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How to order a New Jersey death certificate

Who holds it: Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred, or the NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Older records and indexes
  2. More details
  3. Related records in New Jersey
  4. How New Jersey handles it
  5. Death certificates in New Jersey counties with a full guide
  6. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  7. Sources

State fee

$25 first; $2 each additional copy same order2

Who may order

Same eligibility as birth: certified copies only to the subject's parent/guardian/legal representative, spouse/civil union partner, adult child/grandchild/sibling, an agency, by court order, or an executor with proof of appointment; anyone with ID may get a certification3

Ordering online

VitalChek (state-linked vendor), online or by phone 1-877-622-7549 (extra fees)3

Fee charged

Processing time

Same as birth (walk-in about 2 hours; mail via VitalChek 2-4 weeks)3

Older records and indexes

Non genealogical window
Deaths within the last 40 years are non-genealogical3
Genealogy copies
Deaths more than 40 years ago (up to 1951) are genealogical at DOH; 1848–1950 deaths are at the State Archives4
Historical index
State Archives searchable death indexes May 1848–May 1878 and June 1878–December 19005

More details

Certification omits
Certifications (non-certified) of death records omit SSN and cause of death6
Birth certificates: who holds it
Local Registrar (vital records office) of the municipality where the birth occurred, or the NJ Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. The state holds the most recent 100 years; older records are at the NJ State Archives.7
Probate: who holds it
County Surrogate in each of the 21 counties. The Surrogate is elected for 5 years, serves as Judge of the Surrogate's Court and Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part. Some matters, such as admitting a copy of a lost will, go to the Superior Court.8
Older records: vital holdings
Births May 1, 1848–Dec 31, 1925; marriages and deaths May 1, 1848–Dec 31, 1950. Later records are owned by NJ DOH.5
Older records: vital records for genealogy
DOH Office of Vital Statistics holds the most recent 100 years; older records go to the State Archives4

How New Jersey handles it

  • Municipal local registrars hold vital records. Birth, death and marriage records are issued by the Local Registrar of the municipality (city/town/township) where the event occurred, as well as by the state office. Local fees vary.7
  • Jersey City vital records. Jersey City's City Clerk Division of Vital Records issues birth certificates for Jersey City births after 1925.9

Death certificates in New Jersey 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.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Atlantic CountyMunicipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry10——
Bergen CountyMunicipal Local Registrars11——
Burlington CountyMunicipal Local Registrars12——
Camden CountyMunicipal Local Registrar13—State office: $25 search and one certified copy; municipal fees vary14
Cape May CountyMunicipal Local Registrar or NJ DOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry15——
Cumberland CountyLocal registrar of the municipality of death, or NJ Department of Health16—State office: $25 search and one certified copy17
Essex CountyMunicipal Vital Statistics Office of the municipality where the death occurred18——
Gloucester CountyLocal registrar of the municipality of death, or NJ Department of Health19—State office: $25 search and one certified copy; municipal fees vary20
Hudson CountyCertified death certificates from the Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred21——
Hunterdon CountyMunicipal registrars22—State fee: $25 search and one certified copy (NJ DOH)23
Mercer CountyMunicipal local registrars of the 12 Mercer County municipalities24——
Middlesex CountyNJ Office of Vital Statistics & Registry, or the municipal Local Registrar25——
Monmouth CountyMunicipal clerk or registrar where the event took place26——
Morris CountyMunicipality where the death occurred, NJ Vital Statistics, or NJ State Archives27——
Ocean CountyMunicipal Local Registrars / NJ Office of Vital Statistics and Registry28——
Passaic CountyMunicipal Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred, or the NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry29——
Salem CountyMunicipal Local Registrars30——
Somerset CountyMunicipal registrars31——
Sussex CountyMunicipal registrar of the town where the death occurred (or NJ DOH); not kept by the county32——
Union CountyMunicipal Local Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred33——

For any other county, see the county list on the New Jersey guide.

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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey: New Jersey public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 33 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Frequently Asked QuestionsUnion County Surrogate
  2. Fees at a GlanceNJ Department of Health
  3. Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical RecordsNJ Department of Health
  4. Getting Copies of Genealogical RecordsNJ Department of Health
  5. Genealogical CollectionsNJ State Archives
  6. Order a Vital RecordNJ Department of Health
  7. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  8. About the SurrogateUnion County Surrogate
  9. Jersey City/Hudson County Birth RecordsNJ Department of Health
  10. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  11. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  12. Marriage ServicesBurlington County, NJ
  13. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  14. Vital Records FeesNJ Department of Health
  15. Vital Statistics FAQsNJ Department of Health
  16. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  17. Vital Records FeesNJ Department of Health
  18. Vital Records OfficesCounty of Essex
  19. Vital Records FAQsNJ Department of Health
  20. Vital Records FeesNJ Department of Health
  21. FAQHudson County Surrogate's Court
  22. County ClerkHunterdon County Clerk
  23. Vital records feesNJ Department of Health
  24. Mercer County
  25. Registry Frequently Asked QuestionsCounty of Middlesex (NJ)
  26. Open Public Records Act (OPRA)Monmouth County, New Jersey
  27. Records VaultMorris County Clerk
  28. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  29. Vital Statistics Frequently Asked QuestionsNJ Department of Health
  30. Clerk: Archives Room & HoldingsSalem County
  31. Copy of my birth certificateSomerset County, New Jersey
  32. Vital Records (County Clerk)Sussex County, New Jersey
  33. Surrogate Frequently Asked QuestionsUnion County Surrogate