How to order a California death certificate
Who holds it: CDPH-Vital Records (since July 1905) and County Recorder of the county of death; local health dept for current and prior year1
On this page
Fee
$26 per certified copy at CDPH-VR (effective Jan. 1, 2026)2
Who may order
Authorized copy: same authorized-person list as birth plus funeral establishment agents and surviving next of kin (HSC 7100); others receive informational copies3
How to search and order
- How to order
- CDPH by mail (VS 112 + notarized sworn statement for authorized copy); in person at county office where death was registered1
Related records in California
- Birth certificates: who holds it
- CDPH-Vital Records (statewide, since July 1905) and the County Recorder of the county of birth; local health department registrar for current and prior year4
- Birth certificates: fee
- $31 per certified copy at CDPH-VR (effective Jan. 1, 2026); county fees may differ2
- Probate: who holds it
- Superior Court of the county where the estate is administered (probate division/clerk)5
- Older records: vital history
- State birth and death files begin July 1905; county recorders hold birth and death records for all years of events in their county6
Death certificates in California counties with a full guide
The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.
| County | Office | Search online | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | Clerk-Recorder's Office7 | — | $28.00 per copy8 |
| Butte County | Butte County Clerk-Recorder9 | — | $26 certified copy10 |
| Contra Costa County | Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder11 | — | Certified death certificate $30.00 (new fee; prior $28.00)12 |
| El Dorado County | El Dorado County Recorder-Clerk13 | — | — |
| Fresno County | Fresno County Recorder14 | — | $26.00 certified copy15 |
| Humboldt County | Clerk-Recorder16 | — | — |
| Imperial County | Imperial County Clerk-Recorder17 | — | Certified copy of a Death Certificate $26.0018 |
| Kern County | Recorder, Hall of Records19 | — | — |
| Kings County | Clerk/Recorder20 | — | — |
| Lake County | County Recorder21 | — | — |
| Los Angeles County | Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk - Birth, Death and Marriage Records Section22 | — | Authorized certified death record copy $2623 |
| Madera County | Madera County Clerk-Recorder, County Recorder division24 | — | $26.00 certified copy25 |
| Marin County | Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk: Recorder26 | — | $26.00 per copy (as of January 1, 2026)27 |
| Mendocino County | Mendocino County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder28 | — | $26.0029 |
| Merced County | Merced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records30 | — | $24 certified copy31 |
| Monterey County | Monterey County Recorder32 | — | $26 death record (from January 1, 2026)32 |
| Napa County | Napa County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk – Recorder / County Clerk33 | — | $24 per certified death certificate ()34 |
| Nevada County | Nevada County Clerk-Recorder (vital requests) or Nevada County Health Department Local Registrar35 | — | — |
| Orange County | Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department36 | — | $26.0037 |
| Placer County | Placer County Clerk-Recorder - Recorder's Office38 | — | — |
| Riverside County | Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder39 | — | $26.00 (fee effective 01/01/2026)40 |
| Sacramento County | County Clerk/Recorder41 | — | $26.00 per copy42 |
| San Bernardino County | Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk43 | — | $2644 |
| San Diego County | ARCC - Recorder/County Clerk45 | — | $2646 |
| San Francisco County | Office of the County Clerk47 | — | $26 (search of a death record, includes certified copy if found); DPH: $26 per copy48 |
| San Joaquin County | Office of the Recorder-County Clerk, Vital Records49 | — | $2650 |
| San Luis Obispo County | Clerk-Recorder issues certified death certificates for deaths in the county (Death Certificates service page)51 | — | — |
| San Mateo County | ACRE: County Clerk-Recorder Division52 | — | $26.0053 |
| Santa Barbara County | Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder54 | — | — |
| Santa Clara County | Office of the County Clerk-Recorder55 | — | $26 (from $24, effective January 1, 2026)56 |
| Santa Cruz County | Assessor-Recorder, Recorder's Office57 | — | $26.00 per certified copy or search58 |
| Shasta County | Shasta County Assessor-Recorder59 | — | $26 certified copy at the Recorder (effective January 1, 2026)60 |
| Solano County | Solano County Assessor/Recorder - Vital Records61 | — | $28.00 per certified copy62 |
| Sonoma County | Clerk-Recorder-Assessor Department: County Clerk Division63 | — | $26.00 per copy64 |
| Stanislaus County | Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder65 | — | $26 per copy66 |
| Sutter County | Sutter County Clerk-Recorder67 | — | — |
| Tulare County | Assessor/Clerk-Recorder: County Clerk's Office68 | — | — |
| Ventura County | County Clerk-Recorder, Vital Records69 | — | $2670 |
| Yolo County | Yolo County Clerk-Recorder71 | — | $26.00 per authorized or informational certified copy72 |
| Yuba County | Yuba County Clerk-Recorder73 | — | — |
For any other county, see the county list on the California guide.
Official copies vs look-alike sites
A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any California office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.
