Order Death Certificates

Guidelines to Obtaining an Authorized Certified Copy of a Death Certificate

Burial, Removal and Transit Permits

Certificate of Still Birth

Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS)

• LAC EDRS Policy Sheet
• LAC EDRS Fax communication sheet
• Supplementary EDRS fax sheet for multiple requests
• Local Filing Locations
• CA-EDRS website

EDRS Filing Hours, Monday-Friday

• Los Angeles: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

LA County Local Filing Locations (click here)

EMERGENCY AFTER-HOURS FILING AVAILABLE ON WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS

• Los Angeles: Saturday-Sunday, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM at Headquarters (313 N. Figueroa St).  Please fax all emergency requests to (213) 482-5680.
• A $56.00 per transaction fee will be charged for services related to death certificate filing on weekends or holidays. Disposition must be on Saturday, Sunday, or within 48 hours.
• After-hours, weekend, and holiday service request(s) must be submitted through the California Electronic Death Registration System (CA-EDRS). Once the submission has been made, please call the Los Angeles County Operator at (213) 974-1234.
• While we understand that emergency circumstances occur, we encourage you to submit non-urgent death certificate request during regular business hours. Fees are due at the time payment is rendered for the requested service(s).

  Processing Time

  Please allow up to 2 business hours for Medical Information Review (MI Review) and Local Registration (SUBM LR) after submission.

  Paper DCs will be processed at the downtown location on a first come, first serve basis (313 N. Figueroa St., Lobby-1).

  Funeral Home Responsibilities:

  • Social Security Verification (SSV)
    EDRS requires that SSV be attempted at least ONCE before submitting for registration whether the status of SSN is pass or fail.
  • Medical Information (MI) Review
    VS11e, fields 4,6,8 and 101-117 must be submitted for MI Review prior to physician attestation or coroner attestation. If MI Review was disregarded or omitted prior to Local Registration, then at the time when the Local Registrar reviews for registration, this may get rejected.
  • Disposition Permit (DP)
    The funeral home is responsible for completing an EDRS DP and Death Certificate (DC) for registration. Once the DC is registered and the DP is issued, the funeral home must print all four copies of the DP. The funeral director must then submit a signed Copy #4 with payment to the appropriate jurisdiction’s Vital Records Office. The payment must be placed in the mail within 24 hrs, or received within 72 hrs (mail or walk-in) of the issuance.

  EDRS Record Correction/Notification

  If you are requesting record correction for any of the following reasons, you must fax a completed EDRS Fax Communication sheet to the appropriate jurisdiction:

  • Abandon EDRS record
  • Unlock PI, MI, or Both on EDRS record
  • Multiple disposition EDRS filing
  • EDRS file/Permit with drop to paper certificate
  • Ship out/International Disposition

  Amendments

  If a record has been registered by the Local Registrar (EDRS status = SUBM SR or REG SR), an amendment must be filed to correct the record.

  Re-file Permit

  If a DC has been registered and a re-file is needed to change the disposition, the funeral home can create a re-file Permit/Amendments in EDRS. Please notify the Vital Records Office via the EDRS Fax Communication sheet and fax the sheet to (213) 482-5680.

  ME/Coroner Protocol

  Please refer to LAC ME/Coroner Workflow.

  Certified Copies

  Certified copies will be requested in the same manner as they were prior to EDRS. An application for a certified copy of a Death Certificate must be submitted with appropriate fees to the Health Department. Payment for the Disposition Permit must be made before certified copies are issued.

  Time Interval Abbreviations

  Second(s) – SEC or SECS
  Minutes(s) – MIN or MINS
  Hour(s) – HR or HRS
  Day(s) – DAY or DAYS
  Weeks – WK or WKS
  Year(s) – YR or YRS
  Month(s) – MO or MOS
  Immediate - IMMED
  

  Useful Links
  Learn more about other death related services we are providing.
  
  SELECT A SERVICE HERE Order Death Certificate Authorized Certified Death Certificate Burial, Removal & Transit Permits Still Birth Certificate