Search El Dorado County Death Records

El Dorado County maintains death records through the Recorder-Clerk's Office with locations in Placerville and South Lake Tahoe. You can search for death certificates for anyone who died in the county. The office offers online ordering through VitalChek and accepts walk in requests at both offices. Each certified copy costs $26. Staff can help you locate records from recent deaths or older files dating back many decades. Processing times are quick for in person orders and take a few weeks for online or mail requests. Both offices serve the public during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

El Dorado County Recorder-Clerk Office

The Recorder-Clerk operates two offices in El Dorado County. The main office is in Placerville. A second office serves the South Lake Tahoe area. Both locations handle death certificate requests.

Walk in service is available at either office during business hours. You fill out a request form, show your ID, and pay the fee. Staff can look up the record and print a certified copy for you. Most recent records are available right away. Older records may take a bit longer if they need to be retrieved from storage.

The Placerville office is at the County Government Center. The South Lake Tahoe office serves residents on the eastern side of the county near the lake. Pick whichever location is closer to you. Both have the same records and charge the same fees.

Check the official death certificates page for office hours and contact information.

The county keeps records for all deaths that occurred within El Dorado County borders. This includes deaths in cities, unincorporated areas, and even remote mountain locations. If the death certificate lists El Dorado County as the place of death, this office has the record.

Order Death Certificates Online

El Dorado County uses VitalChek for online death certificate orders. VitalChek is a private company that runs online ordering systems for many California counties.

Go to www.vitalchek.com and select California, then El Dorado County. The site walks you through the steps. You enter the name of the person who died, the date of death, and your information. VitalChek searches the county database. If they find a match, you pay with a credit card and your order goes to the county.

VitalChek adds service fees on top of the county fee. The total cost is usually $35 to $45 per copy depending on shipping speed and payment method. These extra fees go to VitalChek, not the county. If you want to avoid the extra cost, order by mail or in person instead.

Online orders take about two to three weeks to arrive. The county makes the certified copy and mails it to you. VitalChek is open every day around the clock, but the county processes orders during regular business hours.

Death Certificate Fees

Each certified death certificate costs $26.00 in El Dorado County. This is the standard California state fee.

The fee applies whether you order in person, by mail, or online. When you use VitalChek, you also pay their service fees which add another $10 to $20 or more per order. In person and mail orders have no extra fees beyond the $26.

The county accepts cash, checks, and money orders. Make checks payable to El Dorado County Recorder-Clerk. Online orders through VitalChek require a credit card or debit card.

If you order multiple copies at the same time, you pay $26 for each copy. There is no discount for ordering more than one. The county keeps the search fee even if they cannot find the record you asked for.

Processing Time Information

How long it takes to get your death certificate depends on your ordering method. In person is fastest. Online and mail take longer.

Walk in orders at the Placerville or South Lake Tahoe office can often be completed while you wait. Recent records print quickly. Older records might take 30 minutes to an hour if staff needs to pull them from the archives. Very old records could require you to come back the next day. Call ahead to ask about wait times.

Online orders through VitalChek take two to three weeks on average. The county receives your request electronically, locates the record, makes the certified copy, and mails it. Delivery adds a few more days. Total time is usually three weeks from when you order to when the certificate arrives at your address.

Mail requests take about the same time as online orders. You send a written request with payment to the county. They process it and mail the certificate back. Expect three to four weeks total.

According to the California death records request page, new death records become available about two weeks after the date of death. Do not try to order right away. Wait at least two weeks for the county to file the record.

Information Needed to Order

Gather these details before you place your order:

• Full name of the deceased
• Date of death or range of dates
• City or area in El Dorado County where death occurred
• Your relationship to the deceased
• Your current name and address
• Type of copy needed (authorized or informational)

The more information you provide, the easier it is for the county to find the right record. Exact dates help a lot. If you only know the year, give that along with any other details like the person's age or place of residence. The county will search based on what you give them.

For an authorized copy, you need to prove you are allowed to get one. This usually means being a close family member. You also need to provide a notarized sworn statement. For an informational copy, anyone can order without the notarized statement. Both types cost the same.

Who Can Get a Death Certificate

California law controls who can receive an authorized death certificate. The statute is Health and Safety Code Section 103526. Authorized copies can be used for legal purposes like settling estates, claiming life insurance, or closing accounts.

You qualify for an authorized copy if you are a spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the person who died. Attorneys acting for the estate, court-appointed representatives, and funeral directors also qualify. The law lists exactly who can get an authorized copy.

If you do not qualify, you can still order an informational copy. Informational copies show the same facts as authorized copies but include a watermark stating "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." These work for genealogy and family history but cannot be used for legal matters. Anyone can order an informational copy without proving their relationship.

Older Death Records in El Dorado County

El Dorado County has death records dating back to the 1850s. The county was formed during the Gold Rush and has a long history. Not all early deaths were recorded. Record keeping became more consistent after California required vital records registration in 1915.

The Recorder-Clerk keeps older records in their archives. For deaths before 1905, you must contact the county because the state did not maintain vital records before July 1905. Very old records may be incomplete or difficult to read. The county will search for what you need, but they cannot guarantee they will find records from the 1800s. You pay the search fee whether they find it or not.

The California State Archives may have some El Dorado County death records. Call them at 916-653-6814 to ask. Records more than 75 years old are available to the public without restriction.

Genealogy sites like FamilySearch and Ancestry have digitized some old El Dorado County records. These are informational only and are not certified copies.

California State Death Records

If you are not sure which county to contact, you can order from the California Department of Public Health. The state keeps death records for all of California starting July 1905.

Visit the CDPH death records page for details. The state charges $24 per copy. That is $2 less than El Dorado County. But state processing is much slower. State orders take five to seven weeks on average. County orders are faster.

Use the state if you do not know the county. If you know the death happened in El Dorado County, order directly from the county for quicker service.

Cities in El Dorado County

El Dorado County includes several cities and unincorporated communities. Placerville is the county seat. South Lake Tahoe is the largest city. The county does not have any cities over 100,000 population.

All death records for cities in the county are handled by the Recorder-Clerk. Cities do not issue death certificates themselves. You must go through the county office.

Other communities include Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Pollock Pines, and Georgetown. Deaths in any of these areas are recorded with El Dorado County.

Nearby Counties

If the death took place outside El Dorado County, you need to contact the county where it occurred. Each county only has records for deaths within its jurisdiction.

Neighboring counties: Placer County, Sacramento County, Amador County, Alpine County

El Dorado County also borders Nevada. For Nevada death records, contact the Nevada Office of Vital Records in Carson City.