Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists (as well as the largest of them all – FamilySearch), a great number of indexes to death collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific death information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual death certificates themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include death information that is not included in the lists below. For example, newspapers and obituaries have death info, but most times obituary indexes include the date of the obituary but not the date of death. To find out which types of other records may include death information, please see:
The lists below are specific death indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state of California.
Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Note: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription, you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated March 2023)
California Death Records
- Alameda County, California Deaths, 1889-1894
- Alameda County, California Deaths, 1895-1901
- Alameda County, Births 1873-1901, Deaths 1859-1903, Mortuary Record 1873-1891, land patents 1857-1892, Delayed Birth Index 1875-1971, Marriages 1853-1866
- Alpine County, Death Records, 1905-1919
- Alpine County, Death Records, 1919-1979
- Amador County, Death Registers, 1873-1905
- Antioch Ledger Newspaper Vital Records, 2 Apr 1870-17, Mar 1877
- Bakersfield, Births, Deaths & Marriages [newspaper clippings]
- Banning City Births (1915-1925) and Deaths (1913-1920)
- Bay Area Reporter Deaths and Obituary Clippings
- Berkeley, Record of Deaths, 1886-1905; Index, 1886-1904
- Butte County Vital Records 1854-1897
- Butte County, Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1883-1899
- Butte County, Coroners Inquests, 1851-1963
- Butte County, Death Index, ca. 1853-1950
- Butte County, Death Index, ca. 1853-1980
- Butte County, Deaths
- Butte County, newspapers abstracts, 1853-1956
- Butte County, Coroner’s Certificates of Death, 1874-1917
- Butte County, Registers of Deaths, 1859-1919, Index 1905-1939
- Butte County, Returns of Deaths, 1873-1903
- Calaveras County Coroner’s Inquest Records, 1854-1955 and Index 1854-1956
- Calaveras County, Newspaper File Index, 1860-1950
- Calaveras County, Death Records, 1858-1905
- California Cemeteries Vital Records to 1962
- California Death Index, 1905-1939
- California Death Index, 1940-1997
- California Federal Mortality Schedules 1880
- California State Library, Vital Statistics Index ca. 1800’s-1920
- California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994
- California, Death Indexes, 1905-1988 ; 1940-1994
- California, Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000
- California, World War I American Expeditionary Forces, Deaths, 1917-1919
- Colusa County, Register of Deaths, Coroner inquests, 1878-1910
- Colusa County, Registers of Deaths, 1873-1905
- Contra Costa County, Death Records, 1873-1921
- Del Norte County Death Indexes
- Del Norte County, Register of Deaths, 1873-1903
- Early Livermore Death and Obituary Indexes
- El Dorado County Cemeteries
- El Dorado County, Births, 1902-1982, Marriages, 1859-1932, Deaths, 1909-1928; and Indexes, 1904-1987
- El Dorado County, Deaths
- Eureka City Birth and Death Records, 1856-59, 1878-1905
- Fillmore, Ventura County Obituary Index
- Fort Jones Cemetery District, Record of Graves
- Fresno County, Index to Deaths, 1889-1950
- Glenn County, Death Records, 1891-1932; Index, 1891-1977
- Grass Valley Birth (1890-1894) and Death Records (1857-1905)
- Healdsburg Death Certificates, 1905-1915
- Healdsburg, , Register of Births and Deaths, 1915-1922
- Hemet City Birth (1918-1926) and Death (1916-1920)
- Hollister Register of Deaths 1905-1920
- Hoopa Valley Agency, Birth and Death Certificates, 1901-1947
- Humboldt County Register of Deaths, 1873-1905
- Huntington Beach, Birth (1915-1921) and Death (1910-1923) Records
- Inyo County Death Records, 1905-1919
- Inyo County, Deaths
- Kern County Death Index pre-1905
- Kern County, Kern Valley Sun Newspaper Obituaries, 1969-1993
- Lake County Death Records, 1867-1957
- Lake County Index to Certificates of Death, 1918-1984
- Lake County Newspaper Death Index
- Lockeford, Harmony Grove Cemetery Records
- Lodi City Death Certificates, 1915-1948
- Lompoc Vital Records 1915-1919
- Long Beach Deaths and Transcribed Obituaries
- Long Beach, Death Certificates, 1958-1960
- Long Beach, Report of Births, Deaths and Index, 1904-1917
- Los Angeles City, Death Records 1905-1930
