Vital Records
Birth, death, and marriage certificates can be order in person or via mail from the San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder. To order online, use VitalChek. Birth and death certificates go back to 1865, while marriage certificates go back to 1856.
- San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder
- VitalCheck: San Mateo County
Our resources
- Do you have records you'd like to donate to our archives? You can submit your records online. Please email us if you have questions about submitting records.
Other online resources
- California Birth Index 1905-1995
The index, available from VitalSearch, can be searched by surname for free. However, you do need to sign up for a free guest pass first. To search using parameters other than surname, you will need to subscribe to the index through VitalSearch or Ancestry.com. - California Death Index 1905-2000
The index, available from VitalSearch, can be searched by surname for free. However, you do need to sign up for a free guest pass first. The 1940-1997 portion of the death index can also be searched at RootsWeb for free. - San Mateo County Death Records
This database was created from the book San Mateo County Death Records published by the San Mateo County Genealogical Society in 2000. The records were extracted by Pam M. Reynolds and edited by Cath Trindle. The database include deaths from about 1885 to about 1915, but it is not a complete listing of deaths for that period. -
San Mateo Times Gazette Index (1859-1879).
An index to birth, marriage, death, probate, and summons, which appeared in this newspaper. Compiled by Mary Lou Grunigen.
Offline resources
- San Mateo County Genealogical Society. San Mateo County times gazette, index of vital records, 1859-1899. San Mateo, California : San Mateo County Genealogical Society, 1996. According to the Family History Library Catalog: "Index includes issue date of newspaper, type of event (birth, marriage, death, probate, summons), date of the event, age and/or parent, or spouse of the subject." The 1859-1879 portion of the Gazette index is available online.
