Chico Death Records Access
Death certificates for Chico residents are issued by Butte County offices. The city itself does not maintain vital records. When someone dies in Chico, the death certificate gets registered with the Butte County Clerk-Recorder. This county office has death records for all events that occurred in Chico and throughout Butte County. You cannot obtain death certificates from Chico City Hall. All requests must go through the county system. You can apply in person at the county office in Oroville, send a mail request, or order online through VitalChek.
Butte County Clerk-Recorder
Butte County handles all death certificates for Chico. The Clerk-Recorder office is at 155 Nelson Avenue in Oroville. Their phone number is 530-552-3400. You can email them at recorders@buttecounty.net. Office hours are Monday through Friday. Call ahead to confirm current hours before visiting.
The fee for a certified death certificate is $26 per copy as of January 2026. This price increased by $2 due to Assembly Bill 64. The fee covers a search of the files and one certified copy. Butte County keeps the fee even if they cannot locate the record. In that case, they issue a Certificate of No Public Record instead of a death certificate. Make sure you have accurate information before applying.
Butte County has death records for events that occurred in the county going back many decades. Recent death certificates become available about 2 to 3 weeks after the date of event. Older records are already on file and can be retrieved if you provide enough detail to locate them. The Clerk-Recorder maintains these records permanently.
How to Request a Death Certificate
Start by gathering information about the deceased person. You need the full legal name. Include the date of death or at least the year. State that the death occurred in Chico or Butte County. Additional details help the office locate the record. These include age at death, birthdate, parents' names, and social security number if available.
Download an application form from the Butte County website. Fill out all required fields completely. Sign the form. If you need an authorized copy for legal purposes, you must include a notarized sworn statement. This statement declares that you are authorized to receive the record. Sign it in front of a notary public. The notary verifies your identity and witnesses your signature. Informational copies do not require notarization.
Include your payment with the application. Butte County accepts checks and money orders payable to Butte County Clerk-Recorder. They also accept cash and debit cards for in-person visits. Credit cards may be accepted for online orders through VitalChek. Mail your completed application and payment to the Oroville address. In-person visits may be processed faster.
Request Methods and Processing Times
In-person requests often get completed the same day or within a few hours. Bring a valid photo ID and payment. Staff will search the files while you wait if the office is not busy. This is the fastest method.
Mail requests take longer, typically 1 to 3 weeks. Send your completed application and payment to 155 Nelson Avenue, Oroville, CA 95965. Include a return address. The county will mail the certificate or no record statement to you. Processing time does not include mail delivery, which can add several more days on each end.
Online orders through VitalChek take 1 to 6 weeks depending on shipping method. VitalChek charges an extra processing fee of about $12.95 plus the $26 certificate fee. Shipping costs extra for express delivery. Regular mail has no shipping charge. You can order at the VitalChek California portal. Online ordering is convenient but costs more than mail or in-person requests.
Who Can Obtain Death Records
Anyone can request an informational copy of a death certificate. These copies work for genealogy research and family history. They contain the same information as authorized copies but have a stamp stating they cannot be used to establish identity. No proof of relationship is required for informational copies.
Authorized copies require eligibility. You must be related to the deceased or have a legal reason to obtain the record. Eligible requesters include parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, spouses, and domestic partners. Attorneys representing the deceased or the estate can request authorized copies. Executors and court-appointed representatives qualify. Government officials and law enforcement acting in official capacity are eligible. Funeral home employees handling the deceased's arrangements can get death records.
California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 sets these rules. The law protects the privacy of vital records while allowing access to those who need them for legitimate purposes. If you are not sure whether you qualify for an authorized copy, request an informational copy instead. It costs the same and does not require proof of relationship or notarization.
Legal Framework for Death Records
State law requires death registration within eight calendar days. Each death must be registered with the local registrar where it was pronounced or where the body was found. This rule is in Health and Safety Code Section 102775. It ensures that every death gets recorded quickly.
Fees for certified copies are set by Health and Safety Code Section 103625. The base fee was $12, but Assembly Bill 64 added a $2 increase effective January 1, 2026. This brings the current cost to $26 per death certificate statewide. Counties must charge this fee. Health and Safety Code Section 103650 allows the custodian of records to retain the search fee even if no record is found. This means the fee is non-refundable.
State Department of Public Health
You can also order death certificates from the California Department of Public Health Vital Records office. CDPH-VR has records for all deaths in California from July 1905 to present. Their fee is $26 per copy. Processing takes about 3 to 6 weeks for mail orders. Their address is P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento CA, 95899-7410. You can call them at (916) 445-2684 for information.
CDPH certificates include the state file number. Some agencies require this number. County copies may not show it. If you need the state file number, order from CDPH instead of Butte County. Otherwise, ordering from the county may be faster for Chico deaths.
Nearby Cities
Other cities in Butte County also use the county Clerk-Recorder for death certificates. Oroville is the county seat where the main office is located. Paradise and other smaller cities in Butte County follow the same procedures. All death certificate requests go through the county system in Oroville.