Obtaining Certified Copies of ​​Death Certificates

**Notice Regarding Vital Record Fee Increase**

Effective January 1, 2022, the California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) will increase vital record fees for certified copies and amendments, pursuant to Assembly Bill (AB) 128 (Chapter 21, Statutes of 2021). Certified death records will be $23 per copy.

The California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) maintains a permanent, public record of every death that has occurred in California since July 1905.

Processing Times for Death Certificates

CDPH-VR's estimated processing times for certified copies of death certificates are listed below, which may occasionally increase as the volume of requests increases. The processing time begins when CDPH-VR receives your request. County Recorder Offices can sometimes process requests faster than CDPH-VR.

If death occurred:

1905 - 1993

1994 - Present

Requesting a Certified Copy

• Electronic Submission
• ​Mail-In Request

• County Clerk/Recorder*
  

• *Event Must have occurred in county selected