The Coroner’s Bureau of Fresno County is responsible for investigating violent or suspicious deaths that occur within Fresno County. Cases investigated by the coroner’s office include homicides, suicides, and deaths that occurred after an accident. If you have been notified that your loved one’s remains are with the Fresno County Coroner’s office, you will have to wait for an official cause of death to be determined. After that, you can obtain a copy of the death certificate, which you will need to take care of your loved one’s assets and claim any funds that you are entitled to. Additionally, an official cause of death will allow you to file for wrongful death compensation if your loved one’s accident was caused by negligence or misconduct.
How can I get in touch with the Fresno County Coroner’s Office?
The Fresno County Coroner’s Bureau is located at:
3333 E. American Ave, Suite G
Fresno, CA 93725
As an investigation can take several weeks to several months on average, you may want to check up on the progress by speaking with the deputy coroner assigned to your case. To reach the office directly, you can call (559) 600-3400 or send an email to Coroner@fresnosheriff.org.
How can I get a Copy of a Death Certificate from the Coroner’s Office?
Once the investigation of your loved one’s death is completed by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office, you will be able to order a certified copy of the death certificate. However, you cannot obtain a copy directly from the coroner’s office.
If the date of death was within the current or previous year, a copy of the death certificate can be ordered from the Fresno County Vital Statistics office. For death records older than the previous year, you will need to contact the Fresno County Assessors – Recorder’s office. In the upcoming sections, we will go over the methods and procedures for requesting a death certificate with these agencies.
Getting a Copy of the Death Certificate from Vital Statistics
You can purchase a copy of a death certificate by going down to the Vital Statistics office in person. The office is located at:
1221 Fulton St
1st Floor, Rm. 128
Fresno, CA 93721
The Vital Statistics office is open from Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM. To verify what you’ll need to bring, we recommend calling the office ahead of time at (559) 600-3310.
Copies of a death certificate can also be ordered by mail. You will need to send in the completed application for a death certificate, which you can download from the Fresno County Vital Statistics website. Then, send the completed forms and payment by check or money order to the address stated above.
Getting a Copy of the Death Certificate from the Recorder’s Office
To purchase a copy of a death certificate from the Fresno County Recorder, you can go down to the office in person or send a request through the mail. The street address for the Recorder’s office is:
2281 Tulare Street
Room 302
Fresno, CA 93721
The County Recorder’s office is open during 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, from Monday to Friday. Before you visit the office, you must download and complete the “Application for Death Record” from the Recorder’s Office website. However, make sure to leave the signature section blank, since you must sign the document in front of the County Clerk. If you have any questions about how to fill out the forms, you can contact the office at (559) 600-3476.
The other option for ordering a death certificate is by mail. In this case, you would complete the necessary application and sign it in front a notary public. Mail the application and applicable fee in the form of a check or money to:
Hall of Records
P.O. Box 766
Fresno, CA 93712
Can I Purchase a Copy of a Death Certificate Online?
Death certificates that are with the Fresno County Recorder’s office can be purchased through VitalChek, which is a third party website that’s used by county agencies throughout California. Unfortunately, this option is currently not available for death records held by the office of Vital Statistics.
How long does it take to get a Copy of a Death Certificate?
The length of time to get a death certificate in Fresno County depends on the ordering method. The fastest way is to visit the Vital Statistics or County Recorder’s office in person, as they will process the death certificate while you wait. For mail-in orders, it will take around 2 weeks to process the certificate, but you will have to factor in the wait time before you receive it in the mail. The timeline is generally faster for online orders, but you will have to pay for expedited shipping.
How much does it Cost to get a Copy of a Death Certificate?
A certified death certificate costs $24, whether you order it from the Vital Statistics office or the Country Recorder’s office. If you’re requesting a copy in person from Vital Statistics, you can pay by cash, check, money order, or credit/ debit card, though there is a 2% service fee for card payments. For mail-in requests, only check or money order will be accepted. As for the County Recorder’s office, only checks and money orders are accepted, whether you apply in person or through the mail. To ensure that your form of payment is acceptable, you may want to call the Recorder’s office ahead of time at (559) 600-3476.
While online orders are convenient, you will be charged additional fees by VitalChek, including shipping and handling. Based on the type of delivery service you choose, you could end up paying over $30 in fees for a single order.
Should I Order Multiple Copies, and if so, How Many Should I get?
Yes, it’s best to order multiple copies at a time, especially if you’re placing an online order. The problem is knowing how many certificates to buy, which depends on the number of assets you will need to take care of. Institutions like life insurance companies and mortgage lenders, for example, will most likely ask for a certified copy for their own records. To be on the safe side, we recommend 10 copies, but some families only need 5 or 6. If you’d like, please schedule a time with one of our attorneys so they can walk you through the process and ensure that you order the correct number of certified death certificates.
Can I get Financial Help in Getting a Copy of a Death Certificate?
As previously mentioned, death certificates are $24 each, not counting shipping and handling fees for online orders. It can be hard for loved ones of an accident victim to pay for multiple copies of a death certificate, and many of them look into private loans to help with the costs. If you’re planning on filing for wrongful death compensation, you may have heard of lawsuit funding companies, which lend you money that you can pay back once you win your case.
The interest rates seem reasonable at first glance, but it can take a year or more to resolve a lawsuit. The interest accrues during that time, and many borrowers end up with interest rates that range from 27 to 60% by the time they have to pay back the loan. This will take away a huge chunk of your settlement, leaving you in no better position than you were before the lawsuit.
Before you agree to one of these loans, please schedule a consultation with the lawyers of Normandie. If you’d like us to represent you in a wrongful death claim, we can pay for the copies of the death certificate as a part of our services. This way, you can keep as much of your settlement as possible and not face the risk of financial hardship in the future.
Our Zero Fee Guarantee
When you lose a family member or loved one to an accident, the financial and emotional losses can be overwhelming to deal with. If someone else is at fault for the accident, California law allows you to sue for monetary compensation. However, it’s difficult to win one of these cases without representation from an experienced attorney.
If you’d like to learn about your rights and legal options, contact Normandie Law Firm without delay. Your consultation is completely free, and so are the rest of our services as a promise under our Zero fee guarantee. We only get paid by winning your case, and at that point, it’s the responsible party that will be paying our legal fees along with your settlement. If we don’t win your case, we eat the costs and you walk away with no obligation for our legal fees.
Please give us a call and schedule a free case evaluation with one of our attorneys.
