Death-certificate fee in California: $26 per certified copy
The California Department of Public Health, Vital Records (CDPH-VR) sets the fee and process below. Confirm current details on the office page before you order.
deathcertcost.us provides informational summaries of state vital-records office fees and processes. Fees and timelines change; verify with your state's vital-records office before relying. Not affiliated with any state agency or VitalChek.
Fee per certified copy
$26
The California vital-records office charges $26 for the first certified copy.
Standard processing time
5-7 weeks
Standard requests typically take 5-7 weeks. In-person orders are often faster than mail.
Ask the office whether an expedited option is available.
Copies typically needed
Each institution that handles the estate usually wants its own certified copy. The most common are:
- Bank & financial accounts
- Life-insurance death-benefit claim
- Probate court estate filing
- Pension, retirement & brokerage accounts
How to order
Fee rose to $26 effective Jan 1, 2026 under AB 64 (was $24); +$2 per certificate. Same fee per copy. Death certs may also be ordered from the county recorder/health dept of county of death. CDPH state pages block automated fetch; $26 traced to CDPH 2026 fee schedule letter and multiple official county pages via search.
Visit California Vital RecordsThis links to the official California office — not an aggregator or paid service.
Professional review in progress. How we check these figures is described on our methodology page.