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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 102Pt. 1Ch. 2Art. 1§ 102245 Death Certificate Record Updates

§ 102245 Death Certificate Record Updates

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 102245 Death Certificate Record Updates

This law says that when someone dies, the state must update their birth record to show they died. They also send a monthly list of people who died to each county so local records can be updated too.

Key Takeaways

  • •When someone dies, the state updates their birth record to show the death date.
  • •The state sends a monthly list of people who died to each county.
  • •Counties must update their local records when they get this list.
  • •This helps keep birth and death records accurate and up to date.

Example

If your grandma passes away in California, the state will add her death date to her birth certificate.

The state checks if they have her birth record when they get her death certificate. If they do, they update it to show she died. They also tell the county where she was born so they can update their records too.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 102245 Death Certificate Record Updates

On and after January 1, 1978, whenever the State Registrar receives a death certificate from a local registrar, the State Registrar shall determine whether the state records contain the birth certificate of the deceased or a reproduction thereof as authorized under this chapter. If the State Registrar has such a record of birth, it shall be revised to indicate the date of the death of the registrant, or, alternatively, a notation to that effect shall be entered in the State Registrar’s index of births adjacent to the name of the deceased. The State Registrar, pursuant to an ongoing program, shall distribute, without charge, on a monthly basis to each county, a list of deceased registrants to enable local registrars and recorders to update their files. Upon receipt of such a list the local registrar or county recorder shall revise the local records or indexes accordingly. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for that purpose, the State Registrar may similarly revise or index birth records of registrants whose death certificates were filed prior to January 1, 1978. (Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

State Registrardeath certificatebirth certificatedate of the deathindex of births

Related Statutes

  • § 102335 Birth Death Certificate Transmission
  • § 102180 State Registrar Duties
  • § 102185 Registrar Investigation Authority
  • § 102190 Registrar Violation Reporting Duty
  • § 102195 Attorney General Enforcement Assistance

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 102245.
View Official Source