Death Certificates

*Effective January 1, 2022 the fee for a certified copy of a Death Certificate will increase to $24*

There are three ways to obtain a death certificate:

1. Come to our office in person. Before your visit, visit the Assessor-Recorder Self Service website.
2. Mail in a request**: Obtain the Fillable/Printable Death Certificate Application on the Forms page. Please allow 1-3 working days, after receipt, to process your request.
3. Pay with credit or debit (when not coming in)**: Vitalchek (additional fee applies) Please allow 1-3 working days, after receipt, to process your request.

**Requires notarized sworn statement.

IN THE OFFICE we accept cash, check, and credit/debit (additional fee applies). Please do NOT send cash in the mail. 

Mailing address:

Shasta County Recorder's Office
1450 Court Street, Suite 208
Redding, CA 96001- 1670

To obtain a certified copy of a death certificate you must be an authorized applicant pursuant to Health and Safety Code §103526.

In order to qualify for an Authorized certified copy, you must be:

• A parent or legal guardian of the decedent 
• A party entitled to receive the record as a result of a court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the death record in order to comply with the requirements of §3140 of 7603 of the Family Code
• A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business (companies representing a governmental agency must provide authorization from the government agency)
• A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner of the applicant
• An attorney representing the applicant of the applicant's estate, of any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the applicant or the applicant's estate.
• A funeral director ordering certified copies of a death certificate on behalf of an individual specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of Subdivision (a) of §7100 of the Health and Safety Code.

Any relationship different than those mentioned above would be entitled to a certified Informational copy only.

The following information will be needed to locate the record:

• The decedent's full name at the time of death
• The date of death
• The place of death
• The decedent's date of birth, if known
• The complete address where the copy is to be mailed, if applicable
• Signed, sworn statement, with Notary acknowledgement if by mail, or signed in the presence of a member of the Shasta County Recorder's staff

Per Health & Safety Code 103650 - The fee for any search of the files and records performed by the custodian of the records for a specific record when no certified copy is made shall be paid in advance by the applicant. The fee shall be the same as the fee required in Section 103625.