How to order a Mississippi death certificate
Who holds it: MSDH Office of Vital Records; deaths from November 1912 to present1
On this page
Fee
$17 first certified copy (also the non-refundable search fee), $6 each additional copy ordered at the same time2
Who may order
Legitimate and tangible interest: parents on the record, spouse, siblings, grandparents, children (proof of relationship), informant on the record, legal guardian, legal representative, court order, funeral home of record1
Who may order and what is restricted
- ID required
- Copy of valid photo ID required with application (Form 523 also accepts two documents from a listed alternative set, e.g. Social Security card, utility bill showing address)1
Older records and indexes
- Genealogy
- Genealogy plain-paper copies for death records filed more than 50 years before the request (family ties or family-endorsed professional genealogist)3
- Archives
- MDAH holds microfiche of state death records Nov 1912-19434
More details
- Delivery
- Death certificates applied for in person are mailed within 7-10 business days5
- Veterans
- Up to 5 free certified death certificates for honorably discharged veterans on written application by a Veterans Service Officer3
Related records in Mississippi
- Birth certificates: who holds it
- MSDH Office of Vital Records, 222 Marketridge Dr., Ridgeland (mail: P.O. Box 1700, Jackson, MS 39215-1700); records from November 19125
- Birth certificates: fee
- $17 first certified copy (long form), $6 each additional copy ordered at the same time; $1 of each fee goes to the Children's Trust Fund6
Death certificates in Mississippi counties with a full guide
The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.
| County | Office | Search online | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County | Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records (statewide, from November 1912)7 | — | — |
| Harrison County | Mississippi State Department of Health, not the county8 | — | — |
| Hinds County | — | — | MSDH: $17 first certified copy, $6 each additional9 |
| Jackson County | Mississippi State Department of Health10 | — | — |
| Rankin County | MSDH Office of Vital Records11 | — | $17 first certified copy, $6 each additional11 |
For any other county, see the county list on the Mississippi guide.
Official warnings
- MSDH: VitalChek is a private company that adds fees; ordering by mail avoids them5
Official copies vs look-alike sites
A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Mississippi office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.
Rules in other states: death certificates in every state. Everything else in Mississippi: Mississippi public records guide.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 11 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Application for Certified Mississippi Death Certificate, Form 523Mississippi State Department of Health
- Death Certificate Application InstructionsMississippi State Department of Health
- Rules Governing the Registration and Certification of Vital Events (Title 15, Part 5, Subpart 85, Ch. 1)Mississippi State Department of Health
- GenealogyMississippi Department of Archives and History
- Vital Records in MississippiMississippi State Department of Health
- Birth Certificate Application InstructionsMississippi State Department of Health
- Vital RecordsMississippi State Department of Health
- A birth/death certificateHarrison County
- Death Certificate Application InstructionsMississippi State Department of Health
- ArchivesJackson County, Mississippi
- Death Certificate Application InstructionsMississippi State Department of Health