Santa Clara County · You are not behind · one step at a time

What to Do After Someone Dies in Santa Clara County, California

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Primeros pasos en español

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.

Find a direct answer

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

Source-backed local snapshot

Santa Clara County first-week local resource starting points

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

Coroner / medical examiner

Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner-CoronerPhone: 408-793-1900850 Thornton Way, San Jose, CA 95128

Use the public Medical Examiner-Coroner contact for non-emergency questions after official responders are involved. For an unexpected death happening now, call 911 or local dispatch first.

Open source

Probate court / court help

Santa Clara Superior Court — Probate Division / Clerk's OfficePhone: 408-882-2654191 North First St., San Jose, CA 95113

Use later for probate questions, wills, trusts, estate administration questions, probate forms, and filing information. This is usually not a first-24-hours task.

Open source

Death certificates / vital records

Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder — Death CertificatesPhone: 408-299-5688110 W Tasman Dr, 1st Floor, San Jose, CA 95134

Use for Santa Clara County certified death certificate requests. The Clerk-Recorder says recent death records are usually available four weeks after the event; the county fee schedule and mail order page list death certificates at $26.

Open source

Last checked: 2026-06-26 · 10 source links packaged · Report outdated info · Start the interactive checklist

Santa Clara 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

  • Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner: 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.
  • Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder — Death Certificates: 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 Santa Clara 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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Need to act on this now?

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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