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How to order a Pennsylvania death certificate

Who holds it: PA Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, for PA deaths since 19061

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Fees
  2. Who may order and what is restricted
  3. Older records and indexes
  4. Related records in Pennsylvania
  5. Death certificates in Pennsylvania counties with a full guide
  6. Official warnings
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Fee

$20 per certified copy; online orders add a $10 service fee1

Who may order

Age 18+: spouse; parent or step-parent (step-parent must provide marriage certificate); brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister; child or step-child (step-child must provide parent's marriage certificate); grandparent or great-grandparent; grandchild or great-grandchild; other family members incl. ex-spouses with documentation of direct interest; attorney/legal representative of the estate; executor or administrator; individual with direct financial interest (with documents)1

Fees

Online fee
$10 processing fee online1
Fee waiver
Fee waived for U.S. Armed Forces members/veterans (discharged other than dishonorably) or their spouse, per Act 137 of 2024; max 10 copies per applicant per calendar year1

Who may order and what is restricted

Restrictions
Death certificates 50+ years old are public and held at the State Archives; those less than 50 years old are restricted and held by the DOH Division of Vital Records2

Older records and indexes

Pre
Deaths before 1906: county courthouse3
Birth certificates: who holds it
PA Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, for births registered in Pennsylvania since 19063
Birth certificates: fee
$20 per certified copy; online orders add a non-refundable $10 service fee4
Probate: who holds it
County Register of Wills (probate of wills, letters to personal representatives)5
Older records: death holdings
Original death certificates 1906-1975 at the State Archives2

Death certificates in Pennsylvania 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
Adams CountyPA Department of Vital Records (after 1905); county holds 1852-1854 death records6——
Allegheny County———
Beaver CountyRegister of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court7——
Berks CountyPA Department of Health8——
Blair CountyDeaths after 1906: PA Department of Health; 1893-1906 at the Clerk of Orphans' Court9—$20 per certified copy (state)10
Bucks CountyPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records11—$20 per certified copy (state)12
Butler CountyPA Department of Health, Vital Records13——
Cambria CountyRegister of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court14——
Centre CountyRegister of Wills & Clerk of Orphans' Court15—State fee: $20 per certified copy (PA DOH)16
Chester CountyPA Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, for PA deaths since 190617—$20 per certified copy; online orders add a $10 service fee17
Clearfield CountyRegister of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court18—State fee: $20 per certified copy; online orders add a $10 service fee19
Crawford CountyPennsylvania Department of Health (1906 to present)20——
Cumberland CountyRegister of Wills & Clerk of Orphans' Court21—State fee: $20 per certified copy (PA DOH)22
Dauphin County1906 to present: PA Department of Health ($20 per certified copy); 1893-1906: Register of Wills23——
Delaware CountyPA Department of Health (deaths since 1906)24—$20 per certified copy (state)24
Erie County——State fee: $20 each25
Fayette CountyRegister of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court26—State fee: $20 per certified copy (PA DOH, deaths since 1906)27
Franklin CountyArchives & Records Management28—State fee: $20 per certified copy (PA DOH)29
Lackawanna County———
Lancaster County———
Lawrence CountyPA Department of Health for deaths since 190630——
Lebanon County———
Lehigh CountyPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records31——
Luzerne CountyLuzerne County Coroner32—$20 per certified copy; online orders add a $10 service fee33
Lycoming CountyPost-1905: PA Department of Health; the Register & Recorder holds deaths 1893-189834——
Mercer CountyPA Department of Health, Division of Vital Records (after 1905); county holds 1893-1905 only35——
Monroe CountyPA Department of Health, $20 plus $10 online processing36——
Montgomery CountyPA Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, for PA deaths since 190637—$20 per certified copy; online orders add a $10 service fee37
Northampton CountyNorthampton County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court38——
Northumberland County———
Philadelphia County———
Washington County———
Westmoreland County———
York CountyYork County Archives39—County fee: Certificate from original death record $20.0040

For any other county, see the county list on the Pennsylvania guide.

Official warnings

  • Vital records look-alike sites. Only VitalChek is authorized for online PA birth/death orders; other sites cost more and delay4
  • Vital Records appointment sites. Appointments only through PA Vital Records41

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  2. Death Records (State Archives)Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania State Archiveschecked November 4, 2026
  3. GenealogyPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  4. Ordering a Birth CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  5. 20 Pa.C.S. § 901 Register's jurisdictionPennsylvania General Assemblychecked November 4, 2026
  6. Genealogy Record InformationCounty of Adams, PAchecked November 4, 2026
  7. Beaver County - Register of WillsCounty of Beaver, PAchecked November 4, 2026
  8. Recorder of Deeds Fee ScheduleBerks County Recorder of Deedsarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  9. Clerk of Orphans' CourtBlair County, PAchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  11. Genealogy (Vital Records)Pennsylvania Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  12. Death CertificatesPennsylvania Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  13. Pa-but-rowCounty of Butler, PAchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Cambria County: register-of-wills-clerk-of-orphans-court-officeCambria County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  15. Register of Wills & Clerk of Orphans' Court | Centre County, PA - Official Websitecentrecountypa.govchecked November 4, 2026
  16. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  17. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  18. Register of WillsClearfield County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  19. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  20. Clerk of CourtsCounty of Crawford, PAchecked November 7, 2026
  21. Register of Wills | Cumberland County, PA - Official WebsiteCumberland County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  22. Death CertificatesPennsylvania Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  23. Death CertificatesPennsylvania Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  24. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  25. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  26. Register of WillsFayette County, PAchecked November 4, 2026
  27. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  28. Archives & Records ManagementFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  29. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  30. GenealogyPA Department of Healthchecked November 7, 2026
  31. Orphans' Court - Birth & Death InformationLehigh County Court of Common Pleaschecked November 4, 2026
  32. Coroner Records & PermitsLuzerne County, Pennsylvaniaarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  33. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  34. GenealogyLycoming County Register & Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  35. Records maintained in the office of Clerk and RegisterCounty of Mercer, PAchecked November 4, 2026
  36. Certified Copy of a Death CertificateMonroe County, PAchecked November 7, 2026
  37. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  38. County Government (departments)Northampton Countychecked November 4, 2026
  39. York County ArchivesYork County Archives (department of York County Government)checked November 4, 2026
  40. Fee Bill, Clerk of Orphans' Court Division (PDF)Court of Common Pleas of York County / Clerk of Orphans' Courtchecked November 4, 2026
  41. Vital Records Public OfficesPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026