Find a Grave California by Name —
Cemetery & Burial Records Search
From Spanish mission burial grounds dating to 1776, to Riverside National Cemetery — the largest in the United States — California holds more than a century of official death records and millennia of burial history. Your complete verified guide.
California holds burial records unlike any other state — from Spanish mission cemetery registers dating to 1776 at Mission Dolores and Mission San Juan Capistrano, through Gold Rush mining camp interment records from the 1849 era, to the 20th-century burial indexes of the world’s entertainment capital. The state began statewide death registration July 1, 1905; before that date, all records were kept only at the county level.
California has 58 counties and more than 1,400 active cemeteries. Los Angeles County alone has over 200 cemeteries. Riverside National Cemetery is the largest national cemetery in the United States by acreage (1,237 acres). This guide covers every verified tool, official link, and California-specific strategy — in the correct order — so you find the grave you’re looking for.
🔎 Find a Grave California by Name — Micro Step-by-Step
- Go to findgraveusa.org/find-a-grave-california/ and type the person’s full name. Use exact spelling first.
- Apply the county filter immediately. California’s 58 counties contain hundreds of thousands of records. Common surnames like “Garcia,” “Smith,” or “Johnson” return thousands of results without county filtering.
- Click any result to open the full burial record: cemetery name, address, plot number, burial date, headstone photo if available, and linked family members.
- No results on exact spelling? Try surname only first. Then try alternative spellings — California’s massive immigrant heritage (Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Portuguese, Armenian) means surnames were frequently anglicized, abbreviated, or phonetically transcribed.
- Still nothing? The grave may be in an unindexed cemetery — proceed to county recorder or mission archive research in Methods 4 and 5 below.
- Open findagrave.com/memorial — no account required for basic searches.
- Type last name first, then a comma, then the first name — this format gives the most accurate results.
- Click the State dropdown and select California. Enter the known death year.
- Add the county name if known — essential in California where Los Angeles County alone has 10 million residents’ burial records.
- Click the blue Search button. Open the first 15–20 results in separate browser tabs.
- Use wildcard operators:
?replaces one letter (e.g.Reyes/R?yes),*replaces multiple (e.g.San*finds Santos, Sandoval, Sanchez). Essential for California’s diverse surname landscape. - Click “More Search Options” to filter by birth/death year range, county, and whether a headstone photo exists.
- Read every memorial page fully — note cemetery name, exact address, death date, plot information, and family links.
- Click “Nearby Graves” on any matching memorial to discover unlisted family members buried in the same cemetery — very effective in California’s large family plot sections.
- No headstone photo? Click “Request Photo” — Los Angeles, Orange, and San Francisco Bay Area volunteers typically respond within 24–48 hours. Rural counties like Inyo, Modoc, or Trinity may take longer.
- For California’s famous graves: use the “Famous Memorials” filter — California leads all states in celebrity burials, especially in Los Angeles County.
- Note any biography details, links to Find a Grave family trees, or user notes about cemetery office contact information.
- Go to billiongraves.com and enter the name with California as the location filter.
- Results display GPS-tagged headstone photos with the grave’s exact coordinates — not just the cemetery, but the specific row, section, and position within the grounds.
- Click “View on Map” to see the precise plot position plotted within the cemetery map.
- Download the BillionGraves app before visiting large California cemeteries — essential for navigating Hollywood Forever, Forest Lawn, Riverside National Cemetery (1,237 acres), or any of the large San Francisco Bay Area cemeteries where you could walk for an hour looking for one grave without GPS guidance.
- If the grave isn’t indexed, photograph and upload the headstone using the app — GPS coordinates are auto-tagged and your contribution helps future researchers.
- Create a free account at familysearch.org — permanently free, no credit card required.
- Go to Search → Records and search “California Deaths.” Key collections: California, Death Index, 1905–1939 and California, Death Index, 1940–1997 — both free and searchable online.
- For cemetery-specific records: go to Search → Catalog, type the California county name and add “cemetery” to find microfilmed cemetery registers and sexton records.
- For mission burial records predating 1905: search “California mission records” or the specific mission name in the Catalog — California’s Spanish Catholic mission registers (1769–1833) are among the oldest surviving burial records in the western US and are partially digitized.
- Use Search → Genealogies to find user family trees that may include your ancestor’s burial location — often more current than FamilySearch’s own indexed collections.
