Search Sacramento County Death Records

Sacramento County maintains death certificates through two main offices. The County Clerk-Recorder keeps historical records for all years. The Public Health Department has recent records from the current year and the past few years. Both offices can issue certified copies for deaths that occurred within Sacramento County. You can order online through the Permitium system, by mail, or in person. Online ordering is available around the clock and accepts credit cards. The county charges a flat fee per copy as set by state law. Most people use online ordering for convenience. Staff can help you find records if you call ahead with questions about dates, names, or what documents you need to bring.

County Clerk-Recorder and Public Health

Sacramento County has two offices that handle death certificates. The County Clerk-Recorder keeps all death records for Sacramento County from the earliest days of record keeping to the present. The Public Health Department holds recent records, typically from the current year and one to two years back.

For most requests, you can use either office. If the death was recent, Public Health may be faster. For older records, the Clerk-Recorder is your best bet. Both charge the same fee and issue the same type of certified copy.

The Clerk-Recorder's official Sacramento County death certificates page provides details on how to order and what you need. The Public Health Department also has an online portal for ordering recent death certificates.

Order Death Certificates Online

Sacramento County uses Permitium for online ordering. Permitium is a web-based system that lets you request vital records any time of day. The Public Health Department runs a Permitium portal at sacramentocavitals.permitium.com/rod.

Using the Permitium system is straightforward. You enter the name of the person who died, the date of death, and other details they ask for. You pay by credit or debit card. Permitium adds a small service fee on top of the county's base fee. The total cost is shown before you finalize your order.

After you submit your order, the county processes it and mails the certificate to you. Processing time is usually two to three weeks. The certificate arrives by mail a few days after that. If you need it faster, some online systems offer expedited shipping for an extra charge.

For an authorized copy, you may need to upload a notarized sworn statement. The system will tell you what documents to provide based on your relationship to the person who died. Informational copies do not require notarization and are available to anyone.

Death Certificate Fees

Each death certificate from Sacramento County costs $26.00. This is the base fee set by state law effective January 1, 2026. The fee is the same whether you order from the Clerk-Recorder or from Public Health.

Online orders through Permitium include the $26.00 county fee plus Permitium's service charges. These charges cover credit card processing and the online system. The exact total is shown on screen before you complete your purchase.

If you order by mail, you pay only the $26.00 county fee. Send a check or money order made payable to Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder or Sacramento County Public Health, depending on which office you contact. Do not send cash through the mail. Include your payment with a written request and a copy of your photo ID.

The fee is charged whether the office finds the record or not. If they search and do not locate it, the $26.00 is kept as a search fee. This is standard across California and required by law.

Information Required to Order

Before you order, gather these facts:

• Full name of the person on the death record
• Date of death or approximate year
• Place of death in Sacramento County
• Your name and current address
• Your relationship to the person who died

The more specific you are, the easier it is for staff to locate the record. If you do not know the exact date, provide a range. The office will search within that time frame. Vague details can slow down the process or result in no match.

For an authorized copy, you must also provide a notarized sworn statement under penalty of perjury. This statement says you are entitled by law to receive the certificate. Only certain people qualify, as defined by California law.

Who Can Get an Authorized Death Certificate

California law sets the rules for who can get an authorized death certificate. These rules are in Health and Safety Code Section 103526. They apply in all California counties, including Sacramento.

You qualify if you are the spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the person who died. Court-appointed representatives, attorneys handling the estate, and funeral directors working on behalf of the family can also get authorized copies. Law enforcement and government officials on official business are authorized too.

To prove you qualify, you must submit a sworn statement notarized by a notary public. The statement declares under penalty of perjury that you are one of the authorized people. Without this notarized statement, you cannot get an authorized copy.

If you do not qualify, you can still get an informational copy. Informational copies show the same information but have a stamp across them stating they cannot be used to establish identity. These are fine for genealogy and family history. The cost is the same, and no notarized statement is required.

How Long It Takes to Get Your Certificate

Processing time varies by how you order. Online and mail orders typically take two to three weeks from when the office receives your request. After they process it, they mail the certificate to you. Postal delivery adds a few more days. Total time can be about four weeks from request to receipt.

In-person requests at the Clerk-Recorder's office may be faster. If you go to their office in Sacramento, they can look up the record and print it for you the same day in many cases. Call ahead to confirm hours and ask if they have the record you need.

Death records are not available immediately after someone dies. The state says death records become available about two weeks after the date of death. Wait at least two weeks before placing your order. If you order too soon, the office will not have the record on file yet, and you will lose the search fee.

Older Death Records

Sacramento County has death records dating back to when the county was formed in 1850. However, vital records were not consistently kept until 1915, when California law required all counties to register births and deaths. Records before 1915 may have gaps.

For very old death records, especially those before 1905, contact the California State Archives in Sacramento. The State Archives is located at 1500 11th Street in Sacramento. They have some early vital records from select counties. Call them at 916-653-6814 to ask if they have Sacramento County death records from your time period.

Records more than 75 years old are open to the public without restriction. You do not need to prove your relationship to access these historical documents. The State Archives can help with genealogy research and provide copies if they have what you need.

Cities in Sacramento County

Sacramento County includes the state capital and several other incorporated cities. Death records for all these cities are kept by the county, not by the cities themselves.

Cities with pages: Sacramento, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Rancho Cordova

Other cities in Sacramento County include Galt, Isleton, and unincorporated communities. For deaths in any of these areas, contact the Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder or Public Health Department.

Nearby Counties

If the death occurred outside Sacramento County, you need to contact the county where it happened.

Neighboring counties: Yolo County, Placer County, El Dorado County, Amador County, San Joaquin County