- Los Angeles City, Index of Deaths, 1877-1962 and Death Records, 1930-1963
- Los Angeles County, Births 1865-1905, Deaths 1884-1932, and Index 1886-1905
- Los Angeles County, Index to Deaths, 1905-1978 and Death Records, 1889-1960
- Los Angeles County, Original Birth (1849-1901) and Death Records (1874-1901)
- Los Angeles County, Register of Deaths, 1877-1905 and Indexes to Records of Deaths, 1873-1920
- Los Angeles Daily Times Births, Marriages and Deaths 1881-1886
- Los Angeles Public Library Death Index
- Los Angeles, Pierce Brothers Cunningham & O’Connor Mortuary, Death Records, 1950-1978
- Los Gatos Deaths and Obituary Clippings
- Madera County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Manteca City Certificates of Death, 1919-1920
- Marin County, Death Records, 1873-1905
- Mariposa County, Death Records, 1873-1876, 1905-1922; Index, 1873-1980
- Mendocino County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Mendocino County Death Index 1861-1924
- Mendocino County, Courthouse Records : Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1859-1907
- Mendocino County, Death Certificates, 1873-1919; Index 1917-1946
- Mendocino County, Index to loose papers in pouches and envelopes, Births and Deaths, 1873-1917
- Merced County Vital Records Indexes
- Merced County, Deaths, 1889-1914
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Modesto Sextons Records, 1902-1918
- Mono County, Death Records, 1877-1920
- Monterey County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Napa and Butte Counties Death Index and Obituary Clippings 1866-1992
- Napa County, Deaths, 1873-1905
- Nevada County, Register of Deaths, 1873-1905
- Newport Beach, Birth (1915-1932) and Death (1909-1932) Records
- Northern California Mortuary Records 1849-1900
- Oakland Births, Marriages, Deaths and Obituary Clippings 1985-2011
- Oakland Family History Center Newspaper Record Collection, 1980-2011
- Oakland, Alameda County, Death Certificates, 1870-1904
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Orange County Miscellaneous Newspaper Birth, Marriage, and Death Announcements
- Orange County, Death and Burial permit master Index, 1889-1955
- Orange County, Death Records, 1889-1923
- Orange County, Death Records, 1905-1919
- Orange County, Orange City Birth and Death Records, 1915-1920
- Orland, F. D. Sweet & Sons Funeral Directors, Death Certificates, 1938-1973; Records of Funerals, 1974-1993
- Orland, I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Indexes to Burials and lot owners, ca. 1850-1997
- Palmdale Death Index
- Pasadena, Death Certificates, 1958-1960
- Perris City Birth (1893-1923) and Death (1893-1925) Records
- Petaluma Registers of Births and Deaths, 1885-1920
- Placer County, Deaths
- Placer County, St. Josephs Catholic Church Marriages and Death Index
- Placer County, Record of Deaths, 1873-1904
- Placer, Shasta and Yuba Counties Early California Wills and Vital Statistics 1849-1900
- Plumas County, Register of Deaths, 1873-1905
- Portuguese Union of the State of California, Death claim Registers, 1880-1979; membership Registers, 1880-1964
- Red Bluff City Births and Deaths, 1915-1920; Delayed Births, 1943-1963
- Riverside County, Death Records, 1893-1919
- Sacramento Agency, Births and Deaths, 1910-1947
- Sacramento County, Deaths
- Sacramento County, Death Records, 1850-1905
- Sacramento Daily Union, Newspaper Death notices, 1863-1930
- Sacramento, Death Records from the Sacramento Daily Union, 1863-1874
- San Andreas, Groom and Bride Index 1854-1905; Marriage, Death and Birth Indexes 1856-1994
- San Benito County, Death Records, 1905-1993
- San Benito County, Register of Births & Deaths, 1874-1909
- San Benito County, Register of Deaths, San Juan Bautista, 1906-1930
- San Bernardino County, Death Records, 1873-1905
- San Diego County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Diego County, Death Records, 1876-1905; Index, 1851-1905
- San Francisco and Sacramento, Clark & Booth Funeral Records, 1894-1906
- San Francisco and Stockton, J.S. Godeau Funeral Records, 1894-1931
- San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1835-1979
- San Francisco Call Index
- San Francisco City and County Coroner’s Register, 1927-1954
- San Francisco County Records, 1824-1997
- San Francisco County, Deaths
- San Francisco County, Death Records, 1865-1904
- San Francisco Death Index – Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW) 1882-1892
- San Francisco Masonic Cemetery Vital Records
- San Francisco Vital Indexes and Records
