What to do
For someone who died more than 3 years ago in San Francisco, go to the County Clerk
Go to the Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records
Apply to get a death certificate in person. The death certificate must be for someone:
-
Who died less than 3 years ago in San Francisco
The person applying must bring an unexpired government-issued photo ID. We will accept IDs from foreign governments.
You can pay by Visa, MasterCard, or cash. You can also pay by money order, in US dollars.
We charge for every search, so you will pay the fee even if we can not find the record.
To save time, you can also bring your completed application.
Department of Public Health
Office of Vital Records101 Grove Street, Room 105
San Francisco, CA 94102
Mon to Fri,
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Closed on public holidays.
1. Fill out the form
Download the application. Fill out the form.
2. Get the statement notarized
Take your form to a notary public and have it notarized.
You don’t need to have your application notarized for an Informational Copy. But your certificate will have “Informational: Not a valid document to establish identity” printed on the document.
3. Mail the application
You must include:
- Your application
- Notarized sworn statement
- Prepaid and addressed return envelope
- A money order for $24 per copy
Mail to:
San Francisco Department of Public Health
Office of Vital Records
101 Grove Street, Room 105
San Francisco, CA 94102
You should get the death certificate in 5 to 10 business days.
4. Expedited service
If you need your certificate quickly, you can add a $30 fee to speed up processing of your application.
Fee does not include express delivery. You can include an express envelope (like UPS or FedEx) instead of a self addressed stamped envelope.
Who can get a death certificate
You can apply for a Certified Authorized Copy of a death certificate for:
- Your spouse, parent, grandparent, grandchild, child, sibling, or state-registered domestic partner
Anyone can request an informational copy of a death certificate.
Special cases
Get a death certificate for someone else
Get a death certificate for someone else
You can also apply for a Certified Authorized Copy of a death certificate if you:
- Have a certified court order
- Have a valid Power of Attorney document
- Are an authorized attorney (with supporting documents)
- Are a licensed adoption agency (with an order of relinquishment)
- Work for another government agency (with work ID and a letter from a supervisor authorizing your request)
Correcting a death certificate
Correcting a death certificate
Correcting or ammending a death certificate happens at the state level. Go to the California Department of Public Health page for more information.
Get help
Department of Public Health
Office of Vital Records101 Grove Street
Room 105
San Francisco, CA 94102
Mon to Fri,
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Closed on public holidays.
Phone
Office of Vital Records
Last updated December 5, 2023