Placer County Death Certificates
Placer County maintains death records for deaths that happened in the county from 1850 to the present. The Clerk-Recorder-Assessor office handles these vital records. You can order certified copies for estate work, insurance claims, Social Security, and genealogy projects. The county has one of the longest continuous collections in California. Request certificates online, by mail, or in person at offices in Rocklin and Auburn. Processing times depend on your method and how old the record is. Recent deaths need time to process before you can order.
Placer County Quick Facts
- County Seat: Auburn
- Population: 404,739
- Records Available: 1850 to present
- Main Office: Rocklin
Certificate Types Available
California provides two forms of death certificates. An authorized certified copy works for legal and financial use. Banks need it to close accounts. Insurance companies require it for claims. Courts use it for probate. This version proves identity. An informational certified copy has the same data but cannot establish identity. The document says this on its face. Use informational copies for genealogy but not for legal or money matters.
Only specific people can get authorized copies. Family members qualify. This includes parents, children, spouses, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Estate representatives can get them. Lawyers for the family or estate have access. Government workers on duty can request them. Funeral homes that handled the service qualify. Everyone else receives informational copies only.
Authorized copies require a notarized sworn statement. You sign under penalty of perjury that you're entitled to the record. A notary public witnesses and stamps your signature. This proves your right to the document. Without notarization, you get the informational copy only. This requirement helps prevent fraud and identity theft.
The Placer County death certificate copies page provides information about ordering. You can find forms, fees, and instructions. The page explains how to submit requests through different methods.
In-Person Service
Placer County has two offices where you can request death certificates in person. The main office is at 3715 Atherton Road in Rocklin. The Auburn office is at 2954 Richardson Drive. Both are open during regular business hours. Bring photo ID and payment. Fill out an application. Staff will search for the record. Recent files may be ready while you wait. Older records can take longer if they're in storage.
In-person visits work well if you live nearby or are visiting the area. You can ask questions and get answers right away. If something is wrong with your application, staff will tell you how to fix it on the spot. This saves time compared to mailing back and forth. Payment options include cash, check, and possibly debit or credit cards depending on office policy.
Ordering by Mail
Download the death certificate application from the Placer County website or call to have one mailed to you. Fill out every section completely. Use the deceased's full legal name as it appears on official documents. Give the date of death if you know it. If not, provide the month and year or just the year. Note the place of death. It must be somewhere in Placer County for this office to help you.
Attach a photocopy of your photo ID to the application. For an authorized copy, complete the notarized sworn statement section. Visit a notary public with the form. Sign the statement in front of them. They will stamp and sign it. Notaries charge a small fee for this service. You can find notaries at banks, shipping stores, and many business offices.
Include a check or money order for the certificate fee. Make it payable to Placer County. Don't send cash by mail because it can get lost or stolen. Put the application, ID copy, and payment in an envelope. Mail it to the address listed on the form. Processing takes several weeks. The certificate arrives by mail when complete. If the record isn't found, you get a letter and the fee is kept to cover search costs.
Online Ordering Through VitalChek
VitalChek is a third-party service that processes online orders for Placer County. Visit their website and select California, then Placer County. Enter information about the deceased including name, date of death, and place of death. Upload a photo of your ID. Choose whether you want an authorized or informational copy. Pay with a credit card. VitalChek charges a processing fee on top of the county fee. Shipping costs extra if you want express delivery. Standard mail is included in the processing fee.
Online ordering is convenient because you can do it any time from home. No need to print forms or go to the post office. You receive an email confirmation. The certificate arrives by mail in a few weeks. The trade-off is cost. VitalChek's fees make it more expensive than mail or in-person ordering.
Fees Set by State Law
The fee for a death certificate is $24 per copy in Placer County. This is one of the lower fees in California. The state sets a base fee but allows some variation by county. Each copy costs the same amount. If you need three copies, you pay three times $24. There's no bulk discount. The fee is the same whether you get an authorized or informational copy.
