Death Records in Tehama County

Tehama County death records are kept by the Clerk and Recorder's Office in Red Bluff. They maintain certified copies of death certificates for all deaths that occurred in Tehama County. You can request a copy in person at the county office, by mail, or online through VitalChek. The fee is $26.00 per certificate. Staff are available to help you locate the record you need and explain the requirements for getting an authorized or informational copy. Online ordering provides a convenient option if you cannot visit the office in person during business hours.

Tehama County Clerk and Recorder Office

The Clerk and Recorder's Office handles all death certificate requests for Tehama County. The office is in Red Bluff, the county seat.

You can visit the office during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Staff will help you search for the record and make a certified copy if they find it. Bring identification and details about the death record you need. The more information you provide, the faster they can locate the record.

For more information, visit www.tehama.gov/government/departments/clerk-and-recorder/birth-death-certificates/. This page has ordering instructions and contact details. You can call ahead if you have questions about a specific record or what documents to bring.

Cost to Order a Death Certificate

The fee is $26.00 per death certificate. This is the standard California fee for most counties.

You pay $26.00 for each copy you order. The fee applies whether you order in person, by mail, or online. Even if the office cannot find the record, the search fee is kept. If you need multiple copies, multiply the number of copies by $26.00 to get the total cost.

Online orders through VitalChek add service fees on top of the $26.00 certificate fee. The total cost depends on the delivery speed you choose. Check the VitalChek website for current fees.

VitalChek Online Ordering

Tehama County uses VitalChek for online death certificate orders. VitalChek is a third-party vendor authorized to process vital records requests for California counties.

Go to www.vitalchek.com and select California, then Tehama County. You can order any time. The system accepts credit cards and debit cards.

VitalChek charges a processing fee and offers different shipping speeds. You pay more for faster delivery. Processing time is similar to mail orders, but expedited shipping can get the certificate to you faster once it is ready. You still need to meet California's eligibility requirements for authorized copies.

Information Required for Ordering

You need specific details to order a death certificate. Gather this information before you start:

• Full name of the person who died
• Date of death or approximate year
• Place of death in Tehama County
• Your relationship to the person
• Your name and mailing address
• Your phone number or email for contact

If you do not know the exact date, give the year or a range of years. The clerk will search based on the information you provide. The more details you give, the easier it is to find the record.

Processing Times for Death Certificates

How long it takes depends on your ordering method. Walk-in service is fastest. If the record is easy to find, staff can prepare a certificate the same day.

Mail orders take longer. Plan for two to three weeks from when the office receives your request to when they mail the certificate back. Add a few more days for mail delivery. Total time can be three to four weeks for mail orders.

Online orders through VitalChek have similar processing times to mail orders. However, you can pay extra for expedited shipping to get the certificate faster once the office finishes processing it. Death records become available about two weeks after the date of death, according to the California death records request page. Wait at least two weeks before trying to order a certificate for a recent death.

Eligibility to Receive a Death Certificate

California law controls who can get an authorized death certificate. The statute is Health and Safety Code Section 103526.

You qualify for an authorized copy if you are the spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the person who died. Attorneys acting for the estate, court appointees, and legal representatives can also get authorized copies. Funeral homes can order on behalf of authorized family members.

Authorized copies can be used for legal purposes like settling estates, claiming life insurance, or transferring property. To get an authorized copy, you must provide a notarized sworn statement under penalty of perjury declaring that you are authorized to receive the certificate.

If you do not qualify for an authorized copy, you can still get an informational copy. Anyone can order an informational copy without proving their relationship. Informational copies show the same data but have a stamp that says "INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY." These work for genealogy and family history research but cannot be used for legal purposes. No notarized statement is required for informational copies.

State-Level Death Records

If you cannot get a certificate from Tehama County, try the state office. The California Department of Public Health Vital Records maintains copies of all death records for the state since July 1905.

Contact CDPH-VR at P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. The phone number is 916-445-2684. You can also order online through VitalChek for California state records.

The state charges $24.00 per certificate, which is two dollars less than the county fee. However, state processing takes longer, usually five to seven weeks. Use the state office if you do not know which county the death occurred in or if you need records from multiple counties.

Nearby Counties

If the death occurred outside Tehama County, contact the county where it took place. Each county keeps its own records.

Neighboring counties include Shasta County, Butte County, Glenn County, Plumas County, and Mendocino County. Each has its own clerk-recorder with different contact information.