San Bernardino Obituary Records

San Bernardino County death records and obituaries are maintained by the county assessor recorder county clerk. The county only has records of deaths that occurred within San Bernardino County. Death certificates become available 30 to 60 days after the event at the recorder's office. For more recent deaths, contact the County Public Health Vital Statistics Registration Office. The fee for a death certificate is $26 per copy as of January 1, 2026 due to Assembly Bill 64. You can order by mail, online, or in person. The county has records going back to the 1800s for deaths in San Bernardino County.

How to Get Death Certificates

To order a San Bernardino County death certificate, start at the assessor recorder county clerk vital records page. This page has application forms and instructions. You need the full name of the deceased and the date of death. The place of death within San Bernardino County helps speed the search. State whether you need an authorized or informational copy.

In person service is available at 222 West Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino, CA 92415. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. No appointment is needed. Bring a photo ID and your completed application. Staff can process your request while you wait if the record is available. In person is the fastest way to get a certificate.

For mail orders, send your completed application with a check or money order for $26 per copy to the address above. Make the payment payable to San Bernardino County. Include a self addressed stamped envelope. Do not send cash. Mail orders are processed in the order received and take two to four weeks.

For recent deaths within the last 30 to 60 days, contact the County of San Bernardino Public Health Vital Statistics Registration Office instead of the recorder. This office handles new death registrations before they transfer to the permanent county archive.

Phone inquiries can be directed to (855) 732-2575. This toll free number reaches the vital records office. Staff can answer questions about fees, processing times, and what information you need. They cannot take orders over the phone but can help you prepare your request.

Authorized Persons for Death Certificates

California law limits who can receive an authorized certified copy of a death record. Authorized persons include the spouse or domestic partner of the deceased. Parents and children are authorized. Grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings also qualify. Attorneys representing the estate and funeral directors can get authorized copies.

To prove you are an authorized person, you must provide a notarized sworn statement. This statement declares under penalty of perjury that you are eligible under California Health and Safety Code Section 103526. It must be signed in the presence of a notary public. Without this notarized statement, you will receive an informational copy instead.

Informational copies are available to anyone without proving a relationship. These copies have a watermark stating they cannot be used to establish identity. They work for genealogy research or personal records but not for legal purposes. Banks and insurance companies require authorized copies, not informational ones.

Fees and Processing Times

The cost for a San Bernardino County death certificate is $26 per copy. This fee increased from $24 on January 1, 2026. The increase was mandated by Assembly Bill 64. The fee is the same for both authorized and informational copies. Each additional copy of the same record costs $26. No discount is offered for multiple copies.

If the office cannot locate the record you request, they keep your fee. They will issue a Certificate of No Public Record. This document shows they searched and did not find the record in their files. The fee is not refundable even when no record is found. Verify your information is correct before ordering.

In person requests can be completed the same day if the record is readily available. Older records stored offsite may take one to three business days. Mail orders take two to four weeks from the date received. High volume periods may cause longer delays. Sending a complete application with all required information helps avoid delays.

Information Required to Order

You must know the full legal name of the deceased. Include middle names if known. The date of death is critical. If you do not know the exact date, provide the year and month. A narrow date range increases the chance of finding the record quickly.

The place of death within San Bernardino County helps narrow the search. This could be a city, hospital, nursing home, or other location. Your relationship to the deceased must be stated. This determines whether you receive an authorized or informational copy.

For authorized copies, prepare the notarized sworn statement before you submit your request. Notary services are available at most banks, shipping stores, and some government offices. The notary will verify your identity and watch you sign the statement. They stamp it with their seal and signature.

Death Records for County Cities

San Bernardino County includes 24 cities. Major cities with populations over 100,000 include San Bernardino, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Victorville, Rialto, Hesperia, Chino, Chino Hills, Upland, and Redlands. None of these cities issue death certificates. All vital records are handled by the county assessor recorder county clerk.

If someone died in any San Bernardino County city, you must get the death certificate from the county office. The city where the death occurred will be listed on the certificate itself. This system applies to both incorporated cities and unincorporated areas within the county.

The county maintains records for all deaths regardless of where in the county they occurred. This centralizes vital records and simplifies the process. You always know to contact the county level office rather than trying to find a city department.

Older San Bernardino County Death Records

San Bernardino County was one of the original 27 California counties formed in 1850. It is the largest county by area in the United States. The county clerk has death records from the 1800s to the present. Very old records may be on microfilm or in archived storage.

California did not require statewide death registration until July 1, 1905. For deaths before that date, county recorders are the only source. San Bernardino County records from before 1905 may have less information than modern certificates. They may show only basic facts like name, date, and cause of death.

Requesting a record from the 1800s or early 1900s may take extra time. Staff must locate and retrieve records from offsite storage or archives. Call ahead if you need an old record to ask about processing time. The clerk's office can search historical records if you provide enough identifying information.

Note: Early San Bernardino County was much larger than it is today and included areas that are now separate counties.

Nearby Counties for Death Records

San Bernardino County borders Riverside County to the south, Orange County to the southwest, Los Angeles County to the west, Kern County to the northwest, and Inyo County to the north. Nevada and Arizona border the county to the east. If you are unsure which county a death occurred in, check with neighboring counties.

Contact information for nearby counties:

• Riverside County Clerk Recorder: (951) 486-7000
• Orange County Recorder: (714) 834-2500
• Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder: (800) 201-8999
• Kern County Public Health: (661) 321-3000
• Inyo County Clerk Recorder: (760) 878-0222

Each county maintains only its own death records. If the death occurred outside San Bernardino County, you must contact the correct county. The San Bernardino County office cannot provide records from other counties even if they are nearby.