If the search finds no record, the fee is not refunded. State law allows counties to keep search fees even when no record is found. This covers the cost of staff time and resources used to search. To avoid losing your money, make sure you have correct information before ordering. Verify the county where the death occurred and check the spelling of names.
Processing Times
California requires deaths to be registered within eight days. But the certificate takes longer to become available for ordering. A doctor or medical examiner must complete the death certificate with cause of death and other information. The county reviews it for completeness and accuracy. It gets entered into the records system. This process can take two to four weeks or more after the death.
In-person requests are often filled the same day for recent records that are in the digital system. Older records from decades ago may take a day or two to retrieve from storage. Mail orders take three to six weeks total. That includes time for your letter to arrive, processing time, and return mail. Online orders through VitalChek usually arrive within two to four weeks. Express shipping can speed up delivery but not the processing time.
Information Required on Application
Write the deceased person's full legal name on the application. Don't use a nickname unless that's what appears on official documents. Give the date of death. If you're not sure of the exact date, provide the month and year or just the year. The place of death must be in Placer County. If the person died in a different county, you need to contact that county's vital records office instead.
Additional information helps the clerk find the right record. Include the deceased's date of birth and parents' names if you know them. This is especially important if the name is common. Two people with the same name might have died in the same year. The extra details help ensure you get the correct certificate. You must also provide your own contact information including name, address, phone number, and email. State your relationship to the deceased. This determines whether you receive an authorized or informational copy.
Historical Death Records
Placer County has death records dating back to 1850 when the county was formed during the Gold Rush. This is one of the longest continuous collections in California. Records before July 1, 1905 are only available from the county because the state didn't collect vital statistics before then. If you need a death certificate from the 1800s or early 1900s, the county office is your only source.
Old records may be handwritten in cursive script. The ink can be faded after more than a century. Paper yellows and becomes brittle with age. Pages may have tears or water damage. The clerk will make a copy of whatever is still readable. Even incomplete information can be valuable for genealogy purposes. A partial record that confirms a date or a name is better than having no record at all.
The California State Archives has microfilm copies of some Placer County records. Check their website to see which years and types of records are available. If the county office doesn't have the original anymore, you might be able to get a copy from the state archives instead.
Why Death Certificates Are Needed
Life insurance companies need death certificates before they will pay out benefits to beneficiaries. Banks require them to close accounts and release funds to the estate. Social Security uses them to stop benefit payments and process survivor and dependent claims. Pension plans also need them. Without a death certificate, these financial matters cannot proceed.
Probate courts need certified copies to open an estate and appoint an executor or administrator. Real estate cannot be sold or transferred out of a deceased person's name without proof they died. Vehicle titles cannot change hands without one. Some states require death certificates to cancel a driver's license. There are many official uses for death certificates in legal and financial matters.
Genealogists and family historians use death certificates to confirm family relationships and dates. The certificates list the deceased's parents' names and birthplaces. They show where the person lived, their occupation, and other biographical details. This information helps fill in family trees. For research purposes only, the informational copy works fine. You don't need the authorized version unless you're dealing with legal or financial matters.
Privacy and Access Laws
California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 controls who can get authorized certified copies of death records. The law exists to prevent fraud and identity theft. Only certain people have the right to get the version that can be used for legal purposes and to prove identity. Everyone else can still get the informational copy, which has all the same facts but can't be used to access accounts or claim benefits.
The clerk's office will check your ID and relationship before releasing an authorized copy. If you claim to be a family member, they may ask for documents that prove it. A birth certificate can show you're the child of the deceased. A marriage certificate shows you're the spouse. These checks are required by state law to protect the rights of the deceased and their family.
Contact Information
The Placer County main office is at 3715 Atherton Road in Rocklin, CA 95765. The Auburn office is at 2954 Richardson Drive in Auburn, CA 95603. Phone number is 530-886-5600. Check the website for current hours. You can find forms, fees, and additional information online. Email or call with questions before submitting a request if you're unsure about anything.
Cities in Placer County
Placer County includes several large cities. Death certificates for people who died in these cities are handled by the county office, not by city offices.