Find San Mateo Obituary Documents

San Mateo death certificates are maintained by the county Clerk-Recorder office, which is actually located right in San Mateo. The office handles all death records for the entire county. You request certificates online through VitalChek, in person at the office, or by mail. Certificates are ready two to three weeks after death. Fee is $26 each. Online orders add a $7 VitalChek fee. Walk in service offers same day processing for deaths from 1966 forward. Earlier records take 24 hours because staff must get them from storage. The office sits at 555 County Center in Redwood City. Most people use online ordering for speed and convenience, though in person visits work well if you need immediate help or same day service.

Clerk-Recorder Office Location

San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder is the sole office for death certificates in the county. The address is 555 County Center, first floor, Redwood City, California 94063. Open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No appointments needed. Walk in service is available during business hours.

Call (650) 363-4000 for general questions. Staff answer questions about fees, required documents, and record availability. You can also reach them at (650) 599-1713. For very recent deaths within the last few weeks, call San Mateo County Vital Statistics at (650) 573-2395. They handle new death registrations before the record transfers to the Clerk-Recorder.

The San Mateo County death certificates page lists all ordering options. It explains authorized versus informational copies. The page has downloadable forms and links to the online ordering system. Read the eligibility rules before you apply to know which type of copy you can get.

Parking is available in lots next to the County Center. Hourly fees apply. SamTrans buses serve the area. Check routes before your trip. The building is accessible with elevators and ramps. Staff at the front desk can direct you to the Clerk-Recorder on the first floor.

How to Order Death Records

You have three ways to order. Online through VitalChek is fastest. In person at the Redwood City office gives same day service. Mail takes longest but works if you are not local. Each method has pros and cons.

Online orders go through VitalChek. Visit their website, select California and San Mateo County, then follow the steps. Create an account. Enter the deceased person's details. Upload your ID. Add a notarized sworn statement if you need an authorized copy. Pay by credit card. VitalChek charges $7 on top of the county fee. Total is about $33 per certificate. Processing takes five to ten days. You get email updates.

In person, bring a completed application form. You can download it from the county website or fill one out at the office. Bring your photo ID. If you want an authorized copy, bring a notarized sworn statement. Pay with cash, check, or card. Staff process the request while you wait if the record is from 1966 or later. Older records need 24 hours for retrieval from off site storage. Call ahead if ordering pre-1966 records.

By mail, send a completed application, your photo ID copy, and payment. Add a notarized sworn statement for authorized copies. Mail to San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder, 555 County Center, 1st Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063. Include a self addressed stamped envelope. Processing takes two to three weeks. The county mails the certificate to the address on your application.

Cost and Payment Options

Death certificates cost $26 per copy as of January 1, 2026. This fee went up by $2 due to Assembly Bill 64. The fee covers the search whether or not a record is found. If no record matches your information, the county issues a certificate of no public record and keeps the fee.

In person, pay with cash, check, or credit card. Make checks to San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder. For mail, send a check or money order. Never send cash by mail. Online orders through VitalChek add a $7 service fee plus credit card processing fees. The total online cost is about $33 to $35 per certificate depending on card fees.

If you order multiple copies at once, each copy costs $26. So three copies cost $78 plus any service fees. There is no bulk discount. Most people order just one or two copies. Insurance companies and estate lawyers may need several.

Who Can Get Authorized Copies

California law limits who can get authorized death certificates. Authorized copies have full legal standing. You need them for settling estates, claiming insurance, or closing accounts. Only certain people qualify.

Eligible people include the deceased person's spouse or domestic partner, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. An attorney for the estate can get them. A funeral director handling arrangements qualifies. Law enforcement with a court order can request them. Insurance companies with a valid policy claim on the deceased are eligible.

To get an authorized copy, you must provide a notarized sworn statement. The statement declares under penalty of perjury that you qualify. Sign it in front of a notary. The notary checks your ID and watches you sign. Submit this with your application. Without it, you get an informational copy instead.

Informational copies have the same information but include a watermark stating they cannot establish identity. They cost the same. Use them for genealogy or personal records. No notarized statement required for informational copies.

Note: Lying on a sworn statement is perjury, a crime that carries jail time.

Records for Recent Deaths

Death certificates take two to three weeks to become available after death. The medical examiner or doctor must complete the medical section. The funeral director files paperwork with the county. All this processing takes time. Do not apply before the certificate is filed or you waste the search fee.

Call San Mateo County Vital Statistics at (650) 573-2395 if the death was very recent. Ask if the certificate is ready to order. Once it is ready, order from the Clerk-Recorder. For deaths more than a month ago, the Clerk-Recorder definitely has the record.

Deaths from 1966 forward are available same day in person. Older records take 24 hours because they are off site. Plan accordingly. If you need a pre-1966 certificate quickly, call ahead to request retrieval. The county will have it ready when you arrive.

Older Death Records

San Mateo County has death records dating back to the 1800s. The exact start date varies, but most California counties began keeping vital records in the 1870s or earlier. All records are available, but older ones take longer to get because of storage location.

Pre-1966 records are stored off site. The county needs 24-hour notice to retrieve them. Call or email ahead. The staff will pull the record from storage so it is ready when you come in or when they process your mail or online order. Without advance notice, there will be a delay while they retrieve it.

Very old records may have faded ink or damage. The county copies what they have. If parts are illegible, the copy reflects that. You cannot request a better copy if the original is damaged. Order multiple copies if you think you might need extras later, since the retrieval process takes time.

California Death Record Laws

California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 governs death certificate access. The law was passed to prevent identity theft. It restricts who can get authorized copies. The law took effect in 2003. Before that, anyone could get a full copy.

The statute defines authorized persons. It requires notarized sworn statements for authorized copies. Penalties for false statements include criminal charges for perjury. Courts take this seriously. Do not lie about your relationship to the deceased.

The law allows informational copies for people who do not qualify for authorized copies. Informational copies serve genealogists, historians, and distant relatives. They contain all the same data but have a restrictive legend across the face. This prevents misuse for identity theft.

Death Records for Family Research

Family historians use death certificates to trace lineages and confirm dates. If you are researching an ancestor who is not a close relative, you will get an informational copy. That works fine for genealogy. It has all the information you need.

Consider ordering from the county even if online databases list the death. Official certificates have more detail than indexes. They show cause of death, place of birth, parents' names, occupation, and burial location. Indexes usually only show name, date, and place of death.

The California State Archives has some historical death records on microfilm. Visit them in Sacramento or check their online catalog. They supplement but do not replace county records. FamilySearch and Ancestry also have California death indexes. Use these to confirm details before ordering from the county.

Other Sources for Obituary Information

Besides official certificates, look for obituaries in newspapers. The San Mateo Daily Journal covers the area. Check their archives or contact them for old obituaries. Local funeral homes post obituaries on their websites. Search by name to find recent postings.

Public libraries in San Mateo have obituary files and newspaper archives. The San Mateo Public Library may have microfilm or digital access to historical newspapers. Librarians can help you search. This adds context beyond what the death certificate provides.

Online databases like Legacy.com aggregate obituaries from newspapers nationwide. Search for free but some features require payment. These sites are good for finding recent obituaries quickly. They do not replace official death certificates for legal purposes.

Other San Mateo County Cities

San Mateo County has several cities with large populations. Daly City, Redwood City, and South San Francisco all use the same county office for death records. You can order certificates for any of these cities from the Clerk-Recorder in Redwood City.