Rules in other states: death certificates in every state. Everything else in California: California public records guide.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Obtaining Certified Copies of Death CertificatesCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Vital Records FeesCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Authorized Copy vs. Informational CopyCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Public RecordsJudicial Council of Californiachecked November 4, 2026
- Obtaining Certified Copies of Birth CertificatesCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Vital Records PortalAlameda County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Birth CertificateAlameda County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Site MapButte County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Death CertificatesButte County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections (home)Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
- Contra Costa County Clerk Division Fee Schedule (Effective January 1, 2026) - positional extractContra Costa County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Recorder-ClerkEl Dorado County Recorder-Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Death CertificateCounty of Fresno - Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Death CertificatesCounty of Humboldt, Californiachecked November 4, 2026
- County Clerk-Recorder Department homeImperial County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Recorder Services fee schedule tabsImperial County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Birth, Marriage, or Death CertificatesKern County Assessor-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Birth/Death/Marriage Certificate RequestCounty of Kings, Californiaarchived copychecked November 7, 2026
- Listing of County Assessors, Auditors and Auditor-Controllers, Clerks of the Board, and Tax CollectorsCalifornia State Board of Equalizationchecked November 8, 2026
- Who Can Obtain a Copy of a Birth RecordLA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Death Record Mail RequestLA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 7, 2026
- Clerk-Recorder Schedule of Fees, effective January 1, 2026County of Maderachecked November 7, 2026
- Search Recorder's Official RecordsCounty of Marinchecked November 4, 2026
- Getting a Copy of a Death CertificateCounty of Marinchecked November 4, 2026
- RecorderCounty of Mendocinochecked November 7, 2026
- Birth, Death, or Marriage RecordsCounty of Mendocinochecked November 7, 2026
- Clerk-RecorderCounty of Mercedarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
- Copy FeesCounty of Mercedarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
- RecorderCounty of Montereychecked November 4, 2026
- Recorder - County ClerkCounty of Napaarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
- Birth, Death, & Marriage CertificatesCounty of Napaarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
- Clerk-RecorderNevada County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 7, 2026
- Orange County | Orange CountyCounty of Orangechecked November 4, 2026
- PDFOC Clerk-Recorder Departmentchecked November 4, 2026
- Clerk-RecorderPlacer County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Listing of County Assessors, Auditors and Auditor-Controllers, Clerks of the Board, and Tax CollectorsCalifornia State Board of Equalizationchecked November 4, 2026
- Birth, Death, and Marriage CertificatesRiverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Birth CertificatesSacramento County Clerk/Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Death CertificatesSacramento County Clerk/Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Listing of County Assessors, Auditors and Auditor-Controllers, Clerks of the Board, and Tax CollectorsCalifornia State Board of Equalizationchecked November 4, 2026
- Copies of Birth, Death & Marriage CertificatesSan Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Birth/Death/Marriage CertificateSan Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Recorder/County Clerk Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026)San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Office of the County ClerkCity and County of San Franciscochecked November 4, 2026
- Fees for County Clerk ServicesCity and County of San Franciscochecked November 4, 2026
- Vital Records | San Joaquin County Assessor-Recorder County Clerk | sjgov.orgCounty of San Joaquinchecked November 4, 2026
- Death Certificates | San Joaquin County Assessor-Recorder County Clerk | sjgov.orgCounty of San Joaquinchecked November 4, 2026
- Clerk-RecorderCounty of San Luis Obispo Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections - ACRESan Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections (ACRE)checked November 4, 2026
- Vital Records Fees | San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections - ACRESan Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections (ACRE)checked November 4, 2026
- Clerk-RecorderCounty of Santa Barbarachecked November 4, 2026
- County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Records searchCounty of Santa Clara, Office of the County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Santa Cruz County Recorder's OfficeCounty of Santa Cruz, Californiachecked November 4, 2026
- Recorder Fee Schedule 2026 (PDF)County of Santa Cruz, Californiachecked November 4, 2026
- RecorderCounty of Shastachecked November 4, 2026
- Recorder FeesCounty of Shastachecked November 4, 2026
- Recorder DivisionSolano County Assessor/Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Birth, Death & Marriage Records (Vital Records)Solano County Assessor/Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Clerk-RecorderCounty of Sonomachecked November 4, 2026
- Death Certificates (Clerk-Recorder)County of Sonomachecked November 4, 2026
- Stanislaus County home pageStanislaus Countychecked November 4, 2026
- Death CertificateStanislaus County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Sutter County homeSutter County, Californiachecked November 7, 2026
- Clerk-RecorderCounty of Tularechecked November 4, 2026
- Vital Records: Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates | Ventura County Clerk and RecorderVentura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voterschecked November 4, 2026
- County Recorder | Ventura County Clerk and Recorder / Registrar of VotersVentura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voterschecked November 4, 2026
- Birth / Death / Marriage CertificatesYolo County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- Vital Certificate FeesYolo County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
- County Clerk-RecorderYuba County Clerk-Recorderchecked November 7, 2026