Kern County Death Records

Kern County death certificates are available through the Assessor-Recorder's Office in Bakersfield. The office maintains records for all deaths that occurred in Kern County from the late 1800s to the present day. You can request certified copies in person, by mail, or online through VitalChek. The current fee is $26 per certificate. Most requests process within two weeks by mail and same day for walk in service. Kern County covers a large area including Bakersfield, Delano, Ridgecrest, and parts of the southern San Joaquin Valley. The Assessor-Recorder operates from downtown Bakersfield at the county administrative center.

Assessor-Recorder Office Location

The Kern County Assessor-Recorder handles vital records including death certificates. The office is located at 1115 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301. This is in the county administrative center near downtown Bakersfield. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

You can walk in without an appointment. Bring valid photo identification and details about the death record you need. Staff can search files and print certificates while you wait if the record is on file and readily available. Recent deaths from the past few years process fastest.

The main phone number is 661-868-3485. Call ahead to verify hours or ask if they have the record before you visit. You can also check the website at kerncounty.com for more information. Look for the Assessor-Recorder section under county departments.

Death Certificate Costs in Kern County

Each death certificate costs $26. This applies to all order methods whether in person, mail, or online. The fee increased to this amount on January 1, 2026 under state law Assembly Bill 64.

Walk in orders can pay by cash, check, or money order. Mail requests need a check or money order made payable to Kern County Assessor-Recorder. Online orders through VitalChek use credit or debit cards and add a service fee of about $7 to $13 plus shipping costs.

The $26 county fee is charged even if staff cannot locate the record. If they search and find nothing, you still pay the search fee. You receive a letter stating no record was found. Make sure you have accurate information before ordering to avoid wasting the fee.

VitalChek Online Service

Kern County uses VitalChek for online death certificate requests. VitalChek is a third party vendor that processes orders for many California counties. Visit www.vitalchek.com and select Kern County from the list of California counties.

The website walks you through the order form. Enter the full name of the deceased, date of death, place of death in Kern County, and your contact information. You also indicate whether you want an authorized or informational copy and provide your relationship to the deceased.

Payment goes by credit card or debit card. VitalChek charges the $26 county fee plus their service fee and shipping. Total cost depends on delivery speed you choose. Standard shipping is cheapest. Express options cost more but deliver faster once the certificate processes.

Processing time through VitalChek is about the same as mail orders, two to three weeks. You can track your order status online with the confirmation number VitalChek provides.

How Long Processing Takes

Walk in service at the Bakersfield office is fastest. Most recent records print the same day. Staff can look up the death, verify your eligibility, and make a certified copy within an hour or less in many cases.

Older records may take longer if they are stored in archives. Deaths from before 1960 sometimes require extra time to retrieve. The office will tell you when to come back or they can mail it to you when ready.

Mail orders take about two to three weeks from the date the office receives your request. Add a few days for postal delivery on each end. Total time from when you mail the form to when you receive the certificate is roughly three to four weeks.

Online orders through VitalChek also take two to three weeks for processing, then shipping time. If you select expedited shipping, you get it faster after Kern County processes it. Regular shipping adds another week.

Death records become available about two weeks after the date of death. The California Department of Public Health advises waiting at least two weeks before requesting a certificate for a recent death. This allows time for the county to file and index the record.

Who Can Request Death Certificates

California divides death certificates into two types under state law. Authorized copies go to immediate family and legal representatives. Informational copies go to anyone else.

To get an authorized copy, you must be the spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the person who died. Domestic partners, legal guardians, and attorneys for the estate also qualify. Funeral homes can order on behalf of eligible family members. You need to provide a notarized sworn statement declaring your relationship and eligibility under penalty of perjury.

If you do not meet those requirements, you can still get an informational copy. Informational copies show the same information but have a legend printed across them that says "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." These work for genealogy and personal records but cannot be used for legal or financial purposes. Anyone can order informational copies without proving relationship or getting a notarized statement.

The rules come from California Health and Safety Code Section 103526, which became effective in 2003. The law was designed to reduce identity theft and fraud involving vital records.

Ordering from State Office

You can also order Kern County death certificates from the California Department of Public Health in Sacramento. The state office maintains copies of all death certificates from July 1905 forward. That covers the full period when California required statewide death registration.

The state charges $24 per copy, two dollars less than Kern County. But processing takes much longer, about five to seven weeks. Mail your request to California Department of Public Health, Vital Records MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. The phone number is 916-445-2684 for questions.

Use form VS 112 for death certificate requests. Download it from cdph.ca.gov. Include the same details you would send to the county, plus payment and a notarized sworn statement if you want an authorized copy.

Most people find it faster to order from Kern County directly unless they need certificates from multiple counties. Then ordering through the state can save time and effort.

Information Needed for Your Order

Have these details ready when you request a death certificate:

• Full legal name of the deceased
• Date of death or approximate year
• Place of death within Kern County
• Your full name and address
• Your relationship to the deceased
• Number of copies you need
• Fee payment

The more specific your information, the faster staff can locate the record. If you do not know the exact date, give a range of years. Staff will search the index. Even if they cannot find it, they keep the search fee.

Older Death Records in Kern County

Kern County has death records dating back to the 1860s when the county was formed. California did not require statewide death registration until 1905, so records before then may be incomplete. Some deaths were voluntarily registered before 1905, and those records are in the county files.

For very old records or if Kern County cannot find what you need, check the California State Archives in Sacramento. They have microfilmed copies of some pre-1905 vital records from select counties. Call 916-653-6814 to ask what they have for Kern County.

Genealogy sites like FamilySearch and Ancestry sometimes have transcribed or indexed Kern County death records. These are informational only and not certified, but they help with research.

Major Cities in Kern County

Kern County includes several large cities. Death records for all of them are handled by the Kern County Assessor-Recorder. Cities do not maintain their own vital records offices.

Cities with pages: Bakersfield

Other significant cities include Delano, Ridgecrest, Wasco, Arvin, Shafter, and Tehachapi. For deaths in any Kern County city, contact the Assessor-Recorder in Bakersfield.

Neighboring Counties

If the death occurred outside Kern County, you need to contact the correct county office. Kern County borders several other California counties.

Nearby counties: Tulare County, Kings County, San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Inyo County. Kern County has more neighboring counties than most California counties due to its large size and central location.