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How To Find Death Records
Identify the office that holds the death record you need, distinguishing an index used to locate an event from a certificate issued by its custodian.
Direct answer
Locate the Death Record’s Custodian
CDC/NCHS directs users to the state or local office where a vital event occurred and does not distribute identifying vital-record certificates or indexes itself.
Important
Certificate and court-file routes can differ
Locate the event. Tie the record request to the jurisdiction that recorded the event. The event jurisdiction determines which office is likely to hold the record.
Steps
Request the right vital record
For a death in the United States, start with the state and locality where the death occurred, not merely where the person last lived. Gather the full name and name variants, death date and place, parents’ names if known, your relationship to the person, the reason for the copy and a daytime contact number. Use CDC’s state-office directory to reach that jurisdiction’s current application; follow its identification and eligibility requirements.
If the date or place is unknown, establish a likely locality and date range before ordering a certificate search. NARA’s vital-record research guide points to census clues, state/county death indexes and archival resources; historical census mortality schedules cover only particular years and the preceding year’s deaths. Treat an index or obituary as a lead, compare namesakes, and ask the state/local archive or vital-record office which years it holds. NARA generally does not hold state/local death certificates.
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01
Specify the document
Distinguish a locator or index from the document itself. An index can help locate an event without being the final document.
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02
Verify the person
Use the record context to test the name match: compare name variants, date range, and the identifier shown by the source before moving from discovery to a document request.
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03
Keep historical context
Keep archival or genealogy material labeled as historical evidence. A historical record can support an older event while remaining silent about the present.
Choose the output before paying. A certified death certificate is commonly needed for account transfers, insurance or pension claims; some routine cancellations may accept a photocopy, so ask the recipient. The issuing office determines who is eligible, when older records become public, the fee per copy, extra-copy/rush charges and available online, mail or in-person delivery. Do not assume one state’s public-access age or fee applies elsewhere.
If a U.S. citizen died abroad, use the State Department’s Consular Report of Death Abroad route linked by USAGov, rather than a U.S. state death-certificate request. The embassy or consulate issues the CRDA after receiving the foreign death certificate or notice; additional copies are ordered from the Department of State. Confirm the recipient’s required proof and the current request instructions.
Route
Where how to find death records is usually requested
| Need | Official source | What it can establish |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing route. | CDC/NCHS - Where to Write for Vital Records. | CDC does not issue state vital-record certificates. |
| Request guidance. | National Archives - Resources for Genealogists. | National Archives genealogy resources cover historical federal record categories, not a current all-purpose people-finder service. |
Related Record Guides
Sources
Authoritative next stops
Official federal health navigation source; United States
CDC/NCHS - Where to Write for Vital Records
CDC/NCHS directs users to the state or local office where the vital event occurred and states the federal government does not distribute identifying vital-record certificates or indexes.
United States
Official federal archive source; United States
National Archives - Resources for Genealogists
NARA genealogy resources; federal historical record categories; main search box not person finder.
United States
Official federal guidance
USAGov - Death certificates and death abroad
Certified-copy purpose, eligibility, state request routes and CRDA distinction.
Current official procedure, limited to the agency and record type identified in the passage.
Official federal health guidance
CDC/NCHS - Application guidelines
Death-request identity, date/place, relationship and purpose inputs.
Current official procedure, limited to the agency and record type identified in the passage.
Official federal archive guidance
National Archives - Vital Records
Historical locality/date research leads and limits of federal holdings.
Current official procedure, limited to the agency and record type identified in the passage.