designed to protect your well-being and support you every step of the way.
  3. Matching With Intended Parents: After you're approved, you’ll be matched with intended parents who share your values and vision for the surrogacy journey. You’ll have the chance to meet, ask questions, and make sure it feels like the right fit for everyone involved.
  4. Legal Contracts & Protections: In 2013, California strengthened its surrogacy laws with comprehensive legislation that established clear legal guidelines for surrogacy arrangements. Under these laws, all parties must have separate legal counsel, and a detailed legal agreement must be drafted, signed, and notarized before any medical procedures begin. This ensures that everyone understands their rights, responsibilities, and expectations from the very beginning, protecting both the intended parents and the surrogate and creating a solid foundation for the journey ahead.
  5. Begin the Medical Surrogacy Process: Once there’s a confirmed pregnancy, everything becomes a little more real and a lot more rewarding. From that point on, you’ll receive regular prenatal care, emotional check-ins, and compensation according to your surrogacy agreement.

Once there’s a confirmed pregnancy, everything becomes a little more real and a lot more rewarding. From that point on, you’ll receive regular prenatal care, emotional check-ins, and compensation according to your surrogacy agreement.

Delivery Hospitals for Surrogates in the San Francisco Area

Fertility Clinics for IVF & Surrogacy Monitoring in the San Francisco Area

At every step, GSHC offers expert guidance, legal protection, and the compassionate support of a local team deeply familiar with the surrogacy process. We're proud to partner with women in San Francisco, CA, making a powerful difference, one family at a time.

Surrogate Compensation in San Francisco, CA: How Much Are Surrogates Paid?

Surrogate compensation in San Francisco through GSHC is both generous and competitive, making this area ideal for women considering surrogacy.

  • First-time surrogates typically receive a base compensation of $60,000 to $65,000, plus additional allowances for embryo transfer, medication start, heartbeat confirmation, maternity clothing, and more — ranging from $8,000 to $15,000.
  • Estimated total: $70,000 to $80,000
  • Experienced Surrogates can earn $90,000 to $100,000, and our GSHC VIP Surrogates may earn over $100,000.

Additionally, altruistic surrogacy is also legal in California. This option, often chosen when helping a close friend or family member, does not involve financial compensation beyond reimbursement for reasonable expenses.

Learn More About Surrogate Compensation and Pay

Become a Surrogate in San Francisco

Do you live in San Francisco or anywhere else in California? Do you dream of helping someone grow their family? The path of surrogacy may be your calling. Connect today with GSHC and answer the call to become a surrogate.

Apply Today!

Find a Surrogate in San Francisco, CA

California’s progressive values, strong legal protections, and world-class fertility care make it an ideal place for surrogacy. What truly sets it apart is its heartfelt celebration of family in all its forms.

Finding the right surrogate in San Francisco, CA is a thoughtful, collaborative process that includes:

  • Initial Consultation: Meet with our experienced professionals to learn about the process and discuss your goals.
  • Surrogate Screening: Each potential surrogate undergoes medical, psychological, and lifestyle evaluations to ensure readiness.
  • Matching Process: Review profiles and choose a surrogate whose values, personality, and expectations align with yours.
  • Introduction Meeting: Meet your match to build trust, respect, and open communication, all of which are essential for a positive experience.

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in San Francisco?

Intended parents in San Francisco can expect the total cost of a surrogacy journey to range from $100,000 to $200,000. This figure includes both fixed and variable expenses, such as:

  • Base surrogate compensation
  • Medical expenses
  • Travel and transportation
  • Agency fees
  • Legal fees

IVF typically costs, on average, between $30,000 and $50,000 per cycle, depending on medications, medical needs, and other factors. However, starting in January 2026, California will require health insurance plans to cover infertility and surrogacy-related expenses, and GSHC will be here to help you navigate these changes and understand what’s covered under your plan.

While the overall cost of surrogacy may feel overwhelming at first, many families manage expenses through a combination of employer fertility benefits, grants, personal savings, and financing options. At GSHC, we know how important it is to understand costs upfront. We'll work with you to create a detailed breakdown of expected expenses and provide expert guidance so you can fulfill your path to parenthood.

How to Find a Surrogate in San Francisco

While it's possible to pursue an independent surrogacy journey in California, many intended parents in San Francisco choose to work with GSHC to help navigate the complexities of the process with confidence and clarity. Partnering with an experienced agency can greatly reduce the stress, confusion, and uncertainty that often come with going it alone.

When you work with GSHC, you gain a dedicated advocate who will:

  • Guide you through every stage of the process, from initial consultation to post-birth support
  • Carefully screen and match you with a surrogate who aligns with your values, preferences, and family goals
  • Connect you with essential professionals, including fertility clinics, reproductive attorneys, and medical providers
  • Offer ongoing support throughout the pregnancy, especially in the event of medical or emotional challenges

Because the relationship between a surrogate and intended parents can be lifelong, a surrogacy agency can also help nurture and support that bond, whether you wish to maintain ongoing contact or define clear boundaries after the birth. With compassionate, experienced guidance, your surrogacy journey in California can be as smooth and meaningful as possible.

