Vital Registration Office Hours

Monday – Friday
9am to Noon, 1pm to 4pm

Emergency filing of death certificates
Office closures for 2026

Vital Registration registers home births that have occurred in Alameda County in the last year. This department also provides permits for funeral directors who are handling or transporting deceased persons. (Note: the City of Berkeley is a separate health jurisdiction.)

Alameda County residents, excluding Berkeley: If you need a certificate for a hospital birth or a death certificate, please contact the Alameda County Recorder’s Office.

• Online for birth certificates
• Online for death certificates
• By Phone: (510) 272-6362
• In Person: 1106 Madison Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Berkeley residents: If you need a birth or death certificate from the City of Berkeley, please contact the Office of Vital Records:

• Online for birth or death certificates
• By Phone: (510) 981-5320
• In Person: 1947 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 (Mon-Thurs, 12 – 4 p.m.)

Home Births/Out-of-Hospital Births

Home Birth Appointments

Vital Registration registers home births in our office by appointment. The process is simple, but you will need to gather the necessary documentation prior to scheduling an appointment.

You may schedule an appointment any time during regular office hours by calling (510) 267-8075. The presence of the mother, child, and a witness is required to register a home birth. The process takes 30-45 minutes. The witness can be anyone who was present at the birth, such as the father, midwife, or a friend.

The home birth must have occurred within the last 12 months. After one year, delayed registration is available through the State Office of Vital Records.

Click here to schedule a home birth appointment and register an out-of-hospital birth.

Death-related Reporting Instructions for Funeral Homes/Directors

Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) Instructions

Vital Registration is a member of the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) administered by the California Office of Vital Records. Funeral Directors or designees should allow two business hours for registration (SUBM LR) after submission of the death certificate.

Prior to submission, after completed attestation (as per EDRS Letter 06-03), the Funeral Director or designee must review the attestation in EDRS.

Click here for full EDRS instructions

Request to Revise EDRS Record (for records not registered)

Funeral Directors or authorized designees may correct information in the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS). To request Alameda County Vital Records to unlock or revise an EDRS record, please submit a completed Request to Revise EDRS/FDRS Record form. Allow up to two hours for completion.

Other Forms

• Application and Permit for Disposition of Human Remains

Death Certificate and Permit Fees

Vital Registration charges different fees, depending on the type of permit and the number of requested copies. The fees cover death certificates for all cities in Alameda County except Berkeley.

Fee Chart for Alameda County as of January 1, 2026

(Does not include Berkeley City)

Death Certificate = $26.00
Fetal Death Certificate = $23.00
Burial Permit = $12.00

Death Certificate Fee Schedule (Non-Fetal)

Includes one burial permit plus the specified number of death certificates.

Examples:

• 1 permit + 1 death certificate = $38.00
• 1 permit + 2 death certificates = $64.00

Fetal Death Certificate Fee Schedule

Includes one burial permit plus the specified number of fetal death certificates.

Examples:

• 1 permit + 1 death certificate = $35.00
• 1 permit + 2 death certificates = $58.00

Revised 12/31/25