Colusa County Obituary Records

Colusa County maintains death certificates through the County Clerk-Recorder office in Colusa. The office has records from when the county formed in 1850. You can obtain authorized certified copies for legal purposes or informational copies for genealogy research. Fees follow California state law at $26 per certificate. Request methods include in person visits, mail applications, and possibly online ordering through approved vendors.

Colusa County Clerk-Recorder Office

The Colusa County Clerk-Recorder handles death certificates for the county. Visit the Colusa County vital records information page for details on ordering. The office is in Colusa at 546 Jay Street. They maintain records from when Colusa County formed in 1850 as one of California's original counties.

Colusa County is a small agricultural county in the Sacramento Valley. The county has death records from the 1850s forward. Early records provide information about settlers in Northern California during the Gold Rush era and after. The clerk-recorder maintains both recent and historical death certificates.

The office issues authorized certified copies and informational copies under California law. Authorized copies work for legal matters. Informational copies serve genealogy needs. To get an authorized copy, you must prove you are an eligible person under California Health and Safety Code Section 103526. Provide a notarized sworn statement with your request.

Requesting Colusa County Death Certificates

Request death certificates in person, by mail, or possibly online. For in person requests, visit the Clerk-Recorder office in Colusa during business hours. Bring photo ID and information about the deceased. Fill out an application and pay the fee. Staff will search records and issue the certificate if found.

Mail requests require an application form. Download it from the county website or call to request one. Fill it out completely. Include payment as a check or money order payable to Colusa County Clerk-Recorder. For authorized copies, attach a notarized sworn statement. Mail everything to the address on the form with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Processing takes several weeks.

Check the county website for online ordering options. You can also use the statewide California system via VitalChek for deaths after July 1905.

Cities in Colusa County

Colusa County includes the cities of Colusa and Williams. Colusa is the county seat. Other communities are small unincorporated towns. All death records for the county are kept at the clerk-recorder office in Colusa. No city operates an independent vital records office. Everyone uses the county system.

Colusa County is one of California's least populated counties. The county is primarily agricultural with rice and almonds as major crops. The county maintains vital records from its early days as part of California.

Fees and Processing Times

Death certificates cost $26 per copy as set by California law. The county retains this fee even if no record is found. They issue a Certificate of No Public Record instead. State law allows this under Health and Safety Code Section 103650.

Processing times vary. In person requests for recent deaths can be same day. Mail requests take several weeks. Online orders have similar times plus shipping. Verify your information is accurate before submitting to avoid delays.

Historical Death Records for Genealogy

Colusa County has death records from 1850. These early records are valuable for family history research. Informational copies work for genealogy without proving family relationships. Online databases like FamilySearch California Death Index help locate records before ordering copies.

Nearby California Counties

For deaths in neighboring counties, contact their respective vital records offices.