- San Francisco Vital Records from the Daily Alta California Newspaper 1854
- San Francisco Vital Records from the Daily Evening Bulletin Newspaper 1856, 1857
- San Francisco Vital Records Indexes
- San Francisco, Death Records, 1980-2003
- San Francisco, Gantner Bros. Funeral Records, 1906-1921
- San Francisco, H. F. Suhr & Co. Funeral Records, 1902-1921
- San Francisco, Halsted & Co. Register of Deaths, 1883-1897
- San Francisco, W.P. Petersen & Co. Funeral Records, 1906-1916
- San Joaquin County Death Records, 1904-1968; Indexes, 1893-1967
- San Joaquin County, Death Records, 1858-1860,1873-1905; Index to Deaths, 1857-1896, 1903-1924, 1950-1961
- San Joaquin County, Death Records, 1900
- San Joaquin County, Death Register, 1915-1917
- San Joaquin County, Index to San Joaquin County Death Records, 1890-1905
- San Joaquin County Deaths and Obituary Clippings 1850-1991
- San Jose, Record of Deaths, 1889-1905
- San Luis Obispo County Birth. Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Luis Obispo County Death notices, Obituaries and articles: 1888-1903
- San Luis Obispo County, Death Records, 1873-1905
- San Mateo County Birth, Death, and Marriages Indexes, 1853-1948
- San Mateo County Deaths Index – Earliest to 1920
- San Mateo County Records, 1851-1991
- San Mateo County, Colma, Italian Cemetery Records, 1899-2011
- San Mateo County, Coroners’ Reports, 1865-1991
- San Mateo Times Gazette Vital Records Index: 1859-1899
- Santa Barbara Birth Records (1910-1920) and Death Records (1911-1922)
- Santa Barbara County Birth and Death Indexes
- Santa Barbara County Deaths
- Santa Barbara County, Dudley Hoffman Mortuary Burials 1916-1925
- Santa Barbara County, Death Records, 1873-1918
- Santa Barbara County, Deaths, 1888-1894
- Santa Barbara Deaths: 1896 to 1906
- Santa Barbara Presidio Burial Register 1782 – 1848
- Santa Clara County Death Records, 1873-1905
- Santa Clara County Early Vitals Indexes
- Santa Clara County, Index Register of Deaths, 1873-1905
- Santa Cruz City, Births (1905) and Deaths (1891-1905)
- Santa Cruz County Births & Deaths from Early Newspapers
- Santa Cruz County, Death Records, 1873-1905; Index, 1850-1980
- Santa Maria, Birth (1915-1918) and Death (1910-1918) Records
- Santa Maria, Community Deaths, 1893-1915
- Santa Rosa Record of Births and Deaths, 1871-1926
- Saratoga, Madronia Cemetery, Death Records, ca. 1900-1930
- Sebastopol Register of Births and Deaths, 1915-1920
- Shasta County Deaths and Transcribed Obituaries
- Shasta County, Death Records, 1873-1905
- Sierra County, Register of Deaths, 1873-1905
- Sonoma County, Death Records, 1873-1919
- Sonoma, Register of Births and Deaths, 1915-1920
- Stanislaus County Burial Permits, 1889-1918
- Stanislaus County, Marriage Certificates, 1854-1920, with Index, 1854-1921; Registers of Births and Deaths, 1873-1905
- Stockton City Certificates of Death, 1893-1949
- Stockton Vital Records from Newspapers, 1850-1852
- Sutter County, Register of Deaths, 1905-1920; Index, 1905-1914
- Sutter County, Registers of Deaths, 1873-1905
- Tehama County, Death Records, 1889-1920
- Tehama, Death Certificates, 1912-1931
- Tracy Certificates of Birth, 1915-1928
- Tracy, Death Certificates, 1915-1929
- Trinity County, Death Records, 1873-1905
- Tulare County Vital Records Indexes
- Ukiah, Eversole Mortuary Death Records
- United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
- United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
- United States Social Security Death Index
- United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
- Vallejo, Death Records, 1873-1905
- Ventura County Death Indexes
- Yolo County, Register of Deaths, 1878-1905
- Yuba County, Deaths, 1858-1860, 1873-1905
- Yucaipa Valley Death and Obituary Indexes
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free California Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
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Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Directories
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Immigration Records
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Naturalizations
Obituaries
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Probate and Wills
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Digital Archives
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Research Toolkit
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For other Free California Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
Digital Archives
Institutional Records
Research Toolkit
Place Finder
