Copies in the first 30 days after the death: Orange County Health Care Agency. All other years: Clerk-Recorder. CDPH mail is the slow backup.
Who may request
Under California Health and Safety Code section 103526, authorized certified copies go to a parent or legal guardian, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, a funeral director acting for the family, an attorney or court-appointed representative of the estate, or a government agency on official business. Anyone else may request an informational copy, which banks will not take.
What to bring
Valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID. Authorized copies need a sworn statement (notarized for mail). Confirm the current list on the HCA or Clerk-Recorder page you will use.
Where to write or visit
First 30 days: Health Care Agency Office of Vital Records, 200 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Suite 100-B, Santa Ana, CA 92701. After that: Clerk-Recorder, 601 N. Ross St., Santa Ana, CA 92701. CDPH in Sacramento is the statewide mail backup.
Notes from the desk
This is Orange County, California, not Orange County, Florida. California charges $26 per certified copy. There is no cheaper extra. Informational copies are redacted and will not satisfy a bank. Online orders, where offered, go through a vendor. This desk takes no cut.