How to get a Copy of a Death Certificate from San Francisco County

In San Francisco County, deaths that are deemed “suspicious, unexpected, or violent” must be investigated by a medical examiner with the county coroner’s office. This is necessary to determine the official cause of death, and the process can take anywhere from several weeks to a few months – possibly longer for especially complex incidents. Surviving family members can contact the medical examiner’s office at the following address and telephone number:

1 Newhall St

San Francisco, CA 94124

(415) 641-3600

Once the coroner concludes the investigation, loved ones are eager to get a copy of the death certificate, which is needed to settle the decedent’s estate. However, it is not possible to get a copy of a death certificate from San Francisco County coroner’s office. This document is available through a different office with the county, which we will go over in this article. We will also provide information on related topics that may be of interest to you:

• How much does it cost to get a copy of a death certificate from San Francisco County?

• Once I place an order, how long will it take before I receive a certified copy of the death certificate?

• Can a family member get a Copy of a Death certificate from San Francisco County?

• What if I can’t afford to order a death certificate from San Francisco County? What are my options?

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How to Order a Copy of a Death Certificate from San Francisco County after an Accident

First, it’s important to note that certified copies of a death certificate are only available to authorized individuals, such as family members, spouses, and registered domestic partners. State and federal agencies investigating the death can also obtain a copy, as well as law firms that are representing the deceased’s estate or family members.

If the date of death occurred within the past 3 years, the death certificate must be obtained from the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Office of Vital Records, which is located at:

101 Grove Street, Room 105

San Francisco, CA 94102

As a general rule, visiting the office in person is the fastest way to purchase certified copies of a death certificate. The Vital Records Office is normally open from Monday to Friday, 8AM to 4 PM, but it’s a good idea to verify this information ahead of time by calling the office at (415) 554-2700. This way, you can also find out about acceptable forms of payments, ID you’ll need to bring, and other helpful information.

If the death occurred more than 3 years ago in San Francisco County, you must contact the Office of the County Clerk at (415) 554-4950. However, the vast majority of family members are looking for death records within the past 3 years, so this article will focus on how to get a death certificate from the San Francisco County Vital Records Office. If you have questions or concerns about the legal process after an accidental death in San Francisco County, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

How to Get a Copy of a Death Certificate from San Francisco County by Mail

If you’re unable to go down to the Vital Records Office, you can place an order through the mail for a San Francisco County death certificate after an accident. First, you’ll need to download the application from the Department of Public Health website at

. Read through the instructions carefully to ensure that you’ve included all the necessary information, including a notary stamp to prove that you are an authorized individual under California law. Then, mail the application with a money order for the fee to the following address:

SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE OF VITAL RECORDS
101 GROVE STREET, ROOM 105
SAN FRANCISCO, CA  94102

How to Order a Copy of a Death Certificate Online from San Francisco County 

San Francisco County death certificates can be ordered online from VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com. This is one of the more convenient ordering methods, since the VitalChek system is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, you will need a major credit card (or debit card) to place an order. The system also charges additional processing fees and another fee on top of that if you opt for expedited shipping.

What is the Cost of Obtaining a Copy of a Death Certificate?

The cost of each death certificate from San Francisco County is $24, regardless of how you place an order. Going to the office in person is probably the cheapest method, as you won’t have to pay any mailing or processing fees. Making a purchase online, while convenient, is the most expensive option in most cases due to the processing and shipping costs. But even without these expenses, getting enough copies of a death certificate can be challenging for many families. Quite often, our lawyers are approached with questions, such as:

• How many copies of a death certificate should I get?

• What can we do if we’re not able to pay for a certified copy of a death certificate?

Before we go into these topics, let’s talk about the length of time it takes to receive a certified copy of a death certificate from San Francisco County.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Death Certificate from San Francisco County? 

It takes anywhere from one to four weeks on average to get a death certificate if you place an order online or by mail. Much of this time has to do with how long it takes for your application to be received and processed. Locating your loved one’s death record can take some time as well, especially if the office is understaffed or overwhelmed with requests for vital records. To get a better sense of how long this process will take, we recommend that you call the applicable agency before placing an order.

As we mentioned before, going to the County Vital Records or County Clerk’s Office is the fastest way to get a certified copy of a death certificate. Quite often, these offices can provide you with a certified copy the same day or mail one out to you within a couple of days. As for mail and online orders, the turnaround time is about the same, though you can receive your documents faster if you’re willing to pay for express shipping.

Can I Get a Free Death Certificate from San Francisco County?

Many people struggle to make ends meet after a loved one’s death due to funeral expenses and other unexpected costs. If you are in this situation, you may have questions about how to get a certified copy of a death certificate from San Francisco County for free. Unfortunately, there are no programs though the county that can help those who are unable to afford a San Francisco County accident death certificate. However, our law firm may be able to get it for free if you are seeking compensation from a wrongful death lawsuit.

Lawyers, as we mentioned before, are able to get a certified copy of the death certificate if they are legal representatives of the family and other authorized individuals. Of course, you will need to learn about your rights and legal options before you can decide whether a lawsuit is in your best interest. That’s why we would like to offer you a free case evaluation with a wrongful death lawyer at our office. During this meeting, we can go over many important topics that are currently on your mind, including how to get a death certificate for free from San Francisco County.

What about the Funeral Home – Can They Give me a Free Copy of the Death Certificate?

Funeral directors generally have no problem with giving family members a free copy of the death certificate they have on file. Even if the medical examiner is still investigating the cause of death, they recognize that funeral directors need a death certificate to cremate or bury the decedent. Thus, they will issue an interim death certificate to funeral homes, which will allow them to claim the dead person’s remains.

Though you can get a death certificate from the funeral director, it will not list the cause of death if the San Francisco County Coroner’s Office is investigating the accident. An official cause of death is required by various institutions, especially if you are a beneficiary of life insurance and other financial assets. If you are filing a wrongful death lawsuit, you will also need a certified death certificate that shows the cause of death.

However, an interim death certificate is not completely useless if you plan to act as the executor of your loved one’s estate. This document is sufficient to file an application with the probate court, which you should take care of as soon as possible. But taking charge of the assets that belong to the estate generally requires a certified copy of the death certificate. Furthermore, you will need a copy of the death certificate for each institution that you are dealing with, i.e., investment firms, insurance companies, banks, etc. That’s why it’s recommended that you order around 10 certified copies of a death certificate, just to make sure that you don’t run out of copies.

Our Lawyers are Here to Help

Losing a loved one is difficult enough to deal with, but the added financial costs can be overwhelming for loved ones after an accidental death. Normandie Law Firm is here for you with our many years of experience in cases of death involving negligence or misconduct. It won’t cost you a single penny to talk to us during an initial consultation, which you can schedule by contacting our office.

If you decide that taking legal action is the right choice, you pay $0 to hire us, as all of our lawyers work on contingency. This way, you can take immediate action on a wrongful death compensation claim with the assurance that all legal fees are paid by the defendant at the end of your case. In the event we don’t bring you payment from a successful lawsuit, you pay nothing, since we offer you a Zero Fee Guarantee from day one.

We can also help you, by the way, if you’re unhappy with the attorney that’s currently representing you on a wrongful death lawsuit. If you’re unsure as to what’s going on with your case or have any other concerns that you would like to discuss with another lawyer, contact us for a free second opinion consultation.

There’s always someone here to take your phone call at Normandie Law Firm, so give us a call right away if you’re interested in a free case evaluation with one of our legal experts. We look forward to meeting you and doing all that we can to help you move forward from this painful time in your life.

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