Death Certificates: Everything You Need to Know

This article covers everything you need to know about death certificates: 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. Opal’s package includes one certified copy.

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. Before anyone can order copies, the death must be officially registered with the county, a step Opal handles for you.

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 includes the cause, time, and location of death, along with personal information about the deceased. In California, the death must be registered with the county within eight days and before cremation or burial, 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

What is the Difference Between a Death Certificate and a Death Registration?

Registration comes first. After a loved one passes away, a doctor, hospice physician, or coroner completes the medical section of the death certificate. The funeral provider then files it with the county to officially register the death. Opal coordinates this step on your behalf, working with the doctor to make sure the registration is completed without delay.

Once the death is registered, certified copies can be ordered. Families use these copies to close accounts, claim benefits, and settle the estate.

After the death is registered, the family can order a death certificate, 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.

Opal’s direct cremation package includes one certified copy of the death certificate. Additional copies are $26 each California fee as of 2026, and we can handle the entire ordering process.

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
• Transport or ship cremated remains across state lines or internationally

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. Certified copies can be ordered by close family members, an executor or someone with power of attorney, attorneys and law enforcement in certain cases, and funeral providers acting on the family’s behalf. Anyone can order 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 depends on how it’s ordered. Once the death is registered, Opal orders certified copies online through VitalChek, and families typically receive them within 3 to 10 days.

Ordering the traditional way, by mail through the county, can take several weeks, and up to 10 weeks from application to delivery. In-person ordering times vary by office.

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) 264-2475.

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 know what to expect and can start planning. 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?

Registration happens first. The doctor or coroner completes the medical section of the death certificate, and the funeral provider files it with the county, which officially records the death. Certified copies of the death certificate can be ordered once registration is complete. Families use these copies to close accounts and claim benefits.

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/