Manteca Obituary Records

Manteca death certificates and obituary records are maintained by San Joaquin County, not the city. The Assessor Recorder Clerk office in Stockton handles all death records for deaths within Manteca city limits and throughout the county. You can request certified copies in person at the county office, by mail, or through online ordering services. San Joaquin County has records dating back to the late 1800s for all deaths in the county. Recent deaths may take several weeks to become available as the funeral director and physician must file the record first. The fee is $26 per certified copy as of January 1, 2026. Authorized persons can get certified copies for legal purposes, while anyone can request informational copies for genealogy or personal records without proving a relationship.

San Joaquin County Assessor Recorder Clerk

All Manteca death records are handled by San Joaquin County. The Assessor Recorder Clerk office maintains vital records for all cities in the county including Manteca, Stockton, Tracy, Lodi, and other communities. The office is located in Stockton, the county seat. They have death records from the late 1800s to the present for all deaths that occurred within San Joaquin County.

Call (209) 468-3939 with questions about Manteca death records. Staff can tell you if they have the record you need and explain the difference between authorized and informational copies. If you are not sure which type you need for your situation, ask before you place your order. This saves time and ensures you get the right document on the first try.

Visit the San Joaquin County death certificates page for current information about fees, requirements, and processing times. The page explains what you need to include with your request and how long it takes to receive your certificate. You can also find application forms and mailing addresses on this page.

Processing time for in person requests depends on the age of the record. Recent Manteca deaths from the past few decades may be available while you wait. Staff search the computer system and print your certificate on the spot if they find it. Older records from the 1800s and early 1900s may be stored offsite in archives. These can take several days to retrieve and will be mailed to you when they become available.

What is Included on a Death Certificate

A Manteca death certificate shows the full name of the deceased, their date of birth, age at death, and gender. It lists the date, time, and exact location where the death occurred in Manteca. The cause of death is stated along with the name of the attending physician or coroner who certified the death. You will also see the deceased person's occupation, marital status, and spouse name if married.

The certificate names the parents of the deceased including the mother's maiden name. This makes death certificates very useful for genealogy research and family history projects. The funeral home that handled arrangements is listed along with the method of disposition such as burial or cremation. If the person was buried, some certificates include the cemetery name and location.

San Joaquin County provides two types of death certificate copies. An authorized copy is a full legal document with a raised seal that you can use for official purposes. This includes settling estates, claiming life insurance benefits, transferring property titles, or closing bank accounts. To get an authorized copy, you must prove you are an authorized person under California Health and Safety Code Section 103526. This includes immediate family members, domestic partners, attorneys for the estate, and funeral directors.

An informational copy shows the same information but has a watermark stating it cannot be used to establish identity. Anyone can get an informational copy without proving a relationship to the deceased. This type works well for genealogy research and personal family records. Most legal matters and financial institutions require an authorized copy, not an informational copy. The fee is $26 for both types of copies.

Steps to Order a Death Certificate

To order a Manteca death certificate from San Joaquin County, gather the required information first. You need the full name of the deceased as it appears on the death record. Provide the date of death if you know it. If not, give an approximate year or range of years. State that the death occurred in Manteca or San Joaquin County. Include your contact information so staff can reach you if they have questions about your request.

Decide if you need an authorized copy or an informational copy. An authorized copy is required for legal and financial matters. You must be a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, domestic partner, attorney for the estate, or funeral director to qualify for an authorized copy. Prepare a notarized sworn statement declaring your relationship to the deceased under penalty of perjury. Without this notarized statement, you will receive an informational copy instead.

For in person requests, visit the San Joaquin County office in Stockton during business hours. Bring a photo ID, your completed application form, the notarized sworn statement if you need an authorized copy, and payment of $26. Staff at the counter help you fill out the application form if needed. You pay when you submit your request. The office accepts cash, checks, and credit cards for in person payments.

For mail orders, send your application form, notarized statement if required, payment, and a return envelope to the county office. Use a check or money order made payable to San Joaquin County. Never mail cash as it can get lost or stolen. Mail orders take about one to three weeks to process and mail back to you. If the record is very old and stored in archives, it may take longer.

Online ordering may be available through authorized vendors. Check the county website for current online options. When ordering online, you need a credit card to pay. Some vendors charge an extra service fee on top of the $26 county fee. You can choose regular mail or expedited shipping for an additional cost. Upload your notarized sworn statement if you need an authorized copy, or mail it separately to the county office.

