A death certificate is an official document that formally declares a death. They usually list the date, time, location and cause of death as well as some other personal information about the deceased. You will need to get a death certificate for almost any service at a funeral home in Oakland, CA.

There are a lot of different reasons why you might need a death certificate, but they all have to do with proving a death. Some of the most common reasons you would need a death certificate are to access insurance policies, Social Security, property ownership, Veteran’s benefits, safety deposit boxes, last will and testaments, post office accounts, bonds, stocks or brokerage accounts, pension plans, treasury bills, IRAs, and tax records. 

No matter what the reason you need a copy, there are a few different ways you can order a copy of a death certificate: through the funeral home that did the service or cremation, in person at your state’s vital statistics office, or online at your state’s vital statistics website. It’s important to note that not just anyone can access death certificates and copies. The only people that are eligible to get a copy of a death certificate are immediate family members like spouses, parents, children, siblings, or grandchildren or legal guardians, representatives, state agencies and federal agencies.  

You must submit proof of relation to the deceased when applying for a copy of a death certificate with your state’s registrar. Proof of relation could be a birth certificate, legal document, or a letter stating how the applicant has legal representation rights to the deceased. There are some cases in which someone needs a copy of a death certificate, but they are not one of the eligible relations. For example, a cousin of the deceased might be eligible for death benefits but cannot access the death certificate. In these instances, the person must ask an eligible person or party, like a life insurance holder, to request the death certificate for them.  

Though death certificate laws can vary slightly from state to state, they generally are required to be registered with a state’s Department of Health and Vital Statistics. If you need a copy of a death certificate you can visit your state’s vital records office to be issued a certified copy. Death certificates are not free. Their exact cost depends on your state and how you order them. For example, the cost of extra death certificate copies from the funeral home is probably different than the cost of copies from the office of vital statistics or the state’s website. You can make it easier to obtain death certificates quickly and affordably by having your funeral home or cremation provider order several directly from the state office.  

Do you want to learn more about death certificates or Oakland, CA funeral homes? Call or visit Deer Creek Funeral Service today for more information on what we can do for you in your time of loss. We are happy to do whatever we can for you