SERVICE
Get death related documents if you are a funeral home
Death certificates, burial permits and non-contagious disease letters are available in-person or by mail.
What to know
Locations of Services and Costs
Office of Vital Records: City Hall
- Death Certificate: $24 per copy
(Price increase to $26 per copy starting 01/01/2026. All mail orders must be postmarked before December 31, 2025, or new fees will apply.) - Fetal Death Certificate: $21 per copy
(Price increase to $23 per copy starting 01/01/2026. All mail orders must be postmarked before December 31, 2025, or new fees will apply.) - Expedite fee: $30
- Burial Permit: $12
- NCD Letter: $15
- Expedite fee: $30
- Emergency Registration fee: $42
What to know
Locations of Services and Costs
Office of Vital Records: City Hall
- Death Certificate: $24 per copy
(Price increase to $26 per copy starting 01/01/2026. All mail orders must be postmarked before December 31, 2025, or new fees will apply.) - Fetal Death Certificate: $21 per copy
(Price increase to $23 per copy starting 01/01/2026. All mail orders must be postmarked before December 31, 2025, or new fees will apply.) - Expedite fee: $30
- Burial Permit: $12
- NCD Letter: $15
- Expedite fee: $30
- Emergency Registration fee: $42
What to do
Get death certificates, NCD letters, file permits, or pay for permits in person
Go to the Office of Vital Records at City Hall, Office of the County Clerk, Room 160, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
If you are a funeral home or mortuary representative, you can:
- Fax application to: (628) 754-6445
Allow 24 hours for processing after faxing application. - For expedited issuance, please allow 2 hours processing time after faxing in your application. A fee of $30 will be added to your order.
- File burial permits
- Request non-contagious disease (NCD) letters
- To transport human remains to another country, you may need a Letter of Non-Contagious Disease (NCD Letter). For more information, please call the Death Registry Office at 628-754-6440
- You may also be able to obtain a Non-Contagious Disease Letter from the Office of Medical Examiner for cases under their jurisdiction.
Payment methods: business check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover or cashier's check. Please make checks payable to: DPH, Office of Vital Records.
Forms:
1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Get death certificates, file permits or request NCD letters by mail
If you are a funeral home or mortuary representative you can:
- Request death certificates
- File burial permits
- Request non-contagious disease (NCD) letters
- To transport human remains to another country, you may need a Letter of Non-Contagious Disease (NCD Letter). For more information, please call the Death Registry Office at 628-754-6440
- You may also be able to obtain a Non-Contagious Disease Letter from the Office of Medical Examiner for cases under their jurisdiction.
Please mail application and payment to:
Office of Vital Records, City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
Room 160
San Francisco, CA 94102
Payment methods: Business check or money order payable to DPH, Office of Vital Records.
Forms:
Request record unlocks, issue permits etc.
General Death Registration Inquiries or Requests:
GeneralDeathRegistrations@sfdph.orgEmergency Death Registration, Fetal Death Registration and Burial Permits
We offer emergency after-hours, weekend, and holiday filings to accommodate for situations that require interment within 24 hours of death.
Emergency death registration hours: 9 am - 12 pm
Email your request to: EmergencyDeathRegistrations@sfdph.org
Special cases
Contact us
Address
1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone
General death registration requests
GeneralDeathRegistrations@sfdph.orgEmergency death registrations
EmergencyDeathRegistrations@sfdph.org