How to get a death certificate
A death certificate is filed where the death occurred and kept by the state vital records office, often with a county or city office that can also issue copies. Family members, executors and others with a legal need can order certified copies; banks, insurers and courts usually want one each.
On this page
How many copies to order
Each bank, insurer, pension plan and court may keep the copy you send, so families often order several at once. Some states charge less for additional copies ordered at the same time (Texas charges $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional one; see Texas death certificates).
Who may order
States restrict certified copies to close relatives, legal representatives and people who can show a direct interest. After a set number of years many death records become public and are transferred to the state archives for genealogy. The table below gives the office and fee in each state.
Death certificates by state
| State | Who holds it | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ADPH Center for Health Statistics | $15.00 incl. one certified copy |
| Alaska | State only: Health Analytics & Vital Records, Department of Health (Juneau/Anchorage). | $30 first copy, $25 each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time |
| Arizona | ADHS Bureau of Vital Records and county health department vital records offices. | $20.00 per certified copy (Certificate of Death Registration) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records | $10.00 first copy, $8.00 each additional copy ordered at the same time |
| California | CDPH-Vital Records (since July 1905) and County Recorder of the county of death | $26 per certified copy at CDPH-VR (effective Jan. 1, 2026) |
| Colorado | CDPHE Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics and local vital records offices. State Archives holds older records | $25.00 first certified copy |
| Connecticut | Town vital records office where the death occurred (or where the decedent lived) and the State Vital Records Office | $20 per certified copy (town or state) |
| Delaware | DHSS Office of Vital Statistics | $25.00 per certificate (part goes to the distressed cemetery fund). One free certified copy of a veteran's death certificate to a relative when essential to settling a claim. |
| District of Columbia | DC Health, Vital Records Division | $18 |
| Florida | DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics | DOH: $5 search (one year) + one certified copy (non-refundable) |
| Georgia | DPH State Office of Vital Records (1919-present) and county vital records offices | $25.00 + $5.00 for additional copies |
| Hawaii | State Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring (Vital Records). | $10.00 first copy, $4.00 each additional copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time, plus $2.50 fee per increment of up to 5 certificates. |
| Idaho | DHW Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics | $16 per certified copy (VitalChek adds $10.50). |
| Illinois | IDPH Division of Vital Records and the county clerk of the county of death | IDPH: $19 certified, $4 each additional |
| Indiana | IDOH Division of Vital Records (state records from 1900) and local health department where death occurred | State (IDOH): $8.00 first certificate, $4.00 each additional copy in same order |
| Iowa | Iowa HHS Bureau of Health Statistics and County Recorders | $20 per certified copy/search. |
| Kansas | KDHE Office of Vital Statistics (deaths from July 1, 1911) | $20 per certified copy (five-year search fee |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, records from 1911 | $6 search/certified copy |
| Louisiana | LDH Vital Records Registry | $7.00 per certified death certificate (+$0.50 on mail/VitalChek orders) |
| Maine | DRVS (state, 1892 to present) and municipal clerks | $15.00 per certificate |
| Maryland | MDH Division of Vital Records for deaths in 2012 or later | $10 first certified copy, $12 each additional copy in the same transaction (MDH) |
| Massachusetts | City/town clerk where the death occurred and RVRS (1936-present) | Same RVRS fees as birth: $20 in person, $32 mail, $54/$42 online |
| Michigan | MDHHS Vital Records from 1867 | $34.00 search including one certified copy |
| Minnesota | MDH Office of Vital Records and county vital records offices | $13 certified |
| Mississippi | MSDH Office of Vital Records | $17 first certified copy (also the non-refundable search fee), $6 each additional copy ordered at the same time |
| Missouri | DHSS Bureau of Vital Records (1910-present) | $14 first certified copy, $11 each additional copy ordered at the same time (state or local registrar). |
| Montana | DPHHS Office of Vital Records and any County Clerk & Recorder | $16 certified or informational copy |
| Nebraska | DHHS Office of Vital Records, statewide from 1904. | $16 per certified death certificate. |
| Nevada | State Registrar, Office of Vital Records (Carson City) | State office: $25 each if death occurred in Carson, Clark, Douglas, Lyon, Mineral or Washoe |
| New Hampshire | City/town clerks and DVRA | $15 search (first copy), $10 each additional copy |
| New Jersey | Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred, or the NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry | $25 first |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Vital Records, Santa Fe only | $5 per certified copy, non-refundable search fee |
| New York | Outside NYC: NYS DOH Vital Records (since 1881) and the local Registrar where the death occurred. NYC: NYC DOHMH (deaths after 1951 via DOHMH | NYS DOH: $30 by mail |
| North Carolina | NC Vital Records (1930 to present) and Register of Deeds in the county where the death occurred, not county of residence | $24 search (one copy included if found), per three-year period, nonrefundable |
| North Dakota | ND HHS Vital Records Unit (State Registrar). | $15.00 first copy |
| Ohio | ODH Bureau of Vital Statistics for 1971–present | $21.50 per certified death record |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service | $15.00 search fee including one certified copy |
| Oregon | Oregon Health Authority, Center for Health Statistics (records from 1903) | $25 per certificate (short or long form) |
| Pennsylvania | PA Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, for PA deaths since 1906 | $20 per certified copy |
| Rhode Island | RIDOH Center for Vital Records | State office: $22 in person, $25 by mail, $18 each extra copy same day |
| South Carolina | State: SC DPH Vital Records | $12 search including one certified copy |
| South Dakota | DOH Vital Records holds originals for all deaths after 1905 | $15 per certified or informational copy |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Office of Vital Records and every county health department | $15.00 per certified copy (first and each additional) |
| Texas | DSHS Vital Statistics Section | $20.00 first certified copy |
| Utah | OVRS, deaths 1905-present | $35 first certified copy |
| Vermont | Same as birth: VDH statewide system (1909 to present), town clerks and VSARA as issuing agents | $10.00 per certified copy |
| Virginia | VDH Office of Vital Records (also local health departments and DMV) | $15 per certified copy or search (no refund if not found) |
| Washington | Department of Health (July 1, 1907-present) and local health jurisdictions | $25 per certificate or informational copy |
| West Virginia | WV Vital Registration Office | $12 per copy at state |
| Wisconsin | DHS Wisconsin Vital Records Office | $20 first copy |
| Wyoming | WDH Vital Statistics Services (state registrar) | $25.00 for the first certified copy, $20.00 for each additional copy. |
Each state links to its guide, where every office and fee carries its official source and check date. Fees shown are the state’s fee for a copy; the state guide lists the others.
Get copies from the office, not a look-alike site
Searching an official index costs nothing or the fee the office sets. Some commercial sites that rank for record searches sell subscriptions or reports that are not certified copies. How to tell them apart.