- Visit the California State Archives genealogy page at sos.ca.gov/archives/collections/family-history-resources — holds county records from 28 California counties including probate, vital records, and naturalization records.
- For deaths before July 1, 1905, contact the county recorder in the county where the death occurred — this is the only source for pre-1905 California death records. CDPH holds nothing before that date.
- For events after July 1, 1905 where the county is unknown: contact CDPH directly at (916) 445-2684 — CDPH maintains a statewide index and doesn’t require you to know the county.
- Many pre-1905 county vital records have been microfilmed by FamilySearch and are available through local FamilySearch Centers — check the FamilySearch Catalog by county name before making an in-person trip.
- Physical address for in-person California State Archives research: 1020 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 · Phone: (916) 653-0764
California Cross-Reference Pro Tip: After finding a burial record, search FamilySearch census records (1880–1940) for the same person. Census entries reveal the entire household — parents, siblings, birthplaces, and neighboring families — often identifying which country and specific region of origin your California ancestor emigrated from.
🏛️ Find a Grave California by Cemetery — 9 Steps
- Go to findagrave.com/cemetery-browse/USA/California?id=state_6 — the verified California cemetery directory page.
- Click the exact county you need from the list. For Los Angeles County, expect hundreds of cemeteries — use Ctrl+F to search the page instantly.
- Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac) to search the cemetery name on the page without scrolling through hundreds of entries.
- Click the cemetery’s name to open its dedicated page with all indexed memorials.
- Use the internal name search box at the top of the cemetery page to search within that specific cemetery only.
- Filter by death decade or exact year range to narrow results in large cemeteries with tens of thousands of memorials.
- Click every matching memorial and read it completely — plot information is often in the “About” or “Bio” field rather than a dedicated plot field.
- Write down the plot number, section, lot, and row — this is what the cemetery office needs to direct you to the physical grave.
- No plot data shown? Call the cemetery office with the full name and exact death date. Most California cemeteries have computerized sexton records going back decades and can locate any burial in minutes.
For small California cemeteries and rural county records not well-covered on Find a Grave, use Interment.net — California for county-level sexton register transcriptions. Interment.net has strong coverage of Sacramento City Cemetery, Golden Gate National Cemetery, and many rural county burial grounds.
📜 Verify with Official California Death Certificates
A certified California death certificate provides data that no headstone or burial database can: exact cause of death, parents’ full names and birthplaces (critical for tracing immigrant ancestry), attending physician, informant’s name, Social Security number, and the registered cemetery and plot. For genealogy research, the parents’ birthplaces on a California death certificate often pinpoint the exact Italian village, Mexican state, Chinese province, or Japanese prefecture your ancestor emigrated from.
California Access Rules — Two Types of Copies:
Certified (Authorized) Copy — can establish identity. Requires a notarized sworn statement declaring under penalty of perjury that you are an authorized person (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, domestic partner, or legal representative). Fee: $24 by mail to CDPH; county fees vary (~$26).
Certified Informational Copy — stamped “INFORMATIONAL, NOT A VALID DOCUMENT TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY.” Contains the same genealogical data but anyone can request it — no notarization, no relationship proof, no restrictions. Same fee applies.
- Download application form VS 112 from cdph.ca.gov/Programs/PSB/Pages/BirthDeathMarriageCertificates.aspx. The form is available in English and Spanish.
- Complete all fields: full name at death, date of death, county of death, your name, your relationship to the deceased, and which type of copy you need (certified or informational).
- For a certified copy: complete the notarized sworn statement on page 5 of the VS 112 form — must be signed before a notary public. No notarization needed for an informational copy.
- Make a check or money order payable to “CDPH Vital Records” — fee increased January 1, 2026 under AB 64. Current fee: $24 per copy by mail. Do not send cash.
- Mail completed form + payment + photocopy of your ID to: California Dept of Public Health, Vital Records – MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410.
- For courier delivery (if you need a physical street address, not PO Box): 1501 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95814.
- Check current processing times before mailing at cdph.ca.gov — Processing Times. Processing times vary from weeks to several months depending on volume.
- County recorders can only issue records for deaths that occurred in their specific county. Visit the recorder in the county where the death occurred — not where the person lived.
- County recorder offices typically process requests faster than CDPH and often issue same day or within a few days in person.
