Ventura County Death Records

Ventura County maintains death records and obituaries through the county clerk recorder's office. The recorder has vital records for births, deaths, and marriages in Ventura County from 1873 to the present. You can request death certificates by mail, online, or in person at the county office in Ventura. The fee is $26 per copy starting January 1, 2026. This is an increase from the previous $24 fee. Both authorized and informational copies are available depending on your relationship to the deceased. Processing times vary from same day for in person requests to several weeks for mail orders.

Ordering Death Certificates from Ventura County

To order a death certificate, visit the Ventura County Clerk Recorder vital records page. This page has forms and instructions for requesting death records. You need the full name of the deceased and the date of death. The place of death in Ventura County helps speed the search. State your relationship to the deceased to determine which type of copy you receive.

In person requests can be made at 800 S Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009. The office is open Monday through Friday. Hours vary so call ahead at (805) 654-2267 to confirm. Bring a photo ID and your completed application form. Staff will process your request while you wait if the record is available. Most records from recent years are ready the same day.

Mail requests should include a completed application form, payment of $26 per copy, and a self addressed stamped envelope. Make checks or money orders payable to Ventura County Clerk Recorder. Mail to the address above. Do not send cash through the mail. Processing time for mail orders is typically two to four weeks from when the office receives your request.

Online ordering may be available through VitalChek or another third party vendor. Check the county website for current online options. Online orders have additional service fees on top of the $26 county fee. These fees cover processing and shipping. Credit card payment is required for online orders.

Authorized vs Informational Copies

Ventura County issues two types of death certificate copies. An authorized copy is certified and can be used for legal purposes like settling estates, claiming life insurance, or notifying Social Security. An informational copy has a watermark stating it cannot be used to establish identity. The fee is the same for both types.

Only authorized persons can receive an authorized copy. This includes the spouse or domestic partner of the deceased. Parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings are authorized. Attorneys representing the estate and funeral directors handling arrangements also qualify. You must provide a notarized sworn statement proving you are an authorized person.

The notarized statement must be signed in the presence of a notary public. It declares under penalty of perjury that you are eligible to receive an authorized copy under California law. Without this statement, you will receive an informational copy even if you qualify as an authorized person.

Informational copies are available to anyone. No proof of relationship is needed. These copies work well for genealogy research or personal records. They cannot be used for legal transactions that require proof of death.

Death Certificate Fees

Starting January 1, 2026, the fee for a Ventura County death certificate is $26 per copy. This is up from the previous $24 fee. The increase was required by Assembly Bill 64 passed by the California legislature. The fee covers the cost of searching for the record and one copy. Each additional copy costs $26.

If the county cannot locate the record, they keep your fee. They will issue a Certificate of No Public Record. This shows they searched and did not find the record in their system. Make sure you have accurate information before ordering to avoid wasting the fee. Call the vital records office at (805) 654-2267 if you are unsure whether they have the record.

Payment methods include check, money order, or credit card in person. Make checks payable to Ventura County Clerk Recorder. Do not send cash by mail. The county is not responsible for cash lost in the mail. Credit card payments in person may have a small convenience fee.

How Long It Takes

In person requests at the Ventura County office can be completed the same day for most records. Staff will search for the record and print it while you wait. This is the fastest way to get a death certificate. Older records stored offsite may take one to three business days to retrieve.

Mail requests take longer. Allow two to four weeks from the date the office receives your application until you get the certificate in the mail. High volume periods may cause longer delays. Sending a complete application with all required information helps speed the process. Incomplete applications are returned without processing.

Online orders through third party vendors typically process within a few days to one week. The vendor forwards your request to the county office. After processing, the certificate is mailed to you. Expedited shipping options cost extra and can reduce delivery time to a few days.

Information Required to Order

You must provide the full legal name of the deceased. Middle names help but are not always required. The date of death is very important. If you do not know the exact date, provide the year and month. A narrow date range increases the chance of finding the record.

The place of death within Ventura County helps speed 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 must declare under penalty of perjury that you are an authorized person. It must be signed in front of a notary public. Notary services are available at most banks and shipping stores.

Note: Providing incomplete or incorrect information can delay processing or result in a no record found response.

Death Records for Ventura County Cities

Ventura County has 10 cities. Major cities include Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Ventura, Camarillo, Moorpark, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Port Hueneme, and Ojai. None of these cities issue death certificates. All vital records are maintained by the Ventura County Clerk Recorder.

If someone died in any Ventura County city, you must request the death certificate from the county office. The city where the death occurred will be noted on the certificate. This applies to both incorporated cities and unincorporated areas within the county. The county office has all death records regardless of where in the county the death took place.

The centralized system makes it easy to know where to request records. You always contact the county clerk recorder's office rather than trying to find a city department. This is standard across California where cities generally do not maintain vital records.

Older Ventura County Death Records

Ventura County has death records dating back to 1873. The county was formed in 1873 from part of Santa Barbara County. For deaths before 1873 in areas that became Ventura County, check with Santa Barbara County. Early 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. Ventura County records from the late 1800s may have less information than modern certificates. They typically show basic facts like name, date, age, and cause of death.

Requesting a record from over 100 years ago may take extra time. Staff must locate and retrieve old records from archives. Call ahead if you need a historical record 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 Ventura County death records for family history research. Informational copies are fine for genealogy since no legal use is intended. The county has helped many researchers trace ancestors who lived in the area in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Neighboring California Counties

Ventura County borders Santa Barbara County to the northwest, Kern County to the north, and Los Angeles County to the east and south. The Pacific Ocean is to the west. If you are unsure which county a death occurred in, check with these neighboring counties.

Contact information for nearby counties:

• Santa Barbara County Clerk Recorder: (805) 568-2251
• Kern County Public Health: (661) 321-3000
• Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder: (800) 201-8999

Each county maintains only its own death records. If the death occurred outside Ventura County, you must contact the correct county. The Ventura County office cannot provide records from other counties even if they share a border.