Update from LA County Office of Decedent Affairs

Please note that the requirements for accepting decedents into our care have been updated.

Attached, you will find the following updated documents:

• Restrictions and Required Referral Attestation

• Attestation of Due Diligence Form

• Updated Transfer of Decedent Care to LA County ODA Form

These forms must be fully completed and complied with, in order for our office to process the case and provide a drop-off appointment confirmation.

Please carefully review all attached documentation and ensure that all new requirements are properly completed to avoid delays in obtaining a drop-off appointment confirmation. Please also note that the updated Transfer of Decedent Care to LA County ODA form must be used moving forward. Previous versions will no longer be accepted.

All documentation must be completed neatly and legibly, as these are legal documents. Any forms that are incomplete, improperly filled out, or unreadable will be rejected.

Additionally, in order for our office to process cases moving forward, the certified letters your facility sends to the next of kin (NOK) must include detailed documentation of all communication attempts made and must contain the following verbiage:

“Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code §7100, the right and duty to control the disposition of human remains rests with the legally authorized next of kin or other authorized person in the order established by law. When no legally authorized individual assumes responsibility for disposition, the County may proceed with lawful disposition in accordance with applicable law and County procedures. The decedent is scheduled to be transferred into the care and custody of the Los Angeles County Office of Decedent Affairs for cremation.

If you are the legal next of kin or otherwise authorized to make arrangements for the decedent, you must contact our office within 7-10 days.

Once all requirements have been completed, your office must fax the following documentation to 323-441-4891:

• Updated Transfer of Decedent Care to LA County ODA fax form

• Completed Attestation of Due Diligence form

• Copy of the letter sent to the NOK

• Clear copy of the certified mail receipt fully completed with:

  • Name of recipient

  • Address of recipient

  • Tracking number

• Signed return receipt, if available

• Working copy of the filed death certificate, listing the final disposition as

• Filed disposition permit with the following information:

Once all documentation has been submitted, our office will review and process the case and provide written drop-off appointment confirmation.

Please be advised that failure to comply with these requirements or failure to thoroughly provide the requested information may result in delays in acceptance and could lead to denial of the case altogether.

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please feel free to contact our office via email at decedentaffairs@dhs.lacounty.gov‍ or by phone at 323-409-7161.

Thank you.

Jessica Lopez

Mortuary Aid, Los Angeles County Office of Decedent Affairs