Guidelines for Certified Death Certificates

The California Health and Safety Code, Section 103526, will permit only authorized individuals to receive certified copies of death records. Those who are not authorized by law to receive a certified copy will receive a certified copy marked “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY.”

The new law describes an authorized person as:
     ▪  A parent or legal guardian of the registrant.
     ▪  A party entitled to receive the record as a result of a court order, or
         an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record in
         order to comply with the requirements of Section 3140 or 7603 of the
         Family Code.
     ▪  A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of
         another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting
         official business.
     ▪  A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner
         of the registrant.
     ▪  An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant’s estate, or
         any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court
         to act on behalf of the registrant or the registrant’s estate.
     ▪  A funeral director ordering certified copies of a death certificate on
         behalf of an individual specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of
         subdivision (a) of Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code.

In order to obtain a Certified Copy, you MUST complete the sworn statement included with the birth certificate application form and sign the statement under penalty of perjury. If you mail your request, your sworn statement must be notarized. If your mailed request indicates that you want a Certified Copy but does not include a notarized statement sworn under penalty of perjury, the request will be rejected as incomplete and returned to you without being processed.