Certificate Fees and Wait Times

San Joaquin County charges $26 per death certificate as of January 1, 2026. This is the standard fee set by California state law under Assembly Bill 64. The $26 covers the cost of searching records and providing one certified copy. If staff search and do not find a record based on the information you provide, they keep the fee and send you a letter stating no record was found. Make sure your information is accurate to avoid this outcome.

When you order in person, bring exact change or a method of payment. The office accepts cash, personal checks, cashier's checks, money orders, and credit cards. Make checks payable to San Joaquin County. Some offices charge a small convenience fee for credit card transactions. For mail orders, send a check or money order only. Do not mail cash as it can be lost or stolen. Personal checks may delay processing by a week while the check clears the bank.

Processing times vary based on how you order and the age of the record. In person requests for recent Manteca deaths may be filled while you wait if the record is in the computer system. Same day service is common for deaths from the past 20 or 30 years. Mail orders take one to three weeks from the time the county receives your request. Very old records from the 1800s or early 1900s may take longer because they are stored offsite in archives.

Recent deaths may not be available right away. It takes several weeks after a death for the funeral director and physician to complete and file the death certificate with the county. If someone just died, wait at least a month before you try to order the certificate. Call the county office to ask if the record has been filed yet before you send your request and payment.

Note: The certificate fee is for the search, so you pay even if no record is found.

California Death Record Laws

California law requires every death in the state to be registered with the local county within a set time period. Funeral directors usually file the death certificate with the county health department. The attending physician or coroner must complete and sign the medical section certifying the cause of death. Once the county registers the death, they send a copy to the California Department of Public Health in Sacramento and keep a permanent copy at the county level.

Access to death records is governed by Health and Safety Code Section 103526. This statute defines who can receive an authorized certified copy without redactions. It was passed to prevent identity theft and protect the privacy of deceased persons. Only close family members, legal representatives, and certain government officials can get authorized copies. Everyone else receives an informational copy with a watermark and redacted signatures and social security numbers.

Death records more than 75 years old are considered public records and open to anyone without restriction. For Manteca deaths from before 1951, you do not need to prove a relationship to the deceased to get a copy. You can request these older records from San Joaquin County or from the California State Archives in Sacramento. The state archives has microfilmed copies of old vital records from many counties across California.

If you need to correct an error on a death certificate, you must file an amendment request with the California Department of Public Health, not the county. The state processes all amendments and corrections to vital records. There is a separate fee for amendments. Common reasons for amendments include correcting misspelled names, wrong birth dates, inaccurate cause of death, or other errors on the original certificate.

Additional Resources for Manteca Residents

The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner Coroner investigates deaths that occur under suspicious or unusual circumstances in Manteca. Their office handles cases involving unattended deaths, accidents, suicides, and homicides. The coroner does not issue death certificates, but they certify the cause of death for cases they investigate. Once the coroner releases the body, the funeral home files the death certificate with the county recorder.

For help with funeral costs, San Joaquin County offers indigent burial assistance for low income families who cannot afford funeral expenses. This program helps cover basic burial or cremation costs when a family has no other resources. Contact the county social services agency to ask about eligibility requirements and how to apply. The county also maintains a list of funeral homes and cremation services in the Manteca and Stockton area.

If you need legal advice about estate matters after a death in Manteca, the San Joaquin County Bar Association has a referral service. Many attorneys offer a free or reduced cost initial consultation to discuss your case. Legal aid organizations in San Joaquin County provide free help to qualifying individuals for probate, wills, trusts, and estate settlement. These services can guide you through the legal process and explain what documents you need.

The California Department of Public Health maintains a statewide death index for deaths from 1905 to 1997. This free index is available on FamilySearch and other genealogy websites. You can search by name to find the year and county of death. This is helpful when you do not know exactly where or when someone died in California. Once you find the county, you can order the actual certificate from San Joaquin County if the death occurred in Manteca.

Other San Joaquin County Cities

If you need death records for other cities in San Joaquin County, the same county office handles all requests. Stockton, Tracy, and Lodi all use the San Joaquin County Assessor Recorder Clerk for death certificates. There are no separate city offices for vital records in these communities. The county maintains all records at the single office in Stockton.

For deaths in nearby counties, you must contact those county offices directly. Stanislaus County serves Modesto, Turlock, and Ceres. Alameda County handles Oakland, Fremont, and Hayward. Contra Costa County covers Concord, Richmond, and Antioch. Each county has its own fees and procedures, but they all follow the same California state laws for who can get authorized copies.