There are many reasons why the cause of death may not be listed on the death certificate. In many instances, Deferred, is listed on the certificate where the final cause of death is still pending. When the cause of death has been finalized, the certificate will be updated with the correct information.

The Office of Vital Records in Sacramento is the agency that handles amendments to death certificates for the State of California. They may be reached at the following address: State of California, Department of Health Services, Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410, Phone 916-445-2684; Fax: 800-858-5553 or visit the California State Office of Vital Records website.

Please have the notary strike out California and put the State or Country in which the form is notarized. The form will be accepted with the change.

Wills and probate matters are filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Please contact the Court at (213) 830-0803 for assistance in this matter. You may also visit The Los Angeles Superior Court Website.

• In the event that the deceased is a property owner, please refer to the Assessor’s page below in order to properly administer the affairs of the deceased owner. The Office of the Assessor must be contacted within 150 days after the date of death. assessor.lacounty.gov/homeowners/death-of-an-owner
• To retrieve sample forms for recording, please visit the Recorder’s page located here: lavote.net/home/records/property-document-recording/forms/affidavit-of-death-of-joint-tenant-trustee