About the California Death Index
The California Death Index (CADI) is the state's list of deaths registered between 1940 and 1997, compiled by the California Department of Public Health. It's not a collection of death certificates — it's the name catalog, with enough detail to confirm a person, date a family line, or find where to order the certificate.
This site makes that index searchable for free. No account, no subscription.
What you'll find on a record
- Full name of the deceased
- Date and place of birth
- Date of death and county of death
- Father's last name and mother's maiden name
- Sex
- Social Security number, where the index carries one
The index contains record information only, not death certificates. For an official copy, see our guide to getting a California death certificate.
If you can't find someone
The index is compiled from county reporting, so some deaths are missing or recorded with errors. A few things to try:
- Check spelling variants (Anne / Ann, McDonald / MacDonald)
- Search by last name alone and browse the first names
- Contact the County Clerk where the death happened — county offices kept their own records, and they're often the most complete source
- Search local newspaper obituaries for the year and town
County guides
Need a certificate from a specific county? Our county-by-county guides cover contact details, fees, hours and ordering steps for all 58 California counties.
Why the index stops at 1997
The public index ends in 1997 because of identity-theft legislation passed in 2002. Here's why, and where to find more recent death records →
Cross-referencing with birth records
Where we find a likely match in the California Birth Index (1905–1995), the record page links across, so you can follow a person from birth to death.