Riverside County Obituary Search

Riverside County death records are available from two offices depending on how recent the death was. The County of Riverside University Health System Public Health Office of Vital Records handles deaths from the last eight days. After that period, the Riverside County Clerk Recorder takes over and maintains the permanent archive. You can order death certificates online through an electronic portal, by mail, by phone, or in person. The fee is $26 per copy as of January 1, 2026. Riverside County has death records for events within the county going back to the 1800s. Allow four to six weeks after a death before the certificate is available from the clerk recorder's office.

Getting a Death Certificate from Riverside County

To order a death certificate, first decide which office to contact. If the death happened within the last eight days, contact the Public Health Office of Vital Records. They register all births and deaths in Riverside County. For deaths older than eight days, contact the County Clerk Recorder. The clerk has certificates from four to six weeks after the death and maintains the permanent records.

The Riverside County Clerk Recorder vital records page explains the process for ordering. You can order online, by mail, by phone, or in person. Online ordering is available through the county's e-vitals portal. This is the fastest method and you can pay by credit card.

For online orders, go to the Riverside County e-vitals portal. Create an account or log in if you already have one. Follow the steps to enter information about the deceased. You will need the full name, date of death, and place of death. Select whether you need an authorized or informational copy. Upload a scanned notarized statement if you need an authorized copy. Pay by credit card and choose your shipping method.

Phone orders can be placed by calling (800) 696-9144 or (951) 486-7000. Have your credit card ready and the information about the deceased. Staff will take your order and process it. Phone orders have the same fees as online orders.

In Person and Mail Requests

For in person service, visit the Riverside County Clerk Recorder office. The main office is in Riverside but there are branch offices throughout the county. Hours and locations vary by office. Call ahead to confirm hours and whether the office handles vital records. Some branch offices may only handle real estate documents.

Mail requests should be sent to P.O. Box 751, Riverside, CA 92502-0751. Include a completed application form with your request. The form is available on the county website. Send a check or money order for $26 per copy made payable to Riverside County Clerk Recorder. Include a self addressed stamped envelope. Do not send cash by mail.

Processing time for mail orders is typically two to four weeks from the date received. In person requests can be completed faster, sometimes the same day if the record is readily available. Older records stored offsite may take a few extra days to retrieve.

Authorized and Informational Death Certificates

Riverside County issues two types of death records. An authorized copy is certified and can be used for legal purposes. An informational copy has a watermark stating it cannot be used to establish identity. The fee is the same for both at $26 per copy.

Only authorized persons can receive an authorized copy. This includes the spouse or domestic partner. Parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren qualify. Attorneys for the estate and funeral directors also qualify. To prove you are authorized, provide a notarized sworn statement with your request. This statement must be signed in front of a notary public.

Without a notarized statement, you will receive an informational copy even if you are an authorized person. Informational copies are available to anyone. They work for genealogy research but not for legal transactions like settling estates or claiming insurance benefits.

Cost of Death Certificates

The fee for a Riverside County death certificate is $26 per copy. This went up from $24 on January 1, 2026. The increase was due to Assembly Bill 64 passed by the California legislature. The fee applies to both authorized and informational copies. Each additional copy of the same record costs $26. There is no discount for ordering multiple copies at once.

If the county cannot locate the record you request, they keep the fee. They will issue a Certificate of No Public Record showing they searched. This serves as proof that the record does not exist in their files. Make sure you have accurate information before ordering to avoid losing the fee.

Online orders through the e-vitals portal may have small convenience fees for credit card processing. These fees are in addition to the $26 county fee. Shipping costs also apply depending on the method you choose. Standard mail is cheapest while overnight delivery costs more.

Note: VitalChek is not used by Riverside County, only the county's own e-vitals system.

Information Required for Ordering

You must provide the full legal name of the deceased to order a death certificate. Middle names help narrow the search. The date of death is critical. If you do not know the exact date, provide the year and month at minimum. A narrow time range increases the chance of finding the record.

Knowing the place of death within Riverside County speeds up the search. This could be a city, hospital, or other specific location. State your relationship to the deceased on the application. This determines whether you receive an authorized or informational copy.

For authorized copies, prepare a notarized sworn statement before you submit your request. The statement declares under penalty of perjury that you are an authorized person under California Health and Safety Code Section 103526. It must be signed in the presence of a notary public. Notary services are available at most banks, UPS stores, and some county offices.

Death Records for Riverside County Cities

Riverside County has 28 cities. Major cities include Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Murrieta, Temecula, Indio, Palm Springs, Lake Elsinore, Hemet, and Menifee. None of these cities issue death certificates. All vital records are handled at the county level by the clerk recorder's office.

If someone died in any Riverside County city, you must request the death certificate from the county, not the city. The city where the death occurred will be listed on the certificate. This applies to both incorporated cities and unincorporated areas within the county. The county clerk recorder has all death records regardless of where in the county the death took place.

For deaths in unincorporated communities, the same process applies. The county handles all areas within its borders. This centralizes vital records and makes it easier to know where to request documents.

Older Riverside County Death Records

Riverside County was formed in 1893 from parts of San Bernardino and San Diego counties. The county clerk has death records from that time forward. For deaths before 1893, check with San Bernardino County or San Diego County depending on where the death occurred.

Death records from the late 1800s and early 1900s may be on microfilm or in archived storage. These older records can take longer to retrieve than recent records. Call ahead if you need a record more than 50 years old to ask about availability and processing time. The clerk recorder's office can search old records if you provide enough identifying information.

Genealogists often use Riverside County death records for family history research. Informational copies are fine for this purpose since no legal use is intended. The county has helped many researchers locate records of ancestors who lived in the area over a century ago.

Neighboring California Counties

Riverside County borders several other counties. San Bernardino County is to the north. Orange County is to the northwest. San Diego County is to the south. Imperial County is to the southeast. If you are unsure which county a death occurred in, check with neighboring counties.

Contact information for nearby counties:

• San Bernardino County Vital Records: (855) 732-2575
• Orange County Recorder: (714) 834-2500
• San Diego County Recorder Clerk: (619) 237-0502
• Imperial County Clerk Recorder: (442) 265-1075

Each county maintains only its own death records. If the death was outside Riverside County, you must contact the correct county. County boundaries can be confusing in some areas, so it helps to know the specific city or location where the death occurred.