Santa Barbara County Municipal Code § 2-118 Exemptions

Pursuant to the provisions of Government Code section 27472, as it may from time to time be amended, the County of Santa Barbara sheriff-coroner, whenever he or she takes custody of a dead body pursuant to law, may charge and collect a fee from the person entitled to control the disposition of the remains. The amount so charged shall be the actual expense incurred by the sheriff-coroner in removing the body from the place of death and keeping the body until its release to the person responsible for its interment, but in no event shall the charge exceed one hundred dollars, or such other amount as that section may from time to time allow.

(Ord. No. 4412, § 2)

The above charge shall not be imposed upon a person who claims and proves to be indigent, or in cases in which the body is that of a child not more than fourteen years of age, or in cases in which the sheriff-coroner ascribes the death to the criminal act of another unless the coroner has reasonable grounds to believe that the deceased was involved in any criminal activity which contributed to his or her own death. The charge shall not include expenses of keeping the body during the time necessary for the sheriff-coroner to perform his or her duties in connection with it.

(Ord. No. 4412, § 2)

The charge, if not paid, may be considered a part of the funeral expenses and paid as a preferred charge against the estate of the decedent.

(Ord. No. 4412, § 2)