This document discusses death records and how to obtain them. It explains that death records must be obtained through your state or local vital records office, as there is no national database. To request a death record, you must prove your direct relationship to the deceased by providing ID and documentation of your address. For genealogy purposes, you can request death records for individuals deceased for over 50 years by providing estimated dates and locations to the vital records office along with a small fee. Online resources are also available to help facilitate the search for death records.
2. Obtaining a copy of a death record is a fairly
simple and straightforward process. Death
records must be obtained through your state or
local vital records office, as there is currently no
national database for retrieving such records.
However, there are certain conditions that must
be met before you can obtain a copy of a death
record.
3. Who can Obtain a Death Record?
Most local and state vital records offices have
clear rules on obtaining death records. In fact,
most state agencies will only release a death
record for an individual who can prove to be a
direct-line descendant of the person in
question. A direct-line descendant is the
spouse, parent or child of the deceased.
4. Other persons who are eligible to receive a
copy of a death record are those who have
documented lawful right or claim, a
documented medical need, or a court order
handed down from a state court.
5. In order to request a copy of a death
record, the person in question must
provide proof of their relationship to the
deceased.
6. The vital records office will then likely request a
photo ID, such as a passport or a driver’s licenses,
as well as two other letters or statements that
show the applicant’s current name and address.
Often times, the vital records office will accept
such documentation as a utility bill or letter from
a governmental agency.
7. Although each state will have its own set of
rules regarding the release of death records,
the above information is generally
commonplace.
8. Are There any Exceptions?
For individuals interested in searching for
death records for genealogy purposes,
the process of obtaining a death record is
not quite that complicated.
9. However, most state and local vital records
offices will only release death records if the
individual has been deceased for at least 50
years (this time frame may vary slightly from
state to state). At this point, you can receive
death certificates for genealogy purposes.
10. Most vital records offices will require that you request
the death certificate in writing, and that you provide a
good deal of information to facilitate the search. Be as
accurate as possible when requesting the death
certificate, and if you don’t know exact dates and
locations, you can estimate. For example, if you don’t
know the exact date of the individual’s death, you can
provide a span of years to the vital records office to
guide them in their search.
11. Some of the information you may be asked to
provide includes: the date of request, the full
name of the deceased, the sex of the person, the
date of death, the city and/or town of death, your
relationship to the deceased, the purpose of your
request, and your contact information. The vital
records office will also ask you to pay a small fee
to cover administrative costs.
12. Online Resources
There are many websites that may be able to
help you in your search for death records.
They can provide you with the proper
information and can greatly facilitate the
process so you can receive your death records
in a reasonable amount of time.
