Access Death Records in Sacramento

Sacramento death records are handled by Sacramento County, not by the city. California assigns vital records duties to county governments. Cities have no authority to issue death certificates. If someone died in Sacramento or elsewhere in Sacramento County, you need to contact the county office. Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder maintains all death records for the county at their office at 600 8th Street. You can order certificates in person during business hours, online through Permitium or VitalChek, or by mail with the required forms and payment.

Sacramento County Issues Death Certificates

All California cities rely on county offices for vital records. Sacramento is no different.

For Sacramento death records, contact Sacramento County. The office is Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder, located at 600 8th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. This is where you go for death certificates. The county office maintains records for Sacramento and other cities in the county.

Sacramento County keeps death records dating back over a century. The clerk office has certificates for all deaths within county boundaries. This includes the city of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Citrus Heights, and smaller cities. Staff can search the database and provide certified copies. Recent death certificates usually print the same day for walk in requests. Older records may take longer if staff need to retrieve them from archives.

The fee is $26 per death certificate. This is the standard California rate set by state law. Payment methods at the office include cash, check, money order, and credit card. Online orders accept credit cards and debit cards but may have additional service fees depending on which system you use.

Ways to Request Death Certificates

Three methods are available. Walk in. Order online. Send by mail.

Walk in service is at 600 8th Street in downtown Sacramento. Bring a valid photo ID and payment. Fill out the application at the counter or bring a completed form. Staff will process your request. Most recent death certificates can be printed while you wait. Very old records may require a few days for staff to pull from archives. Walk in is the fastest option if you need the certificate right away.

Online ordering works through two systems. The Clerk-Recorder office uses Permitium for some orders. Sacramento County Health Department also uses Permitium at sacramentocavitals.permitium.com/rod. VitalChek processes Sacramento County death certificates too. All systems charge the $26 county fee plus service fees. Total cost runs $35 to $50 depending on which system and shipping speed you choose. Processing takes two to four weeks for online orders.

Mail requests go to the Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder at the 8th Street address. Download the death certificate application from the county death certificates page. Fill it out completely and mail it with payment by check or money order. Do not send cash through the mail. Processing time for mail orders is about three weeks from when the county receives your request. Include a self addressed stamped envelope if you want.

Who Can Get Authorized Copies

California law divides death certificates into two types. Authorized copies have full legal validity. Informational copies are for research only.

To get an authorized copy, you must be a close family member. Health and Safety Code Section 103526 defines who qualifies. This includes spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the deceased. You must sign a sworn statement under penalty of perjury declaring your relationship. The statement must be notarized by a notary public before you submit it to the county. Authorized copies can be used for legal purposes like settling estates, claiming life insurance, or transferring property titles.

Informational copies are available to anyone without proof of relationship. No notarized statement is needed. Just fill out the application and pay the fee. Informational copies have a watermark across them stating they cannot be used to establish identity. They work fine for genealogy or family history research. The cost is the same $26 as authorized copies. Most people who are not immediate family request informational copies.

Funeral directors, attorneys, and government agencies may have exemptions from the notary requirement. If you work in one of these fields, check with the county office about whether you qualify for the exemption under state law.

When Records Become Available

Do not try to order right after a death. Records take time to file.

Death certificates become available about two weeks after the date of death. The funeral home or medical examiner files the certificate with the county. County staff review it for completeness and accuracy, then enter it into the computer system. This process takes time. Ordering too early will result in a no record found response.

Call the county office to verify the record is ready before you visit or mail a request. The phone number is on the Sacramento County website. Have the full name of the deceased and the date of death when you call. Staff can check their database. The search fee is kept even if the record is not found, so confirming availability first saves money.

If you urgently need proof of death before the certificate is ready, ask the funeral home. Many funeral directors can provide a temporary notice of death letter. This is not an official death certificate but may satisfy immediate needs like notifying banks or insurance companies.

Old Sacramento Death Records

Sacramento County has death records going back to the 1800s. Very old records can still be ordered.

For deaths before July 1905, the county is your only source. The California Department of Public Health only maintains statewide records from July 1905 forward. Pre-1905 records were never sent to the state. You must contact Sacramento County for any death that occurred before that date.

Some Sacramento death records have been digitized and are on genealogy websites. FamilySearch, Ancestry, and similar sites have California vital records available for research. These online images are useful for family history but are not certified copies. If you need an official death certificate for legal use, you must order from the county no matter how old the record is.

Very old records may take several days or weeks to retrieve. County staff may need to search microfilm or paper archives. Be patient when requesting pre-1960 death certificates. The clerk office will mail the certificate when they locate it.

Details You Need to Provide

Have this information ready when you order:

• Full legal name of deceased person
• Date of death or approximate year if unknown
• Place of death in Sacramento County
• Your name and current mailing address
• Your relationship to the deceased

More accurate information helps county staff find the record faster. If you do not know the exact date, give them the year or a range of years. The county will search their index. Providing the hospital name or neighborhood can help narrow the search in a large city like Sacramento.

Make sure the death occurred in Sacramento County before you order. If the person died in another county, contact that county office instead. The search fee is not refunded even if the record is not found.

Ordering from State Office

You can order from the state instead of the county. California Department of Public Health has copies of all death records from July 1905 onward.

The state office takes much longer. Their processing times average five to seven weeks. Sacramento County processes most requests within two to three weeks by mail or same day for walk in. The county is faster.

State fees are $24 by mail or $26 through VitalChek. Sacramento County charges $26. VitalChek adds service fees that increase total cost to $40 or more. The county is cheaper and faster for Sacramento death records. Use the state only if you cannot access the county office.

Other Cities in Sacramento County

Sacramento County includes many cities. All use the same county office for death records.

Cities with pages: Elk Grove

Other cities in the county include Folsom, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Galt, Isleton, and unincorporated areas. For death records from any Sacramento County city, contact Sacramento County. The office handles all locations within county boundaries.

Nearby Cities in Other Counties

Cities near Sacramento may be in different counties. Each county handles its own vital records.

Nearby: Roseville (Placer County), Stockton (San Joaquin County), Davis (Yolo County)