Using an Egg Donor and Surrogate in San Francisco, CA

California law permits gestational surrogacy, with no statutes prohibiting the use of any donors. When a valid surrogacy contract is in place, egg donors have no legal parental rights to any children conceived with their eggs.

LGBTQ+ Surrogacy in San Francisco, CA

California is one of the country’s most surrogacy-friendly states, allowing for LGBTQ+ and same-sex individuals and couples to pursue this path to parenthood and be legally protected.

Surrogacy Laws in California

California is a surrogacy-friendly state with one of the safest family-building processes in the country. Under California Family Law Sections 7960–7962, gestational surrogacy is legally protected and recognized throughout the state. While traditional surrogacy is not explicitly regulated, it is not prohibited, making it a legally permissible path to parenthood as well.

Surrogacy contracts are not only required — they are legally enforceable. These agreements must be completed before any medical procedures begin, and must be in writing, clearly outline compensation, and address key topics such as termination and selective reduction. Because embryos are not legally considered persons under California law, pre-birth parentage orders are essential. They ensure that intended parents are recognized as the legal parents from the moment of birth and are listed on the child’s birth certificate.

This legal clarity provides confidence and peace of mind for everyone involved.

Find a Surrogate in San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the best places in the U.S. to find a surrogate, and GSHC is here to guide you every step of the way. Connect with us and let us help you find your ideal surrogate match.

Find a Surrogate!

The GSHC Surrogacy Process in California

GC Step 1. Application & Screening
The surrogacy process begins with an application. Each candidate then completes a comprehensive screening to confirm she meets the health, lifestyle, and readiness standards required to move forward.
IP Step 1. Initial Consultation
Intended parents start with an in-depth consultation to talk through their goals, ask questions, and receive a personalized overview of how the surrogacy journey will unfold.
GC Step 2. Profile Creation
Once approved, surrogates prepare a detailed profile that highlights their background, values, and reasons for pursuing surrogacy — information that helps intended parents connect with the right match.
IP Step 2. Seeking a Surrogate
The agency reviews available surrogate profiles alongside the intended parents’ criteria, carefully considering personality, lifestyle, and expectations to identify potential matches.
Step 3. Making a Match
After reviewing profiles, intended parents choose which candidates they’d like to move forward with. The agency then arranges introductions — often face-to-face or virtual meetings — so everyone can get acquainted and confirm compatibility.
Step 4. Legal Contracts
When both sides agree to move ahead, attorneys draft a legal agreement that spells out responsibilities, expectations, and protections for all parties. Each side is represented by independent counsel to review the terms and ensure full understanding before signing.
Step. 5 Medical Procedures
With contracts finalized, the surrogate begins the medical stage. This typically involves fertility medications to prepare the uterus, followed by an embryo transfer procedure performed at a fertility clinic.
Step 6. Prenatal Care
After a successful pregnancy is confirmed, the surrogate transitions into ongoing prenatal care. The fertility clinic team and her chosen OB/GYN provide regular monitoring, while intended parents are often welcome to attend appointments and share in the journey.
Step 7. Birth
When it’s time for delivery, intended parents are usually present to welcome their baby into the world. Hospital staff coordinate with the agency and attorneys to ensure the birth plan and legal requirements are honored.
Step 8. Parental Rights & Post-Delivery Support
Immediately after delivery, legal steps are finalized to secure the intended parents’ rights. The surrogate receives postpartum care and ongoing emotional support as she recovers and reflects on the experience.
Step 9. An Exciting New Chapter
The journey culminates in a life-changing moment as the intended parents bring their baby home and begin their new chapter as a family.

Surrogacy in California FAQ

  • Yes, courts routinely enforce surrogacy contracts and issue pre‑birth parentage orders, even for same‑sex and unmarried gestational carriers in California.

  • Yes, LGBTQ+ and same-sex parents pursuing surrogacy are protected by law, with California known for being a surrogacy-friendly, inclusive state.

  • In California, both the surrogate and intended parents must be represented by separate legal counsel when entering a surrogacy agreement.

  • No, intended parents cover all medical expenses related to the surrogacy process, including prenatal care and delivery costs.

  • No, you can pursue surrogacy as a path to parenthood, regardless of marital status.

  • Surrogates receive comprehensive support, including medical care, psychological counseling, legal assistance, and guidance from their surrogacy agency.

Why GSHC: About Our Surrogacy Agency

Surrogates in San Francisco choose GSHC because we offer more than just a process. We build real partnerships based on trust, experience, and genuine support. Our legal team ensures your rights are protected from beginning to end, and we offer some of the most competitive surrogate compensation in the state. Your time, energy, and commitment matter, and we make sure you feel valued every step of the way.

With strong relationships at leading clinics and hospitals throughout San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and the Bay Area, GSHC stands by your side with expert guidance, empathy, and unwavering support.

Instead of navigating this journey alone, let GSHC guide you and manage every detail. Apply now!

Start your surrogacy journey with us.

Apply Now

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