Los Angeles Death Records

Death records for Los Angeles are handled by Los Angeles County, not by the city itself. If you need a death certificate for someone who died in Los Angeles, you must contact the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. The county keeps all death records for Los Angeles and other cities in the county. Their main office is in Norwalk, with service centers across the county to help residents. You can search for death certificates online, visit an office in person, or order by mail.

Which Office Handles Los Angeles Death Records

California cities do not keep vital records. All death certificates come from county offices.

For Los Angeles, you need to go through Los Angeles County. The county office is the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. They have the main office in Norwalk at 12400 Imperial Highway. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Los Angeles County also runs service centers in other parts of the county. These centers can help you with vital records. Check the county website to find the location nearest you. All locations can process death certificate requests for deaths anywhere in Los Angeles County.

How to Get a Death Certificate in Los Angeles

You have three ways to order. Walk in to a county office. Order online through the county website. Send a request by mail.

Walk in service works best if you need the certificate right away. The county can print recent death certificates while you wait at most service centers. Bring a valid photo ID and cash or a credit card for payment. The fee is $23 per copy in Los Angeles County. If you want an authorized copy, you must prove your relationship to the person who died. An informational copy is available to anyone without proof of relationship.

Online ordering is handled through the Los Angeles County online application portal. You fill out the form, pay by credit card, and the certificate gets mailed to you. Processing takes a few weeks. The online system is open any time of day or night. This option saves you a trip to the office but takes longer than walk in service.

Mail requests go to the Norwalk main office. Download the death record application form from the county website. Fill it out and mail it with payment to the address on the form. Include a self addressed stamped envelope if you want. Mail processing can take four to six weeks from when they receive your request.

Death Certificate Costs and Rules

Los Angeles County charges $23 for each death certificate. This is less than most California counties. The state average is $26 per copy.

California law sets who can get an authorized death certificate. You must be a close family member under Health and Safety Code Section 103526. That includes spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild. You need to sign a notarized sworn statement to get an authorized copy. This type of certificate works for legal use like settling estates or claiming benefits.

Anyone can order an informational copy without a notarized statement. Informational copies have a stamp across them that says they cannot be used to establish identity. These work fine for family history research. The cost is the same as an authorized copy.

How Soon After Death Can You Order

Death records take about two weeks to become available after the death occurs. The county needs time to process and file the record. Do not try to order right away.

Call the county office if you are not sure whether the record is ready. Staff can check their system. The phone number for Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder is on the county records request page. Have the full name of the person and the date of death when you call.

If you need proof of death before the certificate is ready, a funeral home can sometimes provide a temporary document. This is not an official death certificate but may work for some immediate needs like closing bank accounts.

Old Death Records in Los Angeles

Los Angeles County has death records going back many decades. The exact start date varies. Very old records may take longer to find and copy.

For deaths before 1905, contact the county directly. The state office in Sacramento only has records from July 1905 forward. The California State Archives may have some pre-1905 Los Angeles County death records available for research.

Many old Los Angeles death records have been digitized and are on FamilySearch, Ancestry, and other genealogy websites. These are informational copies only. They cannot be certified. If you need a certified copy of an old record, you must order through the county.

Information You Need to Order

Have these details ready when you request a death certificate:

• Full name of the person who died
• Date of death or approximate year
• Place of death in Los Angeles County
• Your name and relationship to the person
• Your current mailing address

The more facts you can provide, the easier it is for county staff to locate the record. If you do not know the exact date, give them the year or a range of years. The county will search their files. The search fee is kept whether they find the record or not.

Can You Order from the State Instead

Yes. The California Department of Public Health has copies of all death records from July 1905 to now. You can order from them by mail or through VitalChek online.

The state office takes much longer than the county. Average processing time is five to seven weeks according to the state vital records processing times page. Los Angeles County processes requests in a few weeks or same day for walk in service. Most people get faster results by going through the county.

The state charges $24 by mail or $26 through VitalChek. VitalChek adds extra service fees on top of that. Los Angeles County charges $23 with no extra fees for online orders. The county is both faster and cheaper for Los Angeles death records.

Other Cities in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County includes dozens of cities. All use the same county office for death records.

Major cities with pages: Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Glendale

Other cities in Los Angeles County include Pasadena, Torrance, Inglewood, Burbank, Compton, Lancaster, Palmdale, Pomona, El Monte, Downey, and many more. Contact Los Angeles County for death records from any city in the county.

Death Records for Nearby Cities

If the death took place outside Los Angeles County, you need to contact the county where it occurred.

Cities in other counties: Anaheim (Orange County), Ontario (San Bernardino County), Oxnard (Ventura County)