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General Information for Funeral Establishments Only

The Office of Vital Records provides in-person services to Funeral Establishments by appointment only.  Click here for instructions

Park Tower Building
200 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Suite 100-B     
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Click for online map

Business Hours:  8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Monday – Friday, except holidays

Park Tower Building

Phone: (714) 480-6700
Death Registration Section Email:  DeathRegistration@ochca.com

Service Type

Processing Times

Notes

EDRS/FDRS Submissions

3 business hours

Submissions and emails received after 3:00 p.m. will be reviewed by 9:00 a.m. the next business day.

Email Requests

2 business hours

 

Certified Copy Orders (drop-off, mail-in or VitalChek)

3 – 5 business days

Pick-up at will call by appointment only.

Email DeathRegistration@ochca.com to schedule an appointment.  Click here for instructions.

 NOTE: Credits cannot be issued for orders submitted in error.

Transit/Shipper Letter

1 business day

By appointment only.

Click here for instructions.

Amendment -

Electronic

3 – 5 business days

 Reviewed by CDPH Vital Records

Amendment -

Drop to Paper

6 – 8 weeks

 Reviewed by CDPH Vital Records

Death Certificate:

$24.00

Fetal Death Certificate:

$21.00

Burial Permit:

$12.00

Transit/Shipper Letter:

No Fee

Emergency Filing:

No Fee

 

NOTE:  All permit fees are due within 10 days of issuance.  Credits cannot be issued for permits paid in error.

Unnecessary, incomplete EDRS/FDRS records and amendments must be abandoned promptly.

Each death that occurs in Orange County shall be registered with this office within eight days after death and prior to any disposition of human remains. Additionally, the body of any person whose death occurs in Orange County or whose body is brought into Orange County from outside the state for disposition shall not be held temporarily more than eight calendar days after death, unless a permit for disposition is obtained from this office.  (HSC 102775, 103070)

The Office of Vital Records offers Service Requests via email which includes issuing PDF burial permits. 

Instructions for Email Service Request 
Instructions for Email PDF Burial Permit Filing 

 

NOTE:  The Email/Fax Filing Service is available under the following circumstances only:

  • Any disposition of full body remains that were held Pending disposition at the Orange County Coroner
  • Permits with corrected/updated information as submitted on an Amendment for Orange County Deaths
  • Ship-in of full body remains for Cremation at an Orange County Crematory or Burial at an Orange County Cemetery
  • Ship-in or Refile of cremated remains handled by an Orange County Funeral Establishment
  • Disinterment of full body remains from an Orange County Cemetery

GENERAL AMENDMENT

Death Certificate Items

Signatures Required

 

1-6*,  9-45**

Two funeral staff electronic signatures are acceptable.  Any two persons with knowledge of facts can sign. 

* Minor typographical errors in items 1 and/or 3 may be corrected with two electronic funeral staff signatures.

**Embalmer signature and license number may be added to items 42 and 43.  Embalmer signature and license number may not be changed or removed with an amendment once added.

EXCEPTIONS:  If name items 1 and/or 3 are completely changing, then the Physician or Coroner must sign the amendment.

 

PHYSICIAN/CORONER AMENDMENT

Death Certificate Items

Signatures Required

 

7-8,  101-103,  105-114,  116,  118

Physician or Coroner.

If Physician will sign, drop amendment to paper for ink signature.  If Coroner will sign, Coroner can sign electronically.

 

119-125

Coroner can sign electronically.

NOTE:  County of death item 104 cannot be corrected with an amendment.  This change requires the death certificate replacement process.  Contact DeathRegistration@ochca.com for information.

There is no fee for submitting Physician/Coroner Amendments - regardless of date of death.  Mail paper Physician/Coroner amendments to the CDPH Vital Records address in Sacramento below.

 

GENERAL AMENDMENTS submitted after one year from date of death
  1. Drop the amendment to paper from EDRS and obtain ink signatures.
  2. Complete a Vital Record application with Sworn Statement.
  3. Make the $26.00 check payable to CDPH Vital Records. This fee includes 1 amended  certified copy.
  4. Mail all documents to:
         California Department of Public Health
         Vital Records - M.S. 5105
         P.O. Box 997410
         Sacramento, CA 95899-7410

 

Allow 6 – 8 weeks for registration by the State Registrar. 

More information on amending death records and forms can be found on CDPH website at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Amending-a-California-Death-or-Fetal-Death-Certificate.aspx

The Orange County Office of Vital Records is closed on weekends and all County holidays.  Emergency filing is available to California licensed funeral establishments on weekends and minor holidays between 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. when a disposition of human remains must take place on these days.

Contact Orange County Communications on weekends and minor holidays between 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at (714) 628-7000 to communicate with the registrar on call. The registrar will return your call and obtain the information necessary to process your request.


Emergency filing is available on the following minor holidays:

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Lincoln’s Birthday
  • President’s Day
  • Native American Day
  • Veteran’s Day
  • Friday after Thanksgiving

Emergency filing is not available on any major holiday listed below, including those which may fall on a weekend:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

To obtain an EDRS and/or FDRS account, contact the EDRS Help Desk for forms and to schedule webinar training at (916) 552-8123 or EDRSHelp@cdph.ca.gov