- Fees vary by county — many California county death certificate fees are $26 per copy as of January 2026. Call the county recorder’s office to confirm current fees and hours before visiting.
- Find your county recorder: search “[County Name] California County Recorder” or visit the CDPH contact directory at cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records.aspx which lists all local registrars.
- Go to vitalchek.com — an authorized third-party vendor for California vital records. Additional service fee applies on top of the CDPH state fee.
- Select California → Death Certificate. Complete the form online. Credit and debit cards accepted.
- For rush delivery: VitalChek offers expedited processing and overnight shipping for additional fees. VitalChek customer service: (800) 669-8312.
📰 California Obituary Search — 9 Practical Steps
California obituaries — especially from the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, and San Diego Union-Tribune — often contain the funeral home, church, exact cemetery, burial date, and surviving family names not found in burial databases.
- Go to Google and type: [Full Name] obituary California [death year] — add the city for more precise results. California’s major newspapers are thoroughly indexed by Google.
- Search Legacy.com — California obituaries — aggregates obituaries from the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, San Diego Union-Tribune, Fresno Bee, and dozens of regional California papers.
- Search Newspapers.com for historical California newspaper archives — the Los Angeles Times archive goes back to 1881 and is searchable by name. Subscription required but free trials available.
- For the Los Angeles Times specifically: the ProQuest Historical Newspapers database (free at most California public library branches) covers the LA Times back to 1881 with name-searchable obituaries.
- For pre-1905 obituaries: the California Digital Newspaper Collection at cdnc.ucr.edu provides free access to digitized California newspapers from the 1840s through the 1960s — searchable by name.
- Open every matching obituary fully — read to the end. California obituaries often list the funeral home, the specific cemetery section, pallbearers (who were often neighbors or coworkers), and surviving family in other states.
- Call the funeral home listed — California funeral homes keep burial records for decades and can provide exact cemetery section, lot, and plot numbers even for very old burials.
- Ask the funeral home for the exact cemetery name, section, plot number, and any available grave maps for your visit.
- Cross-check all family names listed in the obituary on Find a Grave using “Nearby Graves” — family members often lead directly to the correct cemetery section.
⚙️ The Complete 14-Step Workflow to Find Any California Grave
- Start with a name search on FindGraveUSA.org — California (last name first, county filter applied)
- Filter results strictly to California and the specific county — do not browse statewide for common surnames
- Open and fully read the top 15–20 possible matches in separate browser tabs
- Record the cemetery name, county, and exact death date for each promising match
- Order an informational copy of the official death certificate from CDPH ($24 · anyone may request an informational copy)
- Compare every detail between the Find a Grave record and the official certificate
- Locate the cemetery’s official phone number via Google Maps or the cemetery’s own website
- Call the cemetery office with the full name and exact death date
- Ask specifically for the plot number, section, lot, row, and walking directions or printed map
- Ask about nearby family graves — California’s large family burial plots often contain multiple generations not individually listed online
- Search for an obituary at Legacy.com — California and the California Digital Newspaper Collection at cdnc.ucr.edu
- Call any funeral home listed in the obituary — they keep burial books for decades
- Document everything: screenshots, plot numbers, phone call notes, photo request confirmation numbers
- Save all information in your family tree software, a genealogy notes app, or a shared family document
📊 All California Burial Record Databases — Verified Direct Links
Every major database for searching California cemetery records, interment records, and burial indexes — with verified direct URLs, cost, and best use case.
Database | Verified Direct URL | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
FindGraveUSA — California | Free | First stop; county-filtered name search | |
Find a Grave — California | Free | Headstone photos; wildcard search; famous graves | |
BillionGraves | Free | GPS navigation to exact plot in large CA cemeteries | |
FamilySearch — California | Free | Death indexes 1905–1997; mission records; county microfilm | |
Interment.net — California | Free | County sexton register transcriptions; rural cemeteries | |
CA State Archives — Genealogy | Free | County records from 28 CA counties; probate; pre-1905 | |
CA Digital Newspaper Collection | Free | Searchable CA newspaper obituaries from 1840s–1960s | |
VA Gravesite Locator | Free | Veterans in all California VA national cemeteries | |
CDPH Vital Records — California | $24+ per copy | Official death cert · informational copy = anyone | |
Legacy.com — California Obituaries | Free | Aggregated California newspaper obituaries |
🗺️ Search California Burial Records by County
California has 58 counties. Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino) has the most digitized records. The rural Northern California counties (Modoc, Lassen, Trinity, Siskiyou) have the least online coverage — contact county recorders directly for those areas.
