Contra Costa County · You are not behind · one step at a time

What to Do After Someone Dies in Contra Costa County, California

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No names, Social Security numbers, or account numbers. Use this quietly, save a backup if you need it, and reset progress on a shared device when you are done. View sources.

How PathAfter helps

Use it to find the next right step
  • Answer a few basicsCounty, situation, role, and anything urgent you already know.
  • Get a focused checklistIt separates what needs attention now from what can usually wait.
  • Use scripts and printoutsCopy words for calls, print a handoff sheet, and share tasks with family.

If this is an emergency, call 911 first. After that, use PathAfter to sort the next calls and paperwork.

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Search death certificates, cremation, probate, benefits, county offices, documents, and scripts.

Source-backed local snapshot

Contra Costa County first-week local resource starting points

These are crawlable starting points from the packaged Contra Costa County guide. Call or open the official source before visiting because hours, fees, and procedures can change.

Coroner / medical examiner

Contra Costa County Sheriff — Coroner's DivisionPhone: 925-313-28501960 Muir Road, 1st Floor, Martinez, CA 94553

Use the public Coroner's Division contact for non-emergency questions after official responders are involved. For an unexpected death happening now, call 911 or local dispatch first. Contra Costa notes the Coroner's Office does not issue death certificates; families usually request those through Vital Registration, the County Clerk-Recorder, or the funeral home after filing.

Open source

Probate court / court help

Contra Costa Superior Court — Probate / Wakefield Taylor CourthousePhone: 925-608-1000725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553

Use later for probate questions, wills, trusts, estates, filing location, and court forms. Contra Costa Superior Court says Probate, Guardianship, and Conservatorship documents are filed and heard at Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez; this is usually not a first-24-hours task.

Open source

Death certificates / vital records

Contra Costa Health — Vital RegistrationPhone: 925-313-112510 Douglas Drive, Suite 220, Martinez, CA 94553

Use for certified death records from this year and last year in Contra Costa County. Contra Costa Health lists death certificates at $30 per certified copy and says older deaths should go through the County Clerk-Recorder.

Open source

Death certificates / vital records

Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder — Older Death RecordsPhone: 925-335-7900Verify current location on official Clerk-Recorder site

Use for death records outside Contra Costa Health's current-year and prior-year window. Contra Costa Health points older death-record requests to the County Clerk-Recorder and lists the Clerk-Recorder phone as 925-335-7900.

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Last checked: 2026-06-26 · 11 source links packaged · Report outdated info · Start the interactive checklist

Contra Costa County local next steps

First calls, documents, and questions for this county

Use this county page to organize the first calls. Official offices can change hours, fees, forms, eligibility rules, and procedures, so verify details before you visit, mail forms, or pay fees.

1 · First calls in this county

Start with the office that controls release, records, or the case

  • Contra Costa County Sheriff — Coroner's Division: call or open the official page if the death was unexpected, unattended, in public, under investigation, or if you are unsure who has the case.
  • Contra Costa Health — Vital Registration: use for death certificates, certified copy questions, recorder routing, and current fee or form instructions.
  • Funeral home or cremation provider: ask what they can handle and what you still need to verify with the county.
Open official pageOpen official page

2 · What to ask when you call

Copy this short script

Hi, my name is _____. I am calling about a death in Contra Costa County. I am trying to confirm the next step, which office has the case, what documents are needed, and whether I should call the coroner, medical examiner, funeral home, or recorder next.

If the death is happening now or there is any immediate danger, call 911 first.

3 · Documents usually needed

Start one folder before the calls scatter

  • Certified death certificates or the order information for them.
  • Your ID and your relationship or authority, if an office asks.
  • Funeral home or cremation provider contact information.
  • Case number, hospital/facility contact, hospice contact, or agency name if available.
  • Notes showing who you spoke with, what they said, and what to verify next.

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Start checklistLocal contacts and county guidancePhone scriptsDocumentsPrintoutsBills trackerTimelineCommon QuestionsFAQ cluster linksDeath Certificate helpFuneral Home helpMoney/BenefitsHard Situations

Use official pages for current phone numbers, hours, fees, statutes, deadlines, eligibility rules, and office procedures. This page is an organizer, not legal, medical, tax, financial, or government advice.

View the official sources behind this checklist

Most families can skip this. These links are here when you want to verify a rule, office, fee, or county resource.

California sources

    Local county sources

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