Find Death Records in Santa Ana

Death records for Santa Ana are not kept by the city. Orange County maintains all vital records for Santa Ana and other cities in the county. California law puts this responsibility at the county level. To get a death certificate for someone who died in Santa Ana, contact the Orange County Clerk-Recorder or the Orange County Health Care Agency Office of Vital Records. The clerk-recorder office is conveniently located right in Santa Ana at 12 Civic Center Plaza. You can walk in during business hours, order online through VitalChek, or send a mail request.

Orange County Clerk-Recorder Office

Orange County maintains all death records for Santa Ana. The main clerk-recorder office is in Santa Ana, making it very convenient for residents.

The office address is 12 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Walk in service is available during these hours. Bring a valid photo ID and payment when you visit. The office is in the county civic center area with parking available.

Orange County also operates a health department vital records office. The Orange County Health Care Agency Office of Vital Records handles recent deaths from the current year and previous year or two. They work directly with hospitals, funeral homes, and medical examiners. The clerk-recorder handles all historical records and also has copies of recent records. Check the Orange County vital records page for information on which office to contact based on when the death occurred.

Both offices can issue death certificates for deaths anywhere in Orange County. This includes Santa Ana and all other county cities. Staff can search records and answer questions about availability and processing times.

Ways to Order Death Certificates

Orange County accepts walk in, online, and mail requests. Choose the option that works best for you.

Walk in to 12 Civic Center Plaza in Santa Ana with your ID and payment. The fee is $26 per copy. County staff can often print your certificate while you wait if the record is digitized and readily available. Very old records may take a few days if staff need to retrieve archived microfilm or paper files. Pay with cash, check, money order, or credit card.

Online ordering runs through VitalChek for Orange County. This third party vendor operates a website where you can request death certificates any time of day or night. You enter details about the deceased, select how many copies you need, and pay by credit or debit card. VitalChek charges the $26 county fee plus their service fees for processing, payment handling, and shipping. Total cost runs higher than ordering direct, but the convenience may be worth it for some people. Processing and delivery take several weeks.

Mail requests require filling out an application form. Download the form from the Orange County website or call to request one by mail. Complete every section with accurate information. Include a check or money order for $26 per copy payable to Orange County Clerk-Recorder. Mail your packet to 12 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Processing takes a few weeks depending on current workload at the county office. Your certificate will be mailed to the address you provide on the application.

Since the clerk-recorder office is right in Santa Ana, walk in service is very convenient for Santa Ana residents. You can stop by, request your certificate, and often get it the same day for recent digitized records. This saves the fees and delays of online ordering.

Death Certificate Costs and Eligibility

Orange County charges $26 for each death certificate. This matches the standard fee across most California counties.

California law creates two types of death certificates. Authorized copies have full legal standing and can be used for any purpose. Informational copies carry a stamp that says they are not valid for establishing identity. Both types cost the same $26 per copy.

To get an authorized copy, you must be an eligible person under Health and Safety Code Section 103526. Eligible people include spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild of the deceased. You must provide a notarized sworn statement declaring under penalty of perjury that you are authorized to receive the record. A notary public must witness your signature and apply their seal to the statement.

Anyone can request an informational copy without proving relationship or getting a notary. Informational copies work fine for genealogy, family history, and personal records. They do not work for legal purposes like settling estates, claiming life insurance benefits, transferring property, or other official matters. Those situations require authorized copies.

VitalChek adds their own fees on top of the $26 county charge. Total cost through VitalChek typically ranges from $40 to $55 per certificate or more depending on delivery speed and payment method you choose. Walk in and mail orders cost exactly $26 with no added fees. The savings from avoiding VitalChek fees can be significant if you need multiple copies.

When to Order After a Death

Death records take about two weeks to become available after someone dies. Do not try to order right away.

The death certificate must go through several steps before the county can issue copies. The funeral home or crematory completes their portion. The doctor or medical examiner certifies the cause of death. All paperwork gets submitted to the county. Staff review it for completeness and accuracy. They enter the record into the database. Only after all these steps can you order a certified copy.

Call the Orange County office if you are unsure whether a recent death record is ready. Staff can search their system and tell you if the record exists. Ordering too soon results in a no record found response. The county keeps your search fee even when they cannot find a record because it has not been filed yet. Waiting the full two weeks saves you from this wasted expense.

Older Santa Ana Death Records

Orange County maintains death records for Santa Ana going back many decades. The clerk-recorder office serves as custodian of historical vital records.

Very old death certificates may not be in the computer system. Staff must retrieve microfilm or original paper records from storage. This takes longer than accessing a digitized record. Deaths from recent decades usually process quickly. Deaths from before the 1980s or earlier may require extra time for retrieval and copying.

For deaths before July 1905, Orange County is your only source. The California state office in Sacramento does not maintain records from before that date. The California State Archives may have some pre-1905 Orange County records available for research purposes, but they cannot issue certified copies. Only the county clerk-recorder can certify historical death records.

Genealogy websites like Ancestry and FamilySearch have digitized many old Santa Ana death records. These are useful for family tree research and learning about ancestors. They are not certified and cannot be used for legal matters. If you need an official certified copy of an old death record, you must order it from Orange County.

What Information You Need

Gather these details before you request a death certificate:

• Full legal name of person who died
• Date of death or approximate year
• City where death occurred (Santa Ana or other Orange County location)
• Your name and relationship to deceased
• Mailing address where certificate should be sent

Complete and accurate information helps county staff locate the correct record quickly. Exact dates work best. If you only know the year or a range of years, provide that. The county can search within a time period. Wrong information can lead to a failed search and wasted search fee.

If the deceased had a common name like Jose Garcia or Maria Rodriguez, include additional identifying details like parents' names or spouse's name on your application. This helps staff confirm they have the right record when multiple people share similar names and death dates.

Ordering from State Office

The California Department of Public Health in Sacramento maintains copies of all death records from July 1905 forward. You can order Santa Ana death certificates from them instead of Orange County.

The state office is significantly slower than the county. Their average processing time is five to seven weeks according to the state vital records processing times page. Orange County typically processes requests in a few weeks or same day for walk in service on digitized records.

State fees are $24 by mail or $26 through VitalChek. Orange County charges $26 for walk in and mail orders. VitalChek adds service fees whether you order through the state or county. The county is usually faster and costs about the same. Since the Orange County office is right in Santa Ana, it makes more sense for Santa Ana residents to use the county office. Walk in and get your certificate the same day instead of waiting weeks for the state to process it.

To order from the state, mail your completed application to California Department of Public Health, Vital Records, MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. Use state form VS 112 available on the state website.

Other Cities in Orange County

Orange County includes dozens of cities. All of them use the same clerk-recorder and health office for death records. The main clerk-recorder office is in Santa Ana.

Major cities: Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach

Additional cities include Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Garden Grove, Westminster, Orange, Tustin, Lake Forest, Brea, Yorba Linda, La Habra, Placentia, and many more. Contact Orange County for death certificates from any city in the county.

Death Records from Nearby Counties

If a death occurred outside Orange County, you need to contact the appropriate county office. Each county maintains separate vital records.

Cities in nearby counties: Los Angeles (Los Angeles County), Riverside (Riverside County), San Diego (San Diego County)