Browse all 58 California counties at findagrave.com/cemetery-browse/USA/California?id=state_6. For rural Northern California counties with sparse Find a Grave coverage, use Interment.net — California and contact the county recorder directly.
🪦 Major California Cemeteries — Verified Addresses, Maps & Direct Links
California’s most significant and most-searched burial grounds — with verified contact details, Google Maps embeds, and direct search links for each.
- Founded 1899 · 62 acres · adjacent to Paramount Studios · 70,000+ memorials indexed on Find a Grave
- Final resting place of more Hollywood stars than any other cemetery on earth
- Address: 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90038
- Phone: (323) 469-1181 · Hours: Daily 8:30AM–5PM (Mon–Fri), 8:30AM–4:30PM (Sat–Sun)
- Active cemetery and funeral home · Jewish section (Beth Olam) within grounds
- Founded 1906 · 300 acres · one of the most famous cemeteries in the world
- Walt Disney, Michael Jackson, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, and many Hollywood legends buried here
- Address: 1712 S Glendale Ave, Glendale, CA 91205
- Phone: (800) 204-9013 · Hours: Daily 8AM–5PM
- Four additional Forest Lawn locations across LA County — confirm which location before visiting
- Largest national cemetery in the United States — 1,237 acres
- Over 253,000 veterans interred · accepting new burials · active VA national cemetery
- Address: 22495 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside, CA 92518
- Phone: (951) 653-8417 · Hours: Daily sunrise–sunset
- Search free at gravelocator.cem.va.gov
- Established 1937 · over 116,000 veterans interred · one of the ten largest VA cemeteries in the US
- Serves Bay Area veterans · WWII Medal of Honor recipients buried here
- Address: 1300 Sneath Lane, San Bruno, CA 94066
- Phone: (650) 589-2521 · Hours: Daily sunrise–sunset
- Search free at gravelocator.cem.va.gov
- Founded 1776 — one of the oldest cemeteries in California; burials since the mission era
- Thousands of Native Americans, early Spanish settlers, and Gold Rush-era San Franciscans buried here
- Address: 3321 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94114
- Phone: (415) 621-8203
- Historic cemetery — many early records are incomplete or in Spanish; cross-reference with Catholic Diocese archives
- Civil War–era cemetery · 86,000+ veterans interred on 114 acres in Westwood
- Nicholas P. Earp (father of Wyatt Earp) among notable burials
- Address: 950 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
- Phone: (310) 268-4674 · Hours: Daily sunrise–sunset
- Columbarium expansion opened 2019 (Constitution Ave side) · limited full casket burial
🔗 Complete California Cemetery Research Resource Directory
🎖️ California Veteran & Military Grave Search
California has more VA national cemeteries than any other state — including Riverside National Cemetery, the largest national cemetery in the United States at 1,237 acres. Search all systems independently; coverage differs significantly between them.
🎖️ VA Nationwide Gravesite Locator
Search all California VA national cemeteries by veteran name. Returns section, row, and site number. No account required — free for all searches.
Search VA Gravesite Locator →🏛️ Riverside National Cemetery
Largest US national cemetery (1,237 acres) · 22495 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside CA 92518 · Phone: (951) 653-8417 · Accepting new burials.
Riverside VA Official Page →🏛️ Golden Gate National Cemetery
SF Bay Area veterans · 116,000+ interred · 1300 Sneath Lane, San Bruno CA 94066 · Phone: (650) 589-2521
Golden Gate VA Official Page →🏛️ Los Angeles National Cemetery
86,000+ veterans · 950 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90049 · Phone: (310) 268-4674 · Limited casket burial; columbarium available.
Los Angeles VA Official Page →📋 FamilySearch Veterans Collection
Search “U.S. Veterans Gravesites, 1775–2006” — covers VA cemeteries plus many non-VA California military burial sites not in the federal locator system.
Search FamilySearch California →📁 Military Service Records (NPRC)
Pension files and service records often name the burial location. Request from NPRC — free for records over 62 years old at archives.gov/veterans.
