Obtaining Certified Copies of Death Certificates
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 | Electronic Submission | 4 to 4.5 Weeks |
| Mail-In Request | 5 to 5.5 Weeks |
1994 – Present | Electronic Submission | 2.5 to 3 Weeks |
| Mail-In Request | 3.5 to 4 Weeks |
Requesting a Certified Copy