After a death in California: what to do in the days and weeks after

The first week

1. Step 1

   Meet the funeral home

   The funeral home, mortuary or cremation provider asks for the person's personal details for the death certificate, such as full legal name, date of birth, parents' names and Social Security number. Bring what you have. Decide on burial or cremation and the service, and ask for a written price list before you agree to anything.

2. Step 2

   The death certificate is filed

   The doctor completes the medical part, the cause of death. The funeral home completes the rest and files the certificate with the local registrar in the county where the death happened. California law asks for this within 8 days of the death and before burial or cremation (Health and Safety Code section 102775).

3. Step 3

   Order certified copies

   The easiest way is to order copies through the funeral home when it files the certificate. Ask for several. In 2026 each certified copy costs $26 from the California Department of Public Health, and the same from San Bernardino County. Check the fee with your county before you order.

4. Step 4

   Social Security is told

   In most cases the funeral home reports the death to Social Security, if you give it the person's Social Security number. Ask the funeral home to confirm it did. Medicare's own guidance is to report the death to Social Security, so you do not need a separate call to Medicare.

5. Step 5

   Return equipment and medicines

   The hospice arranges equipment pickup and tells you how to dispose of medicines. The hospice nurse covered both on the day of the death; call the hospice if anything was missed.

How do you get copies of a California death certificate?

There are two kinds of certified copy. An authorized copy is the one banks, insurers and courts need. Only certain people can get one: a parent, legal guardian, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner; the executor or administrator of the estate, or an attorney for the person or the estate; a funeral home acting for the family; and surviving next of kin.

You sign a sworn statement that you are one of them, and a request to the state by mail needs that statement notarized. An informational copy can be ordered by anyone, but it is marked as not valid to establish identity, so most offices will not accept it.

Records are usually available about two weeks after the death. Order through the funeral home or from the county where the death happened, which is usually faster than the state. Each county runs this a little differently.

In San Bernardino County, for example, the county Recorder receives death certificates 30 to 60 days after the death, and the county health department's vital records office handles copies before then. Copies can also come from the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records, which issues records for the whole state; check its current processing times before you choose it.

To decide how many copies to order, list the places that will ask for one: each bank, each life insurance policy, each pension or retirement account, the Department of Motor Vehicles if a vehicle is sold or transferred, and property records. Some will accept a photocopy and some will return the original. Ordering a few extra is cheaper than ordering again later.

How do you report a death to Social Security?

The funeral home usually reports it. If it did not, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday to Friday, 8 am to 7 pm. A death cannot be reported online.

Social Security pays benefits a month behind. A payment that arrives for the month of the death, or any later month, is not due and must be returned. If it came by direct deposit, ask the bank to return it to Social Security. Do not spend it, and do not close the account until that is settled.

A surviving spouse who lived with the person, or certain children, can get a one-time payment of $255. You must apply within 2 years of the death. A surviving spouse, child or dependent parent may also qualify for monthly survivors benefits. You apply by phone or at a Social Security office, not online.

Medicare and health plans

Medicare asks families to report the death of a person with Medicare to Social Security, which the funeral home usually does. If the person had a Medicare Advantage plan, a Part D drug plan, a Medigap policy or other insurance, call each plan to tell them, and ask about any premium already paid for months after the death. A final Medicare premium bill may come addressed to the estate.

Medi-Cal and estate recovery

If the person had Medi-Cal, tell the county social services office that handled the case. If the person was 55 or older, the person handling the estate must also send a Notice of Death, with a copy of the death certificate, to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Estate Recovery Program within 90 days of the death. Telling the county or Social Security does not count as this notice.

Estate recovery is narrow. For deaths on or after January 1, 2017, DHCS can seek repayment only from property that goes through probate, and only for Medi-Cal costs paid from age 55.

It does not seek repayment if the person left a surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, or a child under 21 or a child who is blind or disabled, and there are hardship waivers. The DHCS page in the sources has the form and the current address.

Printable checklist

Print this page, or copy the list, and cross items off as you go. Not every item applies to every family. The family packet also has a one-page sheet for when someone dies at home.

• Choose the funeral home, mortuary or cremation provider, and get a written price list
• Give the funeral home the person's details and Social Security number for the death certificate
• Order certified copies of the death certificate, enough for each bank, insurer and account
• Confirm the funeral home reported the death to Social Security, or call 1-800-772-1213
• Return any Social Security payment for the month of death or later
• Ask Social Security about the $255 payment and survivors benefits
• Call the Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap and other insurance plans
• Tell the county Medi-Cal office, and send DHCS a Notice of Death within 90 days if the person was 55 or older
• Tell the person's banks and credit card companies; ask before closing joint accounts
• Contact life insurance companies, pension plans and retirement accounts
• If the person was a veteran, ask the funeral home about veterans burial benefits
• Tell the employer, if the person was still working, about final pay and benefits
• Cancel or transfer utilities, phone, subscriptions and automatic payments
• Collect the mail, and keep bills and statements together for whoever handles the estate
• Find the will or trust, if there is one, and ask an attorney whether the estate needs probate
• Confirm the hospice picked up its equipment and that medicines were disposed of safely
• Accept the grief support the hospice offers, for you and for any children in the family

What the hospice social worker can help with

Families often find this list heavier than it looks. The hospice social worker can help you work out what applies to you, who to call first and what to bring. Call (877) 258-7129. Grief support continues for 13 months after a death; read bereavement support and children and grief.

Common questions after a death in California