El Dorado County Death Index
El Dorado County death records document deaths that occur in this Gold Country and Lake Tahoe region. The Recorder-Clerk office in Placerville maintains these vital records and provides certified copies to authorized requesters. Death certificates cost $26 per copy under California law. You can get records by visiting the office in person, mailing an application, or ordering through VitalChek online. The office has historical death records including some dating back to 1907 through 1928 that are also available on microfilm at the California State Archives. Staff process requests from family members, attorneys, funeral directors, and others who qualify under state law for access to these vital records.
El Dorado County Vital Records Overview
Recorder Clerk Office Information
The El Dorado County Recorder-Clerk office handles vital records including death certificates. Their main office is located in Placerville. Staff maintain files for all deaths registered in El Dorado County from historical records to present day.
Visit the county website at eldoradocounty.ca.gov for office hours, contact information, and downloadable forms. You can call ahead with questions about the death certificate request process. Staff will tell you what documents to bring and how long processing takes.
Each death certificate costs $26. This fee follows California state law under Health and Safety Code Section 103625. The fee increased by $2 on January 1, 2026 due to Assembly Bill 64. It was $24 before that date. You pay this amount whether you visit in person, mail a request, or order online. The fee covers staff time to search files and create a certified copy with the official seal.
If staff search but do not find your requested record, state law lets them keep the fee. They issue a Certificate of No Public Record showing they performed the search. This proves no matching death record exists in their system.
El Dorado County provides detailed instructions for requesting death certificates through their official website.
The website includes forms, fees, office locations, and step by step guidance for obtaining certified death records from El Dorado County.
Ways to Request Death Records
You have three options for getting El Dorado County death certificates. Walk into the Placerville office. Send a mail request. Or order online via VitalChek.
In person requests work best for quick service. Go to the Recorder-Clerk office during business hours. Bring valid photo ID issued by a government agency. A driver license or passport works well. Ask for the death certificate application. Write down the deceased person's full name, date of death, and place of death in El Dorado County. Add details like age, spouse name, or parents if you know them. This helps staff locate the correct record faster.
Pay $26 by cash, check, or money order made out to El Dorado County. Staff will search their database and produce a certified copy if they find the record. Many requests get completed same day for recent deaths. Very old records may take longer to retrieve.
Mail requests need the same information but you send it by post. Download the death certificate application from the county website or request one by phone. Fill out every section legibly. Make a photocopy of your government ID showing your photo and name clearly. Write a check or money order for $26 to El Dorado County. Put the application, ID copy, and payment in an envelope. Mail to the Recorder-Clerk in Placerville. Include your return address. Processing plus mail time usually totals two to four weeks.
VitalChek runs the state authorized online system. Visit their California portal and select El Dorado County. Enter the deceased person's details as requested. Upload or enter your ID information. Pay by credit card. VitalChek adds service fees to the $26 base certificate cost. Orders typically process in one to three weeks depending on county workload and shipping method chosen.
Who Qualifies for Copies
California restricts access to authorized certified copies of death records. Only certain people qualify based on relationship or legal status. Authorized copies show complete details and work for legal uses like settling estates or claiming insurance. Other people can get informational copies.
Authorized copies go to immediate family. Parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, spouses, and domestic partners of the deceased all qualify. Lawyers representing the deceased or estate can request copies. Court appointed representatives handling the estate have access. Funeral home staff working on the case qualify. Law enforcement officers and government workers doing official duties may get records too.
To get an authorized copy, submit a notarized sworn statement. This declaration says under penalty of perjury that you have a legal right to receive the certificate. Visit a notary public who will check your ID, watch you sign, and apply their seal. Banks, shipping stores, and government offices often have notaries. One notarized statement covers multiple certificate orders.
Anyone can request informational copies without notarization. Just complete the application and pay the fee. Informational copies contain the same data but display a notice saying they cannot establish identity. People use these for genealogy and family history. They do not work for legal purposes.
Old Death Records
The California State Archives has El Dorado County death records on microfilm from 1907 to 1928. These records are over 75 years old so they are open to public access without restriction. Contact the State Archives at 916-653-6814 or visit them at 1020 O Street in Sacramento. You can view microfilm on site or order copies.
For deaths after July 1905, both the county and state maintain records. The California Department of Public Health Vital Records office started collecting death certificates statewide in July 1905. You can request El Dorado County deaths from CDPH at P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. Their phone is 916-445-2684. They charge the same $26 fee as the county.
Deaths before 1907 may not have official certificates. Look for alternate sources like church records, cemetery logs, newspaper obituaries, and family Bibles. Local historical societies and libraries in El Dorado County sometimes have these materials.
Surrounding Counties
El Dorado County sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains. Placer County borders to the north. Sacramento County lies west. Amador County is south. Alpine County borders to the east and southeast. Nevada state line forms part of the eastern boundary near Lake Tahoe.
Each county maintains its own vital records with different office hours and procedures. The $26 fee is standard across California. Make sure you know which county the death occurred in before requesting records. Deaths near county borders can be confusing.
Record Availability Timeline
New death certificates take about two weeks to become available after the date of death. Funeral directors and medical professionals must file death information with the county within eight days under California law. The county then processes and indexes the record.
For very recent deaths, call the Recorder-Clerk office before submitting a request. Staff can check if the record is in their system. Some deaths take longer to process if a coroner must investigate or if autopsy results are pending.