Request at archives.gov/veterans →California Has 9+ VA National Cemeteries. The full list including San Francisco, Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Bakersfield, Fort Rosecrans, and others is at cem.va.gov/find-cemetery/state.asp?STATE=CA. Always search the VA Gravesite Locator first — it covers all California VA sites in one search.
🔎 Common California Burial Record Questions — Answered
Find a Grave California by Name Free
Start at FindGraveUSA.org/find-a-grave-california/, then findagrave.com — California (id=state_6), and BillionGraves. All three are completely free. For pre-1905 records, check FamilySearch California and Interment.net — California.
California Cemetery Records Online
California has extensive online coverage, especially Southern California. For rural Northern California and Gold Rush-era cemetery records, use Interment.net — California for county sexton register transcriptions. The California Digital Newspaper Collection provides free searchable obituaries back to the 1840s — unique in the US for its depth and free access.
California Death Records Genealogy Search
California began statewide death registration July 1, 1905. FamilySearch has free death indexes for 1905–1997. Official certified copies require notarized sworn statement + qualified relationship; informational copies = anyone, no notarization. Apply at CDPH. For pre-1905 deaths, contact the county recorder where the death occurred.
How to Find a Grave in California
Follow the 14-step workflow above. Start at FindGraveUSA.org with county filter. If no result, try Find a Grave with * wildcard. Still nothing? The grave may be in a private or church cemetery — search the county recorder records and contact the specific religious denomination’s diocesan archives. California’s Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, and Chinese-American community cemeteries often have their own separate record systems.
California Genealogy Cemetery Records
California’s extraordinary immigrant diversity — Spanish colonial, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Armenian, Portuguese, Filipino — means many genealogy records exist in ethnic community cemeteries and religious archives not indexed nationally. The California State Archives holds county records from 28 counties including probate and vital records for historical research.
California Veterans Burial Records
California has more VA national cemeteries than any other state, led by Riverside National Cemetery — the largest in the US. Search all California VA cemeteries via gravelocator.cem.va.gov, then cross-reference with FamilySearch “U.S. Veterans Gravesites 1775–2006” for non-VA military burials in church and private California cemeteries.
Free California Death Records Search
Free California death record indexes include FamilySearch California Death Index 1905–1997, the Social Security Death Index (free at FamilySearch), and the California Digital Newspaper Collection for obituaries. The official death certificate — adding parents’ names, cause of death, and cemetery — requires a fee from CDPH; informational copies are available to anyone.
California Mission Cemetery Records
California’s 21 Spanish missions (1769–1823) maintained burial registers that are among the oldest surviving genealogical records in the western United States. Mission Dolores (San Francisco, 1776), Mission San Juan Capistrano (1776), and Mission San Luis Rey (1798) have the most documented records. Search FamilySearch under the specific mission name or “California mission records” for digitized registers. The California Catholic Diocese archives hold original records for many missions.
🌿 8 Insider Tips — California-Specific Genealogy Tricks
Informational Copies = Anyone, No Notarization
Most researchers don’t realize California offers two types of death certificates. The “certified copy” requires notarized sworn statement + relationship proof. The “informational copy” has the same genealogical data — parents’ names, cause of death, cemetery — and anyone can request it with zero notarization. Order at cdph.ca.gov for the same $24 fee.
Pre-1905 = County Recorder Only
CDPH holds zero death records before July 1, 1905. For anything before that date, contact the county recorder in the county where the death occurred. Many pre-1905 records have been microfilmed by FamilySearch — check the FamilySearch Catalog under the county name before making an in-person trip.
CDNC Has Free Obituaries Back to 1840s
The California Digital Newspaper Collection at cdnc.ucr.edu provides free name-searchable access to California newspapers from the 1840s through the 1960s — including the San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times, and hundreds of county papers. This is unique nationally: no other state has free digitized newspaper access this deep.
Use the LA Times ProQuest Archive at Any CA Library
The Los Angeles Times archive from 1881 is fully name-searchable on ProQuest Historical Newspapers — available free at most California public library branches with a library card. This is the deepest single-newspaper obituary resource for Southern California genealogy and is completely free with library access.
