California Funeral License Record Dates: File Update, Snapshot, and Lookup

Direct answer and scope

The DCA file update date tells you when DCA updated the public-disclosure file from which a record was taken. The snapshot acquisition date tells you when that file was obtained and preserved. The official lookup verification date tells you when the matching license information was checked in DCA’s official license lookup. Each date belongs to a separate source event.

For the supplied California snapshot, DCA file dates were 2026-08-01 and the files were obtained on 2026-08-25. The Funeral_Data00.xls file contained 6,137 records, and the related Cemetery_Data00.xls file contained 6,688 records. The snapshot is an immutable archive of those files, not a live DCA view.

A public-file record should retain the exact documented license type, license number, individual or organization indicator, public-address fields such as City and County, dates, and raw license status. An official lookup record should retain its exact license type, license number, displayed status, identity match, lookup source, and verification date. A date must not be detached from the source and fields it describes.

The public files are refreshed automatically at the beginning of each month and are not real-time. The official lookup is a separate source for checking an identity-matched record, and the status shown there can change. Readers should verify current information through the official lookup and the applicable California authority before relying on it.

How to use the supplied evidence

Start with identity matching. Compare the record’s exact license type and license number, then use the individual or organization indicator and the documented public-address fields as additional record fields. A name match alone is insufficient. If the record is checked through the official lookup, record the displayed status and the date of that lookup verification.

For public-file evidence, record the DCA file update date separately from the snapshot acquisition date. In the supplied snapshot, the DCA update date is 2026-08-01, while acquisition occurred on 2026-08-25. The filenames, record totals, and checksums provide provenance for the preserved files: Funeral_Data00.xls has 6,137 records and SHA-256 62f35460f34dd8748672f889839c03dde187891922d0837f08b615b4bcf3be50; Cemetery_Data00.xls has 6,688 records and SHA-256 20b784291214b01de0670e242d36971c050b5a0be481f87dcce8f900a0ce47a4.

Keep the raw status exactly as reported. DCA’s public layout describes values including Current, Delinquent, and Inactive. If a derived subset is reported, disclose the raw value, any normalized mapping, the filter criteria, the snapshot date, the DCA file update date, and the coverage. Do not silently convert a raw status into a broader conclusion.

The 1,127-establishment snapshot control total includes all statuses. It must therefore remain identified as an all-status control total rather than an active count. The public address of record also remains a public-address field; it does not establish a service location or service area.

Decision framework

Use the DCA file update date when the question is: which dated public-disclosure file supplied this record? This date describes the file version identified by DCA. It should appear with the exact license fields and raw status taken from that file.

Use the snapshot acquisition date when the question is: when was the supplied copy obtained and preserved? This date documents the archive event, not a new DCA update. A later acquisition date does not change the file’s stated DCA update date.

Use the official lookup verification date when the question is: when was the identity-matched record checked in DCA’s official lookup? This date should remain attached to the exact lookup fields and displayed status observed at that check. Because status can change, the verification date is part of the lookup evidence.

When the three dates appear together, report them as separate fields rather than selecting one as the record’s single date. The public-file date and snapshot date describe the file and its preservation, while the official lookup date describes a separate lookup action. None replaces the others, and none alone establishes present operation or availability.

Limits and what to verify next

The archived snapshot identifies preserved file bytes and their provenance, but it does not prove that every record remains current, complete, or correct after 2026-08-01. The monthly public files are not real-time. Use the official lookup for a separate, identity-matched status check and record the date on which that check was performed.

A raw status must not be silently mapped to active, open, available, approved, safe, or recommended. The public fields also do not establish quality, availability, ownership links, or manager relationships. A public address of record is not proof of an operating entrance, preparation location, service area, or onsite service.

Before relying on a record, compare the exact license type and number, confirm the identity match, preserve the raw status, and distinguish the file update, snapshot acquisition, and lookup verification dates. If the official lookup produces no result, that absence is not proof that no license, complaint, or enforcement record exists.

The California Department of Consumer Affairs provides the official license lookup, and the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau directs consumers to verify the license status of the funeral establishment and funeral director they plan to use. Current requirements and record details should be verified with the applicable official source.

Questions people ask

The following answers keep the three source dates separate and identify the exact record fields that should travel with each observation.

Evidence behind this page

Each point below is restricted to what the cited primary source supports. Administrative listing status is not a quality endorsement.