Death Certificates: Everything You Need to Know
This article tells you everything you need to know about death certificates, including what they are, why they’re necessary, who can order them, how to order them, and processing times. You’ll also find out how Opal Cremation supports the process.
Key Takeaways
- Ordering a death certificate is necessary after a loved one dies. It allows you to close financial accounts, settle assets, or remarry after a spouse passes.
- Death certificates can be ordered by close family members, law enforcement, and attorneys if the death is under investigation, and funeral service providers, like Opal.
- You can order them by mail, digitally through a third-party platform, or in person. The delivery method impacts how quickly they’ll arrive.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Death Certificate?
- What Is the Difference Between a Death Certificate and a Death Registration?
- Why Do You Need a Death Certificate?
- Who Can Secure a Death Certificate?
- Where Can You Order a Death Certificate From?
- How Long Does It Take to Receive a Death Certificate?
- Opal Cremation Can Assist with the Death Certificate Process
- FAQs
Introduction
When a loved one passes away, there is a lot of paperwork involved. For Los Angeles and Orange County families, one of the documents you will need to secure is a death certificate, or the physical proof of your loved one’s passing. A death certificate matters because it lets you legally close financial accounts. However, before you receive a death certificate, you must register the death.
Opal Cremation can take the guesswork out of the paperwork by helping you secure a death certificate for your loved one, which may include copies for family members. Here’s what you need to know about why you need to secure a death certificate, how to get one, and how it can benefit you.
What Is a Death Certificate?
When you are born, your parents sign a birth certificate, creating a legal record of your existence. In the same way, when you die, your loved ones need to obtain an official death certificate to document your passing. These documents are like legal bookends to your life.
A death certificate will include the cause, time, and location of death, as well as personal information about the deceased. In California, death certificates must be filed within eight days of death — a requirement Opal handles on your behalf. Death records have been formally collected in the U.S. since around 1900, and vital records offices generally keep them on file for 80–120 years before older records shift to state archives, making the death certificate part of the permanent record, much like the birth certificate it mirrors.
“The death certificate is arguably the most important legal document in existence. It’s the only legal proof that someone has died. The State uses it to stop Social Security payments, pensions, and other benefits. Families use it to settle their affairs.”
Source: PBS FRONTLINE, “Post Mortem: Death Investigation in America.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/post-mortem/things-to-know/death-certificates.html
Unlike a birth certificate, which you only need occasionally throughout life, a death certificate often gets requested by a dozen or more institutions in the weeks after a loss. Think of it less as one document and more as a key you’ll need to hand over repeatedly.
What is the Difference Between a Death Certificate and a Death Registration?
Immediately after a loved one passes away, a professional such as a doctor, healthcare provider, or coroner will need to verify that death has taken place, so they will register the death with the county or state. Opal Cremation coordinates this step on your behalf, working with the appropriate professional to ensure the registration is completed without delay.
After the death is registered, the family can order the certificate of death, which is important for closing accounts, receiving benefits, and managing the deceased’s finances. Families typically order multiple death certificates, as various institutions may ask for original copies that they will need to hold on file.
At Opal, we include a free copy of a death certificate in our direct cremation package. You can order additional copies for $26 each (price as of this writing). We can handle the entire ordering process.
If you’re working with a funeral provider for cremation or burial arrangements, ask whether your package already includes a copy of the death certificate. Some providers, including Opal, offer one at no extra cost, so confirm before you pay for a copy you may not need.
Why Do You Need a Death Certificate?
Securing a death certificate is an important step in helping family members move on from their loved one’s passing. Not only might it provide friends and family with a sense of closure in what it symbolizes, but it can also help streamline the following processes:
- The ability to remarry if you are a widow or widower
- Claim assets and benefits
- Close financial accounts
- Receive insurance
- Receive pension
- Settle assets
- Organize the funeral service
According to AARP research, more than 3.8 million widows and widowers were receiving Social Security survivor benefits as of September 2025, benefits that require a death certificate to claim.
Who Can Secure a Death Certificate?
Not everyone has the authority to secure a death certificate for an individual. Close family members, law enforcement, and attorneys can obtain certified copies if the death is legally complex, through a power of attorney, or by the estate executor, and the funeral establishment acting on the family’s behalf. Anyone can provide an informational copy, but it doesn’t carry the same legal weight.
Where Can You Order a Death Certificate From?
You can order death certificates from the following avenues:
- Funeral providers like Opal Cremation
- Third-party platforms, including VitalChek and Lavote.net for Los Angeles County residents; Orange County residents can order through the Orange County Health Care Agency
- The state in which the resident passed—for example, CA.gov for California residents
How Long Does It Take to Receive a Death Certificate?
The time it takes to receive a death certificate varies by delivery method. Opal partners with Vital Chek, and our turnaround time is typically about two weeks.
However, mail-in services can take 5-7 weeks. In-person ordering varies depending on how quickly the location processes death certificates and may take longer than two weeks, but it requires multiple visits to the health department.
Opal Cremation Can Assist with the Death Certificate Process
Opal Cremation can help Los Angeles and Orange County families secure death certificates, support the grieving process, and ensure financial and legal matters are handled. For more information on death certificates and how Opal Cremation secures them, reach out to us at [email protected] or give us a call at (888) 963-2299.
Do you have more questions about the cremation and funeral arrangement process? Opal Cremation can walk you through the process step by step so you understand what to expect and can start making plans. Compassionate professionals are ready to help and will provide all the information you need about Opal Cremation services.
FAQs
Is a death certificate a public record?
Yes, a death certificate is a public record, but that doesn’t mean just anyone can walk away with an official copy. Informational records are publicly available, but certified copies are for close family members and certain parties legally recognized to receive them.
What’s the difference between a death certificate and a death registration?
A death registration happens before the death certificate when a doctor, healthcare provider, or coroner reports it to the state, usually within a few days. The death certificate comes later. It’s the official document families can use to close accounts, etc, and families can order copies after the registration is complete.
Do I need a death certificate to remarry?
Yes, if you’re widowed, most states require you to show your spouse’s death certificate before you remarry, proving your marriage has ended.
What information does a death certificate include?
A death certificate typically requires the deceased’s full name, the date, place, and time of death, the cause of death (as provided by a coroner or physician), and the physician, coroner, or medical examiner’s certification. Other fields require the parents’ names and birthplaces, the Social Security number, the education level, the deceased’s birthplace, and the veteran’s discharge or claim number, if applicable. However, you can leave these fields blank if the information is unknown.
Can a death certificate be corrected if there’s an error?
Yes, you can correct errors such as misspelled names, incorrect dates, etc. You can request a correction through the vital records office in the state where the death was registered. The process and required documentation vary by state. Opal can help you with this process.
Sources
- PBS FRONTLINE. “Post Mortem: Death Investigation in America.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/post-mortem/things-to-know/death-certificates.html
- Journalist’s Resource (Shorenstein Center, Harvard Kennedy School). “Birth, marriage and death: How to find vital records.” https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/birth-marriage-death-vital-records-genealogy/
