County of Los Angeles
Department of Public Health
5555 Ferguson Drive, Suite 120-04
Commerce, CA. 90022
Phone: (323) 659-6148
Temp. contact: (213) 288-7195
Fax: (323) 728-0217
Answer: It is a certified letter from the Department of Public Health – Custodian of Records that allows mortuaries or families to ship a decedent’s remains to another country. The letter certifies that the remains pose no know communicable disease risk to the residents of the recipient country.
Links: Body Shipment/Port of Entry (POE) Letter
Answer: No, all POE documents are certified and, therefore, must be picked up in person with an original Death Certificate and a check (made payable to County of Los Angeles) for $10.00 for each document.
Answer: Yes. You can obtain Environmental Health inspection reports for the previous 5 years for currently active facilities, including Restaurants/Food Markets, Apartment Buildings, Condominiums, Swimming Pools, Food Truck, Camps, and Cannabis Facilities by accessing this link: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH - HOUSING AND FOOD FACILITY INSPECTION RECORDS.
Answer: No. Requests for information (e.g., questions about a specific Public Health matter) are not subject to the CPRA and should instead be directed to DPH’s Infoline at (833) 540-0473 to be forwarded to the appropriate staff member for a response.
Answer: The Custodian of Records will respond to a Public Record Request within 10 days from the receipt of the request. The time needed to provide records may be extended depending on the type of record sought. Remember, if you are seeking Environmental Health Inspection Reports, please visit ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH - HOUSING AND FOOD FACILITY INSPECTION RECORDS. You can search for the records by facility name or address.
Answer: We accept subpoenas addressed to the Department of Public Health as a Subpoena duces tecem, Criminal Subpoena, Personal Appearance for Custodian of Records, and Person Most Knowledgeable.
Answer: The Evidence Code allows 15-20 days for the opposing party to object; thereafter, most records can reasonably be produced within 15-30 days. Some records may take longer and will be discussed individually with the requestor.
Answer: You are required to accept a personal subpoena related to your employment with the Department of Public Health. If you have questions or need records for the appearance, call the Custodian of Records for instructions at (323) 914-7806. See Department of Public Health Policy 341.
Answer: A personal appearance subpoena must be served on the person named on the subpoena along with a check (made payable to the County of Los Angeles) for $275.00 for each subpoena. See Subpoena Fee Schedule.
Links: Subpoena Fee Schedule