Who may request
Authorized family, a legal representative, or, for an informational copy, a wider set of requestors.
Timing
The state office is slow (often many weeks). County clerk-recorders are usually faster for deaths in that county.
Notes from the desk
California sells two kinds of copies. Banks and insurers want an authorized certified copy, not an informational copy.
If you know the county of death, order there first. Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Santa Clara each have their own clerk-recorder counters.
Informational copies cannot be used to claim benefits or transfer property.