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 are 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 December 2021):
- Alameda County, California Deaths, 1889-1894
- Alameda County, California Deaths, 1895-1901
- Antioch Ledger Newspaper Vital Records, 2 Apr 1870-17, Mar 1877
- Bay Area Reporter Deaths and Obituary Clippings
- Butte County Vital Records 1854-1897
- Butte County, Coroners Inquests, 1851-1963
- Butte County, Death Index, ca. 1853-1950
- Butte County, Deaths
- Calaveras County Coroner’s Inquest Records, 1854-1955 and Index 1854-1956
- Calaveras County, Newspaper File Index, 1860-1950
- 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
- Del Norte County Death Indexes
- Early Livermore Death and Obituary Indexes
- El Dorado County, Births, 1902-1982, Marriages, 1859-1932, Deaths, 1909-1928; and Indexes, 1904-1987
- El Dorado County, Deaths
- Fillmore, Ventura County Obituary Index
- Grass Valley Birth (1890-1894) and Death Records (1857-1905)
- Healdsburg Death Certificates, 1905-1915
- Hollister Register of Deaths 1905-1920
- Humboldt County Register of Deaths, 1873-1905
- 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
- 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, Index to Deaths, 1905-1978 and Death Records, 1889-1960
- Los Angeles County, Original Birth (1849-1901) and Death Records (1874-1901)
- Los Angeles Daily Times Births, Marriages and Deaths 1881-1886
- Los Angeles Public Library Death Index
- Los Gatos Deaths and Obituary Clippings
- Madera County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Mendocino County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Mendocino County Death Index 1861-1924
- Merced County Vital Records Indexes
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Modesto Sextons Records, 1902-1918
- Monterey County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Napa and Butte Counties Death Index and Obituary Clippings 1866-1992
- Napa County, Deaths, 1873-1905
- Northern California Mortuary Records 1849-1900
- Oakland Births, Marriages, Deaths and Obituary Clippings 1985-2011
- Oakland Family History Center Newspaper Record Collection, 1980-2011
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Orange County Miscellaneous Newspaper Birth, Marriage, and Death Announcements
- Palmdale Death Index
- Pasadena, Death Certificates, 1958-1960
- Petaluma Registers of Births and Deaths, 1885-1920
- Placer County, Deaths
- Placer County, St. Josephs Catholic Church Marriages and Death Index
- Placer, Shasta and Yuba Counties Early California Wills and Vital Statistics 1849-1900
- Sacramento County, Deaths
- San Andreas, Groom and Bride Index 1854-1905; Marriage, Death and Birth Indexes 1856-1994
- San Bernardino County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Diego County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- 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 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 Joaquin County Deaths and Obituary Clippings 1850-1991
- San Luis Obispo County Death notices, obituaries and articles : 1888-1903
- San Luis Obispo County Birth. Marriage, and Death Indexes
- 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, 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 Deaths
- Santa Barbara County, Dudley Hoffman Mortuary Burials 1916-1925
- Santa Barbara Cpunty Birth and Death Indexes
- 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 Cruz County Births & Deaths from Early Newspapers
- Santa Maria, Birth (1915-1918) and Death (1910-1918) Records
- Santa Rosa Record of Births and Deaths, 1871-1926
- Sebastopol Register of Births and Deaths, 1915-1920
- Shasta County Deaths and Transcribed Obituaries
- Sonoma, Register of Births and Deaths, 1915-1920
- Stanislaus County Burial Permits, 1889-1918
- Stockton Vital Records from Newspapers, 1850-1852
- Tracy, Death Certificates, 1915-1929
- Tulare County Vital Records Indexes
- 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
- Ventura County Marriage and Death Indexes
- Yucaipa Valley Death and Obituary Indexes
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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
