Fontana Death Record Access

Fontana death certificates are issued through San Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk. The city has no local vital records office. All deaths in Fontana must be registered with the county. Records become available 30 to 60 days after someone dies. You can get copies at the county office in San Bernardino, through VitalChek online, or by mailing a request. The cost is $26 per certificate starting January 2026. This fee covers the search and one certified copy. San Bernardino County maintains death records from the late 1800s to present for all county deaths.

Ordering Fontana Death Certificates

Visit the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk office at 222 West Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino for in person service. This location is about 15 miles east of Fontana via I-10. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Walk in with your photo ID, payment, and details about the deceased. Staff search the database and print certified copies while you wait. This usually takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on how busy the office is.

Online ordering works through VitalChek, the authorized third-party vendor for San Bernardino County. Create an account on their website, complete the application, upload required documents like your ID and notarized statement, and pay by credit card. VitalChek charges a service fee on top of the $26 certificate fee. Processing takes two to three weeks once the death record appears in the county system. Remember that records take 30 to 60 days after date of death to become available in the first place.

Mail your request to Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk, 222 West Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino, CA 92415. Include a completed application form from the San Bernardino County vital records page, photocopy of your ID, notarized statement if requesting an authorized copy, and payment by check or money order. Make checks payable to San Bernardino County Recorder. No cash by mail. Mail processing takes three to four weeks after the county receives your request.

Call (855) 732-2575 with questions about specific records or to confirm a death certificate is available before you order. Staff can search their database to tell you if the record exists. This helps avoid ordering too early when records are still being processed.

What You Must Provide

The full legal name of the deceased is required. Include first, middle, and last names plus any suffix like Jr or Sr. The date of death helps, but the county can search by name and year if you do not know the exact day. Additional helpful information includes age at death, place of death such as Kaiser Fontana Medical Center, and spouse name. These details help staff locate the correct record when multiple people have similar names.

For authorized copies, you must prove you are an authorized person. California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 defines who qualifies. Immediate family members can request authorized copies, including spouse, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Attorneys for the estate and funeral directors also qualify. You need a notarized sworn statement confirming your relationship. San Bernardino County provides this form on their website. Take it to a notary public with valid photo ID. Notaries charge about $15 per signature.

All requesters must show valid photo identification. Driver license, state ID, passport, or military ID work. The county verifies identity before releasing vital records. For mail and online orders, include a clear photocopy or scan showing your photo, name, and ID number.

Payment is $26 for the first certified copy as of January 1, 2026. Assembly Bill 64 increased the fee by $2. Additional copies ordered at the same time cost less. Ask about bulk pricing if you need multiple certificates for banks, insurance, and estate matters. In person, pay with cash, check, or credit card. Mail orders require check or money order. Online orders through VitalChek use credit card plus a service fee.

Types of Death Certificates

Authorized copies are fully certified death certificates with a raised seal. They work for all legal and financial purposes. Banks need them to close accounts. Insurance companies require them for benefit claims. Courts use them in probate. Real estate transactions need them. Social Security requires them to stop payments. Only authorized persons can obtain this type, and the certificate shows no restrictions.

Informational copies contain the same death data but include a watermark stating they are for informational purposes only and cannot establish identity. Anyone can request an informational copy without proving a relationship. No notarized statement is required. These copies help with genealogy research, family history, historical documentation, and personal records. Most legal and financial institutions will not accept informational copies. The fee is $26, same as authorized copies.

If you request an authorized copy but cannot prove you qualify, the county issues an informational copy instead and keeps your fee. Make sure you understand the requirements before ordering. Read California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 to see who qualifies. San Bernardino County follows this statute exactly.

When Records Are Ready

Death certificates take time to process. The San Bernardino County Public Health Department registers all county deaths. They collect information from doctors, medical examiners, coroners, and funeral homes. Cause of death must be determined. All paperwork must be completed and verified. Then the record transfers to the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk. This process takes 30 to 60 days from the date of death.

You cannot order a certificate before this time because the county database will not have it. If you try too soon, staff will tell you to wait. For urgent needs, contact the funeral home that handled arrangements. Funeral directors receive a preliminary certificate before the county does. They may provide an uncertified copy for immediate use. Many organizations accept funeral home copies initially but eventually need the official county certificate.

Historical death records going back to the late 1800s are available for Fontana and all San Bernardino County deaths. Older records may not be digitized. Staff might need to search microfilm or paper archives for deaths from decades ago. This takes longer. Call ahead if you need a certificate from before 1980 to check availability and processing time.

Note: Always wait the full 30 to 60 days after date of death before ordering.

Related Death Information

San Bernardino County Coroner investigates sudden or suspicious deaths in Fontana and throughout the county. Contact them about cause of death or to request autopsy reports. Autopsy reports are public records in California and can be ordered separately from death certificates. These medical reports explain how someone died and include toxicology results. Attorneys, insurance investigators, and families often request them.

Fontana obituaries appear in the San Bernardino Sun and local newspapers. Obituary archives are searchable online through newspaper websites and services like Legacy.com. Obituaries provide biographical information, service details, and survivor names. While not legal documents, they help with genealogy and personal information. Many Fontana funeral homes post obituaries on their websites.

The California State Archives maintains historical vital records for genealogy research. They hold microfilm and digitized copies of early California death records from all counties. This helps trace family history and locate deaths from the 1800s and early 1900s. FamilySearch and the Family History Library also offer California death record collections.

The California Department of Public Health keeps duplicate copies of all death records since 1905. You can order from the state instead of the county. Visit their vital records request page for state ordering information. State processing typically takes longer and costs the same $26 fee.

Other San Bernardino County Cities

All San Bernardino County cities use the same death record system. Nearby cities include Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Rialto, San Bernardino, and Hesperia. Each follows identical procedures through the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk. Fees are $26 per copy and processing times are 30 to 60 days across all locations.