How to Get a Copy of a Death Certificate from Santa Clara County

The County of Santa Clara Corner’s Office conducts medical examinations when a death involves unnatural circumstances, like murder, suicide, or an accident that was caused by careless or reckless behavior. This is needed to determine the cause of death and ensure that family members are fully aware of the circumstances surrounding their loved one’s death. The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office is located at 850 Thornton Way, San Jose, CA 95128. If you have questions about a pending investigation, you can reach the medical examiner at (408) 793-1900.

If you have lost someone to an accident in Santa Clara County, you undoubtedly have many concerns on your mind, including how you can get a copy of a death certificate from the Santa Clara County coroner’s office. The coroner, however, is only responsible for listing the cause of death and sending the official record to the County Clerk’s Office. Within this office is the department of Vital Records, which is where you can order birth, marriage, and death certificates in Santa Clara County.

However, there are specific procedures that you will need to be aware of in order to successfully obtain this essential document. This article will go over the process of how to get a certificate for an accidental death in Santa Clara County. Here are some of the questions we will address:

• What options do I have if I need to order a certified death certificate?
• Can a family member get a copy of a death certificate from Santa Clara County?
• How much will it cost to purchase a Santa Clara County death certificate?
• What if I can’t afford to pay for a copy of a death certificate?

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Who is Allowed to have a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate?

Death records are public information, meaning essentially anyone can obtain a copy of someone’s death certificate. However, only those who are authorized under California law are allowed access to what’s known as a “certified” copy of the death certificate. A copy that’s certified by the Santa Clara County Vital Records Office verifies that you are related to the decedent in one of the following ways:

• Parent or legal guardian
• Spouse / domestic partner
• Child
• Grandparent
• Sibling
• Government agency (for investigation purposes)
• Legal representative, i.e., probate and wrongful death lawyers

Certifying your identity gives you the right to conduct official business regarding the decedent’s estate, like filing for probate and closing bank accounts. This can only be done through a certified copy of the death certificate, which is why it’s essential to obtain this document as soon as possible if you lost someone to an accident in Santa Clara County.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Death Certificate from Santa Clara County?

According to the County of Santa Clara website, it takes 4 to 6 weeks for a death certificate to be available after the date of death. However, it can take longer to order a copy of a death certificate from Santa Clara County after an accident, since you will need to wait until the coroner concludes their investigation. If you can visit the Vital Statistics office in person, you should be able to purchase a copy of the death certificate the same day. For online orders and mail-on applications, it can take the office around 3 to 4 weeks to process your request. You can, however, choose to pay for expedited shipping, which will allow you to receive a Santa Clara County accident death certificate as soon as possible once the order is processed.

How to Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate from Santa Clara County

If you are within a reasonable driving distance of the County Clerk’s Office, visiting the Vital Statistics department in person is the fastest and easiest way to order a death certificate from Santa Clara County. The office is located at 70 West Hedding Street, 1st Floor, East Wing, San Jose, CA 95110. However, booking an appointment is strongly recommended in order to avoid long wait times, which you can do at https://clerkrecorder.sccgov.org/home.

If you would like to send in a request by mail, you can download the application from the website and follow the instructions on how to fill it out. Once you send in the application with the requested payment, you should receive your order within 3 to 4 weeks. While the County Clerk’s website provides detailed instructions, you can still contact them at (408) 299-5688 during the week from 8 AM to 4:30 PM if you have any questions.

Aside from in person and mail orders, you may be wondering if there is another option for obtaining a certified copy of a death certificate. To learn how to order a copy of a death certificate online from Santa Clara County, please keep reading.

Obtaining a Copy of a Death Certificate Online from Santa Clara County

Online orders for a Santa Clara County death certificate after an accident are processed through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com. This method will allow you to place the order from your home at any time that’s convenient for you and pay for it with a credit or debit card. However, you should be aware that this method is not any faster than placing an order through the mail. The turnaround time is 3 to 4 weeks for online orders, and there are additional processing fees that are assessed by VitalChek. That doesn’t count the shipping fees for expedited orders, so you may end up spending quite a bit more than you had anticipated if you choose to get a copy of a death certificate online.

How Many Death Certificates Should I Order?

Now that you are aware of how to get a copy of a death certificate from Santa Clara County, you may be wondering how many certificates you should order. This is based on the number of assets you will need to claim and/or distribute, which may include residential and business properties, life insurance policies, and social security benefits. Many families end up needing around 10 certified copies of a death certificate, just to be on the safe side. As for how much a death certificate costs, Santa Clara County charges $24 for each copy. When you add the possible shipping and processing fees that may be involved, it’s easy to understand why people have a hard time paying for their family member’s death certificate.

Can I Get a Death Certificate from the Funeral Home?

If you’re making plans to bury your loved one or cremate their remains, you have the option of getting a copy of the death certificate from the funeral director. This sounds like a sensible option, as funeral homes generally do this for free as part of their services. The problem, however, is that most funerals are arranged soon after the person dies. But investigations by the coroner’s office take up to several weeks, and even several months for especially complicated death incidents. Thus, it’s more than likely that the cause of death will be missing from the certificate that’s given to the funeral director.

Even without a cause of death, you can go ahead and file a probate application with the court if you plan on being the executor of the estate. But there’s not much more that you can do without an official cause of death. Life insurance companies, for example, will definitely require a cause of death of the certificate before they release a check to the beneficiary. The same goes for banks, mortgage companies, and most other financial institutions. In addition, those looking to file a lawsuit against the party that caused their loved one’s death will need to show proof of the exact cause of death.

Basically, it’s essential to get a certified copy of your loved one’s death certificate as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will be unable to resolve many of the issues regarding your loved one’s estate, including the ability to claim assets, like pension funds and bank accounts.

How to Get a Death Certificate for Free from Santa Barbara County

Considering the number of death certificates you may need, you are probably wondering if there is a way to get a death certificate for free from Santa Clara County. There is no assistance program that’s available through the county, but we may have a solution that can work for you and your loved ones. If you are seeking compensation from a wrongful death lawsuit, we can possibly get the death certificate for free, as legal representatives of the family are authorized to obtain this document.

A wrongful death lawsuit is filed by loved ones of an individual that passes away from an accident that was caused by someone else. These lawsuits are based on misconduct or negligence, and the party at fault may be a person / multiple people, a private company, or a public entity (government agency, for example). We can help you determine if you are eligible for a wrongful death compensation claim and represent you in a lawsuit against the liable parties.

For more information on suing for an accidental death, contact our law firm and schedule a free case review at your earliest convenience.

Consult a Lawyer with Experience in Negligent Death Cases

The attorneys of Normandie Law Firm are here to advise you of your rights and legal options if an act of negligence caused you to lose a family member, spouse, or domestic partner. You may be entitled to funeral expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other wrongful death benefits. But you will need to discuss your case with an experienced wrongful death attorney, who can help you determine the best way to move forward.

If pursuing a lawsuit is the right choice for you and your loved ones, we will offer you a Zero Fee Guarantee in order to protect your finances from day one. You receive free legal services for the entire duration of your case. Once we secure the damages you are owed, the defendant will include our fees in your settlement check, which means the only way we get paid is if you get paid.

We hope this will give you the needed reassurance to contact us and schedule a time to speak with one of our attorneys if your loved one died from an accidental cause in Santa Clara County, California.

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