Chinese-American and Japanese-American Records Are Separate
California’s large Chinese-American and Japanese-American communities maintained their own cemetery systems often separate from Find a Grave. For Chinese-American burials in San Francisco, search the Chinese Cemetery on San Francisco’s east side and the Colma cemetery district records. For Japanese-American families affected by WWII internment, the Japanese American National Museum (janm.org) maintains genealogy resources.
Colma — The City of the Dead
The city of Colma in San Mateo County has 1,500 living residents and 1.5 million buried residents — it’s where San Francisco buried most of its dead after passing ordinances in the early 1900s prohibiting burials within city limits. If you can’t find a San Francisco burial before 1920, search Colma’s 17 cemeteries specifically. Interment.net has excellent Colma records.
Gold Rush Era Records Are in County Deed Books
For deaths during and after the 1849 Gold Rush in the Sierra Nevada foothills (Calaveras, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Amador, Nevada, Placer counties), burial records were often entered in county deed books rather than a separate death register. The California State Archives holds deed records for many Gold Rush-era counties. Also check the California State Library at library.ca.gov for historical Gold Rush county records.
Riverside National Cemetery Requires BillionGraves
At 1,237 acres, Riverside National Cemetery is physically enormous — you cannot find a specific grave without GPS coordinates. Always use the BillionGraves app or download the section map from the VA before visiting. The VA Gravesite Locator gives you the section and site number; BillionGraves translates that into GPS navigation on your smartphone to walk directly to the grave.
🎒 How to Prepare for a California Cemetery Visit
- Get the exact plot number, section, lot, and row confirmed by phone with the cemetery office. For large cemeteries like Forest Lawn (300 acres) or Riverside National Cemetery (1,237 acres), this is absolutely mandatory — you cannot find a grave by walking.
- Call the cemetery office the day before to confirm visiting hours, parking instructions, and which gate to enter. Many large California cemeteries have multiple entrances and very specific visitor rules — Hollywood Forever, for example, has a separate entrance for grave visitors vs. event guests.
- Download the BillionGraves app and/or offline Google Maps before arriving. Cell service is generally good across California, but parking lot WiFi dead zones exist inside many large cemetery grounds. GPS navigation within the cemetery is far faster than asking staff for directions.
- Check the California weather and UV index before visiting. Inland Southern California (Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern) reaches 100°F+ in summer — bring extra water, sunscreen, and a hat. Coastal fog can make Northern California cemeteries cold and damp even in June. Best visiting times: March–May and September–November.
- Bring water, a soft natural-bristle brush for headstone cleaning, a notebook, and chalk for rubbings. California’s granite headstones tolerate gentle cleaning; mission-era sandstone markers are fragile and should not be brushed. Never use wire brushes or harsh chemicals.
- Check parking in advance. Many Los Angeles cemeteries have limited parking; Hollywood Forever and Westwood Village Memorial Park are in dense urban areas with street parking or metered lots. Call ahead or use a ride-share service for urban Los Angeles cemetery visits.
🔧 Common Problems & Exact Solutions
Click “Add a New Memorial” on findagrave.com. Check Interment.net — California for sexton register transcriptions not yet on Find a Grave. Contact the cemetery office directly with the death date — most California cemeteries have computerized records going back decades.
Contact the county recorder in the county where the death occurred — CDPH holds no pre-1905 records. Search FamilySearch California collections for county church and civil records. Check the California State Archives for county probate and vital records from 28 counties.
Order a certified informational copy instead — it contains the same genealogical data (parents’ names, cause of death, cemetery) and anyone can request it with no notarization required. Use the same VS 112 form, check the “Informational Copy” box, and mail to CDPH. Same $24 fee.
Call the cemetery office with the full name and exact death date. All California cemeteries maintain sexton records (burial books) for every interment. Most have computerized these and can locate any grave in minutes. If the cemetery is closed or defunct, contact the county recorder for the original cemetery registration.
California’s ethnic community cemeteries (Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Armenian, Mexican, Portuguese) often have their own record systems. Contact the relevant ethnic community cultural center, church diocese, or temple association directly. The Japanese American National Museum (janm.org) and Chinese Historical Society of America (chsa.org) both maintain genealogy resources for their communities.
California mission burial registers (1769–1833) are partially digitized on FamilySearch — search by mission name in the FamilySearch Catalog. The California Catholic Conference at cacatholic.org can direct you to the correct diocesan archives for original mission registers. The Huntington Library (huntington.org) also holds significant California mission-era genealogical records.