Humboldt County Death Records

Humboldt County maintains death records at the Clerk-Recorder's Office in Eureka. You can search for death certificates for anyone who died within the county. The office offers online ordering through VitalChek and accepts in person and mail requests. Each certified copy costs $26. Staff at the county office can help you locate the record you need and answer questions about the process. Processing times are fast for walk in customers and take about two to three weeks for online or mail orders. Humboldt County has records going back to the late 1800s when the county was established.

Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder

The Clerk-Recorder handles all vital records for Humboldt County including death certificates. Their office is in Eureka at the County Courthouse. This is the only office in the county that issues certified death certificates.

You can visit the office during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Staff can look up the record and make a certified copy for you while you wait in most cases. Recent records are usually available right away. Older records might take a day or two if they need to be pulled from archives. The office is not usually crowded, so wait times are reasonable.

Check the vital records page for current office hours, fees, and contact information. Call ahead if you have questions about a specific record or want to confirm they have what you need before making the trip to Eureka.

The office serves all of Humboldt County including Eureka, Arcata, and other communities. No matter where in the county the death occurred, the Clerk-Recorder has the record.

VitalChek Online Ordering

Humboldt 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 Humboldt County. The site guides you through the steps. You enter the name of the person who died, the date of death, and your contact 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 charges service fees on top of the county fee. The total cost is usually $35 to $45 per copy depending on shipping options and payment method. These extra fees go to VitalChek, not the county. If you want to avoid the service fees, order by mail or in person instead.

Online orders take about two to three weeks from order to delivery. The county receives your request electronically, 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 Costs

Humboldt County charges $26.00 per certified death certificate. This is the standard California state fee.

When you order online through VitalChek, you pay the $26 county fee plus VitalChek's service fees. Service fees vary but are usually $10 to $15 per order, plus credit card processing fees. The total for an online order is often $35 to $45.

In person and mail orders cost just $26 with no extra fees. You save money by avoiding the online system, but online is more convenient if you cannot visit Eureka during business hours.

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

If you order multiple copies at once, you pay $26 for each one. There is no discount for ordering more than one copy. The search fee is included in the $26. If the county searches and cannot find the record, you still pay the fee for the search.

How Long It Takes to Get Your Certificate

Wait times depend on your ordering method. In person is fastest. Online and mail take longer.

Walk in service at the Clerk-Recorder can often be completed the same day. The staff pulls the record and makes a certified copy while you wait for most recent deaths. Older records from decades ago may require you to come back in a day or two if they are in deep storage. Call ahead to ask about availability for specific records.

Online orders through VitalChek take two to three weeks on average. The county receives your request, locates the record, certifies a copy, and mails it to you. Delivery time adds a few more days. Total time from order to arrival is usually three weeks.

Mail requests take about the same time as online orders. You send a written request with payment. The county processes it when it arrives and mails back the certificate. Expect three to four weeks total for mail orders.

Death records become available about two weeks after the date of death. Do not try to order a certificate right away. Wait at least two weeks for the county to file and index the record. This is standard across California.

Information Required to Order

Have these details ready when you place your order:

• Full name of the deceased person
• Date of death or approximate year
• City or area in Humboldt County where death took place
• Your relationship to the deceased
• Your name and mailing address

The more specific you can be, the easier it is for the county to locate the record. Exact dates are best. If you only know the year, provide that along with other details like the person's age or last known address. The county will search based on the information you give.

For an authorized copy, you need to show you qualify under California law. This means being a close relative. You must provide a notarized sworn statement declaring your relationship. For an informational copy, anyone can order without the notarized statement. Both types cost the same $26.

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 go to the spouse, domestic partner, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings of the deceased. Attorneys representing the estate, court-appointed administrators, and funeral directors also qualify. The law lists exactly who can get an authorized copy.

Authorized copies can be used for legal purposes like settling estates, claiming benefits, or closing accounts. If you do not qualify for an authorized copy, you can still get an informational copy. Informational copies show the same facts but have a watermark stating "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." These work for genealogy but not for legal use. Anyone can order an informational copy without proving their relationship.

Older Humboldt County Death Records

Humboldt County has death records going back to the 1800s. The county was formed in 1853 and is one of the original California counties. Not all early deaths were recorded. California did not require vital records registration until 1915. Before that, record keeping was less consistent.

The Clerk-Recorder maintains older records in their archives. For deaths before July 1905, you must contact the county because the state did not keep vital records before that date. Very old records may be incomplete or missing. The county will search for what you need, but they cannot guarantee they will find records from the 1800s or early 1900s. You pay the search fee whether they find it or not.

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

Genealogy websites like FamilySearch and Ancestry have digitized some old Humboldt County records. These are informational copies only and cannot be certified.

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 instructions. The state charges $24 per copy, which is $2 less than Humboldt County. But state processing takes much longer. State orders average five to seven weeks. County orders are faster.

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

Cities in Humboldt County

Humboldt County is located on the far northern California coast. Eureka is the county seat and largest city. The county does not have any cities over 100,000 population.

Other cities in Humboldt County include Arcata, Fortuna, Ferndale, Rio Dell, Trinidad, and Blue Lake. All death records for these cities are handled by the Clerk-Recorder in Eureka. Cities do not issue death certificates themselves. Only the county has that authority.

If you live in any part of Humboldt County and need a death certificate, contact the Clerk-Recorder's Office in Eureka. They have records for the entire county including all cities and unincorporated areas.

Nearby Counties

If the death occurred outside Humboldt County, you need to contact the county where it took place. Each county maintains its own vital records.

Neighboring counties: Del Norte County, Siskiyou County, Trinity County, Mendocino County