Find Death Records in San Joaquin County

The San Joaquin County Assessor-Recorder office keeps death records for all deaths that took place in the county. Their files go back to 1850 and include deaths in Stockton, Lodi, Tracy, Manteca, and all other communities in San Joaquin County. You can get certified copies through VitalChek online or by visiting the office in person. Mail requests are also accepted. Each death certificate costs $26.00 per copy under current California law.

San Joaquin County Assessor-Recorder

Death certificates in San Joaquin County are handled by the Assessor-Recorder. The office is part of county government and maintains vital records for all deaths in the county.

The main office location is in Stockton, the county seat. Staff can look up death records from 1850 forward and issue certified copies. They process walk in requests during business hours and also take orders by mail. The office website provides forms and contact information. You can find them at www.sjgov.org/department/assessor/recorder-county-clerk-information/vital-records/death-certificates.

For questions or to verify that a record exists before ordering, call the Recorder division. Mail requests should include the application form, payment, and a notarized statement if you want an authorized copy. Processing time for mail orders typically runs one to two weeks after they receive your request.

Death Certificate Costs

The state of California sets the fee for death certificates. As of January 1, 2026, each copy costs $26.00. This is the base price at the county office.

If you order online through VitalChek, the certificate still costs $26.00, but VitalChek adds service fees on top of that. The service fee covers credit card processing and expedited shipping options. Expect to pay around $40 to $50 total when you use VitalChek, depending on shipping speed.

The county keeps the search fee even if they cannot find the record. If you provide wrong information or the death took place in a different county, you will not get a refund. Make sure you have the right details before you order.

Order Death Certificates Online

San Joaquin County uses VitalChek for online ordering. VitalChek is a third party vendor authorized by the state to process vital record requests. You can order death certificates at any time through their website.

Go to www.vitalchek.com and select California, then San Joaquin County. Follow the prompts to enter the name of the person who died, the date of death, and your relationship to that person. The system will ask if you want an authorized copy or an informational copy.

Authorized copies require you to upload a notarized sworn statement proving your relationship. You must be a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, or other close relative. If you cannot prove your relationship, choose an informational copy instead. Informational copies have a stamp that says they cannot be used to establish identity, but they cost the same and contain the same information.

VitalChek ships the certificate to your address after processing. You can choose standard mail or overnight delivery for an extra fee. Processing time is about one to two weeks plus shipping time.

Who Can Request a Death Certificate

California law defines who can get an authorized death certificate. According to Health and Safety Code Section 103526, the following people can request an authorized certified copy of a death record.

Authorized requesters include the spouse or domestic partner of the deceased, any parent or child of the deceased, grandparents and grandchildren, siblings, and legal representatives appointed by a court. Funeral directors can also order on behalf of these family members. Law enforcement and government agencies acting in an official capacity can request authorized copies without a notarized statement.

If you do not qualify as an authorized requester, you can still get an informational copy. Anyone can order an informational copy without proving their relationship. The informational copy shows all the same data but has a legend printed across it stating it is not valid to establish identity. These copies work for genealogy research or personal records but cannot be used for legal purposes.

Information Required for Your Order

Gather these details before you place your order:

• Full name of the deceased person
• Date of death or approximate year
• Place of death within San Joaquin County
• Your name and current mailing address
• Your relationship to the deceased

The more exact your information, the faster the search goes. If you know only the year, the office can search a range of dates, but this takes more time. The search fee applies whether or not they find a matching record.

For an authorized copy, you also need a notarized sworn statement signed under penalty of perjury. You can download the form from the California Department of Public Health website. Take the form to a notary public, sign it in front of the notary, and submit it with your application.

How Long It Takes

Walk in service is fastest if you visit the Stockton office in person. Staff can often complete your request the same day or within a few business days, depending on how old the record is and how busy they are.

Mail orders take longer. Expect one to two weeks for the county to process your request after they receive it, then add a few more days for delivery. Total time from mailing your request to receiving the certificate can be three weeks or more.

Online orders through VitalChek have similar processing times. The county processes the order in one to two weeks, then VitalChek ships it. If you choose expedited shipping, you can get the certificate faster once it is processed, but the county still needs time to pull the record and make the copy.

Death records become available about two weeks after the date of death. Do not order right away. Wait at least two weeks for the county to file the official record.

Historical Death Records

San Joaquin County has death records going back to 1850, shortly after California became a state. These older records may be less complete than modern certificates. Early records often lack details like cause of death or parents' names.

If you need a very old death record, contact the Assessor-Recorder office first to confirm they have it on file. Some records from the 1800s may be stored at the California State Archives instead of the county office. The State Archives maintains some pre-1905 vital records from select California counties.

Records more than 75 years old are open for public research without restriction. You can visit the State Archives in Sacramento or call them at 916-653-6814 to ask about their holdings.

Cities in San Joaquin County

San Joaquin County includes several cities. Deaths in any of these locations are recorded by the county Assessor-Recorder in Stockton.

The largest city is Stockton, which also serves as the county seat. Other cities include Lodi, Tracy, Manteca, Ripon, Lathrop, and Escalon. For death records from any of these cities, contact the San Joaquin County office, not the city government.

Nearby Counties

If the death occurred outside San Joaquin County, you need to contact the county where it happened. Nearby counties include Sacramento County, Stanislaus County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Calaveras County, and San Joaquin County.

Each county maintains its own vital records. California law requires you to order from the county where the death took place. If you are not sure which county, you can order from the state office. The California Department of Public Health Vital Records has death records from all counties since July 1905, but processing takes longer and costs slightly less at $24.00 per copy.