Frequently Asked Questions

1) Who obtains the certified copies of the death certificate?

The county where the death occurred issues the certified copies of the death certificate. The number of certified copies you require may be ordered during the arrangement conference. Once the certified copies are received (usually within two weeks), you will be contacted and the documents will be held at our office for you to pick up. If you wish to re-order certified copies of a death certificate, and if the county is San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Marin, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa or Sonoma counties, VMP & Co. will take your order, process it for you, pick up the copies and hold them for you to pick up. A fee equal to that charged by the respective county will be charged to you. If the death was outside of these counties, we will provide you with an application and an envelope addressed to the Vital Statistics Office of the specific county. After you submit it, the county where the death occurred processes the application, and sends the certificates to you.

The cost, per death certificate, is as follows (please confirm these prices with the respective board of health or with our staff, as the cost tends to fluctuate):

San Francisco: $12.00 each

San Mateo: $14.00 each

Alameda: $14.00 each

Marin: $12.00 each

Napa: $12.00 each

Solano: $14.00 each

Contra Costa: $15.00 each

Sonoma: $14.00 each

2) Why do I need copies of the death certificate?

Death certificates may be required to process the legal paperwork involving the estate of the deceased. Some examples for their use are the processing of life insurance policies, bank accounts, real property, stocks and bonds, will or living trust and insured loans.

3) Do I have to fund my pre-arrangement plans?

No. This is a frequently asked, yet often misunderstood, question concerning pre-arranging. VMP & Co. will assist you with your advance planning by keeping a file of all your funeral services choices, the vital statistic information needed for the legal paperwork, the written authorizations that may be required, and the estimate of the cost, in current prices. This is all that is required to set up a pre-arrangement file. Pre-funding is not necessary, unless you wish to set aside funds -- that choice is a personal one.

4) What does Social Security pay towards a funeral service?

Social Security provides a one-time death benefit of $255 to eligible survivors. General benefits must be determined individually based upon work contribution history of the deceased and eligibility of their survivors. These can be assessed by calling the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., or by going to the Social Security Administration web site.  

5) Does VMP &Co. assist in filing Social Security papers?

We send written notification (Form 721) to the Social Security Administration that the person has passed away. However, applications for survivor benefits must be handled directly by your family with the SSA by calling (800) 772-1213, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., or by consulting the Social Security Administration web site. It is not necessary for you to send Social Security a certified copy of the death certificate.

6) Where is the closest national cemetery for veterans?

Although the Golden Gate National Cemetery was established for Bay Area veterans, the cemetery has been full for a number of years. Occasionally, due to a reservation cancellation, grave spaces become available. We will check with the cemetery for availability at the time of need. In general, to receive a complimentary grave, the nearest national cemeteries are the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, located in Gustine, CA, approximately 120 miles from the Bay Area and the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, located in Dixon, CA, approximately 80 miles from the Bay Area.

7) What death benefits does the VA provide?

VMP & Co. will assist you in filing for burial allowance / plot interment allowance, if applicable, and we will process the flag application. We will need a copy of the veteran’s Honorable Discharge (form DD-214) in order to process these items. For grave monument benefits, tax exemption, and other veterans benefits, please contact the Veterans Administration at (800) 827-1000 or by going to the Veterans Affairs web site.