Information that follows is from the Los Angeles County Register-Recorder/County Clerk.
All questions, not answered here, should be directed to the Register-Recorder/County Clerk.
Birth, Death & Marriage Records Section
PO Box 489
Norwalk, CA 90651-0489
Birth & Death Certificate & Records Information: (800) 201-8999
Under California law, only specific individuals are allowed to receive an Authorized Certified Copy of a birth, death or marriage record. An Authorized Certified Copy of a death record may be required to obtain death benefits, claim insurance proceeds, notify social security and obtain other services related to an individual’s identity. Please see below for list of authorized individuals.
Those who are not authorized may receive an Informational Certified Copy with the words “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity” imprinted across the face of the copy. Informational copies are not available same day. They will be mailed within 20 working days.
Individuals Permitted to Receive an Authorized Certified Copy of a Death Certificate
Records are available for deaths occurring in Los Angeles County since 1877. Only records for deaths that occurred since 1995, however, may be obtained the same day if requested in person. An Authorized or Informational certified copy of a death record will be provided for a $21 fee per copy. The fee is nonrefundable. A “No Record Statement” will be issued if the record is not found.
Other than requests from government agencies, no requests for records are accepted by telephone.
Government agencies may call (562) 462-8102 to submit an order.
Los Angeles Almanac Photo .
To request copies by mail, complete the Application for Death Record and Notarized Certificate of Identity (for mail only) (see below). The Certificate of Identity must be notarized. If you do NOT live in California, please have the notary strike out California on the Certificate of Identity and put the state in which the form is notarized. It will be accepted with the change. Include payment for the fee of $21 per requested copy (same fee for either an Authorized Certified Death Record Copy or an Informational Certified Death Record Copy). Payment can be made by check or money order payable to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. DO NOT SEND CASH. Out of state checks are accepted. Please ensure that you sign the application as well as the Certificate of Identity. Failure to do so may delay the processing of your request.
Click here for Application for Death Record and Notarized Certificate of Identity (for mail only)
Mail request and fee to:
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Birth Records
PO Box 489
Norwalk, CA 90651-0489
Most mail requests are processed within 20 working days from the date the request is received in the office. The processing time does not include the delivery time to and from the office, weekends or holidays.
Photo by Vojtech Okenka via Pexels.com.
All records for deaths occurring in Los Angeles County since 1877 are available for order online, however, orders will be delivered by regular mail or, if requested, by Express mail or UPS which costs an additional $20.00. A $6.00 special handling fee will be charged on all credit card orders in addition to the copy fee.
An Authorized or Informational certified copy of a death record will be provided for a $21 fee per copy. The fee is nonrefundable. A “No Record Statement” will be issued if the record is not found.
Although the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk cannot accept credit cards for online orders, online orders may be made with a credit card through a partnering independent company, VitalChek Network, Inc. VitalChek can be reached through its website, www.vitalchek.com. A $9.00 fee is charged by VitalChek for this service. All major credit cards are accepted, including American Express®, Discover®, MasterCard® or Visa®.
Online orders will be processed within 20 working days of receipt of the Certificate of Identity.
To obtain a copy of death record online, you must submit a notarized Certificate of Identify. Follow all instructions on the Vitalchek web page. If you do not live in California, have the notary strike out "California" on the Certificate of Identity and insert the state in which the form is notarized. It will be excepted with the change.
Please Note: If you do not supply the necessary Certificate of Identity within 5 business days, your order will be cancelled and must be resubmitted.
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Office in Norwalk. Photo from Google Maps, Copyright 2017 Google.
Save time and complete your in-person application before you come in for an in-person request. Click here to complete the application.
A valid photo ID will be requested when a death record is requested in person. Same-day service is available for deaths 1995 to present. Deaths records from prior to 1995 will be mailed within 20 working days.
When coming in person, be sure to have with you: 1) your application confirmation number if submitted online; 2) a valid photo ID; 3) sufficient payment for all fees.
| Address | City | Telephone | Hours (Mon-Fri) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44509 16th St West, Suite 101 | Lancaster | (661) 945-6446 | 8:30am-4:30pm |
| 11701 S La Cienega Blvd, 6th Floor | LAX Courthouse | (310) 727-6142 | 8:30am-4:30pm |
| 4716 E Cesar Chavez Ave, Bldg B | Los Angeles | (323) 260-2991 | 8:30am-4:30pm |
| 7807 S Compton Ave, Room 102 | Florence/Firestone | (323) 586-6192 | 8:30am-4:30pm |
| 12400 Imperial Highway | Norwalk | (562) 462-2137 | 8:00am-5:00pm* |
| 14340 W Sylvan St | Van Nuys | (818) 376-3700 | 8:30am-4:30pm |
The Norwalk Facility is also open 8am-7pm on the 3rd Thursday of every month.
Copies ordered in person for death records prior to 1995 will be mailed within 20 working days. Same day service is available for copies of death records from 1995 to present.
Payment for in-person requests can be made by cash, check, money order, or debit/credit card (Mastercard, Visa, Discover or American Express). Debit/credit cards will be charged a $1.75 service fee. If paying by check, valid identification (i.e., Driver's License) of the signer is required and must be presented at time of request. Out-of-state checks are accepted.
Source: Los Angeles County Register-Recorder/County Clerk
Also see the following other records: