Lisa, What is contained in San Luis Obispo County records, like other counties depends on the year you are researching. The earlier the death the less information, and in SLO many early ones are one line in a ledger, the later ones provide more information. Don't over look searching obits and church records. If you are looking for family information these usually provide more, also check the courts records for wills, probates and guardianship petitions for minor children. SLO county clerks are willing to help, the birth, marriage and death index are all on computer and most of the records have been filmed. There are original books for the ones that aren't...you can extract what ever records you wish but copies are all certified and must be purchased. Probate indexes are the original books, the records are in storage and must be ordered in, usually this takes a week. Then you can go read the file, and order copies of what ever pages you wish, same for the General Court Registers (these will also have divorce records listed). Once a record has been brought in from storage, it is usually filmed or put on fiche. Doreen