Search Stanislaus County Death Records

Stanislaus County death certificates and obituaries can be obtained from the Clerk Recorder office in Modesto. The office maintains death records for all deaths that occurred within Stanislaus County from the 1800s to present day. You can order certified copies in person at the office, by mail, or online through approved vendors. Each death certificate costs $26 as of January 1, 2026. Recent deaths may not be available immediately as the funeral director and medical certifier must complete and file the record first, which can take several weeks. Processing times for requests vary from same day service for in person orders of recent records to two to three weeks for mail requests or older records that staff must retrieve from archives or offsite storage facilities.

Stanislaus County Clerk Recorder

The Stanislaus County Clerk Recorder office handles vital records for the county. Death certificates are part of their vital records services. The office keeps death records dating back to when California counties began formal record keeping in the late 1800s. They issue certified copies to people who qualify for authorized copies and informational copies to anyone who requests them.

Visit the Stanislaus County death certificate page for complete information about ordering. This page lists the requirements, fees, and processing times. It also explains the difference between authorized and informational copies so you can decide which type you need.

The office is in Modesto at the county administrative center. Staff are available Monday through Friday during business hours. Call (209) 525-5250 with questions about death records. They can help you determine if they have the record you need and explain what documents you must submit with your request.

Request a Death Certificate

To request a Stanislaus County death certificate, you need basic information about the deceased. Provide the full name as it appears on the death record. Include the date of death if you know it. If not, give an approximate year or decade. State that the death occurred in Stanislaus County. If you are not certain, you may need to check with neighboring counties as well.

Fill out a death certificate application form. You can get one from the county website or pick one up at the office in person. The form asks for your contact information and your relationship to the deceased. It also asks whether you want an authorized copy or an informational copy. Choose based on how you plan to use the certificate.

An authorized copy is a full legal document you can use for official purposes. Banks, insurance companies, and government agencies accept authorized copies. To get one, you must be an authorized person under California law. This includes immediate family members such as a spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild. Domestic partners have the same rights as spouses. Attorneys for the estate and funeral directors can also get authorized copies.

Submit a notarized sworn statement with your request if you want an authorized copy. This document proves your relationship to the deceased. Sign it under penalty of perjury in front of a notary public. The notary verifies your identity and watches you sign. Then they stamp and sign the statement. Send the original notarized document, not a photocopy.

An informational copy shows the same information but has a watermark. The watermark states the copy is not valid to establish identity. Anyone can get an informational copy without proving a relationship. No notarized statement is needed. This type works for genealogy research and personal records but most legal matters require an authorized copy.

Visit the Office in Modesto

You can order death certificates in person at the Stanislaus County office in Modesto. Bring your photo ID and details about the deceased. Staff at the counter help you complete an application form. You pay when you submit your request. The office accepts cash, checks, and credit cards for in person payments. Some counties charge a convenience fee for credit card use but check with Stanislaus County for their current policy.

If you need an authorized copy, you can complete a sworn statement at the counter instead of getting it notarized elsewhere. Staff provide the form. You sign it under penalty of perjury in front of them. The staff member witnesses your signature and serves as the official witness. This is faster and easier than going to a separate notary before visiting the office.

Processing time for in person requests depends on the age and location of the record. Recent deaths from the past few decades are typically in the computer system. Staff can search and print these certificates while you wait in many cases. Older records from the 1800s and early 1900s may be on microfilm or stored offsite. These can take several days to locate and retrieve. Staff will tell you how long to expect when you place your order. They can mail your certificate to you if it is not ready the same day.

Note: Call ahead to verify office hours and confirm the record is available before making the trip to Modesto.

Mail Your Request

Send mail requests to the Stanislaus County Clerk Recorder office in Modesto. The address is on the death certificate application form. Include your completed application, payment, and notarized statement if you want an authorized copy. Processing time for mail orders is typically two to three weeks from when the office receives your envelope. Busy times of year may cause longer delays.

Payment must be by check or money order. Make it payable to Stanislaus County Clerk Recorder. Do not send cash through the mail. The county cannot be held responsible for lost cash. Write your phone number on the application so staff can contact you if they need more information or cannot find the record. Include a return mailing address for delivery of your certificate.

The notarized sworn statement must be completed before you mail it. Take your application to a notary public. Bring your photo ID. Sign the sworn statement section in front of the notary. They verify your identity and witness your signature. Then they stamp and sign the document to certify it. The county needs the original notarized statement, not a copy. Photocopies are not accepted for mail requests.

If staff cannot locate the record, they send you a letter explaining no record was found. They keep your search fee. This can happen if the name is spelled differently than you thought, the date is wrong, or the death occurred in a different county. Double check your information before mailing to avoid losing the fee on an unsuccessful search.

Death Certificate Fees

Stanislaus County charges $26 per death certificate copy. This is the standard fee for California counties as set by state law effective January 1, 2026. The fee is the same whether you order an authorized copy or an informational copy. It covers the cost of searching county records and issuing one certified copy. You pay this base amount no matter which ordering method you use.

Online orders through third party vendors like VitalChek add extra service fees. These charges pay for the convenience of online ordering and credit card processing. Expect to pay about $13 more for online service fees on top of the base $26 county fee. Shipping costs extra as well. Standard delivery adds around $7. Expedited shipping options cost $19 or more depending on how fast you need your certificate delivered.

There is no refund if the record cannot be found. The search fee is retained even when staff cannot locate the record you requested. This policy is set by California Health and Safety Code Section 103650. Order multiple copies at once if you need more than one. Each copy costs the full $26 fee. There is no volume discount. However, ordering several copies in one request saves you the trouble of submitting separate orders later when you discover you need more.

Cities in Stanislaus County

Stanislaus County includes several cities. Two have populations over 100,000. All death records for Stanislaus County cities are maintained by the county clerk recorder office, not by the individual cities.

Residents of these cities and all other Stanislaus County locations must contact the county office in Modesto for death certificates.

Nearby County Offices

If the death occurred in a neighboring county, contact that county's recorder office. Each county only maintains death records for events within its borders.