Death Certificates

Last updated 10/28/2024. 

A death certificate is a record of the death of a person. Information in this record: 

  • Includes circumstances and cause of death. 
  • Serves several important legal and statistical uses. By law, a death certificate serves as the State's legal record and is prima facie evidence in all courts. 

The Office of Vital Records and Statistics (OVRS) provides death certificates from 1993 to present. There are two types of death certificates: 

  1. Authorized Certified Copy – only provided to Authorized Individuals. You must have a notarized Sworn Statement.
  2. Informational Certified Copy – provided to all other individuals. You do not need a Sworn Statement.

A certified copy of a death certificate costs $24.00.  

  • This fee is set by the State.
  • The cost for finding a record is NOT refundable if the record is not found. 

You cannot get a birth certificate by email. Call the office at (619) 692-5733 if you have questions. 

On this page:

Request a Death Certificate

In-Person

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1. OVRS is open Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Address **Please note new interim location effective October 25, 2024**
5530 Overland Avenue, Suite 110
San Diego, CA 92123

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2. Have these ready:

  • Decedent’s (person who died) full name,
  • Decedent’s date of death,
  • Decedent’s place of death, and
  • A valid government issued picture ID.
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3. Complete payment of $24.00 per copy. There are two ways to pay:

  • Debit card, credit card, tap to pay; or
  • Check, or money order, payable to County of San Diego.
Red, orange, and blue VitalChek logo. VitalChek is a third-party website authorized to process requests online for the Office of Vital Records and Statistics.

Online

VitalChek is a third-party website that processes requests online for the Office of Vital Records and Statistics.

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1. Visit VitalChek.com.

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2. Go to "Order Certificate", then choose "Death Certificates."

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3. Fill out the online application.

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4. Complete payment with credit card, debit card or electronic check.

  • Certificate fee is $24.00 per copy.
  • VitalChek processing fee is $12.95.
  • Shipping fee is no cost for regular mail, or $19.00 for Express UPS.

For more information, visit VitalChek online, or call 1-877-459-1061.

Mail

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1. Fill out the Application for a Death Certificate/Disposition of Human Remains.

  • If you are requesting a Certified Copy of more than one person, you must complete a separate application for each person.
    • For Authorized Certified Copies, only one Notarized Sworn Statement that lists each person is needed.
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2. Complete payment of $24.00 per copy with check, or money order, payable to County of San Diego

  • Cash not accepted.
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3. Mail completed Application for a Death Certificate and payment to:

County of San Diego Vital Records
P.O. Box 429001
                 San Diego, CA 92142

Resources

Send an email, or phone (619) 692-5733, for more information.