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How to order a Rhode Island death certificate

Who holds it: RIDOH Center for Vital Records; city/town clerks (any town for 2022+ deaths, else the town of death/residence); State Archives for deaths 50+ years old1

Last checked against official sources on .

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

Fee

State office: $22 in person, $25 by mail, $18 each extra copy same day2

Who may order

Same eligibility list as other vital records (registrant's family, attorneys, title examiners, genealogical society members, court order, funeral directors, persons protecting a personal/property right)1

Ordering online

VitalChek1

Older records and indexes

Historical index
State Archives: open deaths 1853-1975 can be certified; open vital records and indexes are online3

More details

Professional viewing
Title examiners, attorneys and genealogical society members may view death certificates free; copy fees apply4
Birth certificates: who holds it
RIDOH Center for Vital Records (Simpson Hall, 6 Harrington Rd., Cranston) and city/town clerks; State Archives for births 100+ years old1
Probate: who holds it
Municipal probate court of each city/town (records requested from the city or town clerk); appeals go to Superior Court5
Older records: vital holdings
Births and marriages over 100 years old and deaths over 50 years old; open records and indexes free online; certified copies by request form3

How Rhode Island handles it

  • Cities and towns, not counties. No county government records offices: land records, vital records copies, probate and property tax are handled by the 39 cities and towns; courts and corrections are state-run.6
  • Any-town-hall vital records. Recent birth (1960+) and death/marriage (2022+) certificates can be obtained at any city or town hall; older ones only where the event occurred.1
  • Open vs closed vital records. Vital records open at 100 years (births, marriages) and 50 years (deaths) and move to the State Archives.7

Death certificates in Rhode Island towns with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each town with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

TownOfficeSearch onlineFee
CoventryTown Clerk - Vital Records8—Certified copy: $22 walk-in, $25 by mail; $18 for each additional copy bought the same day9
CranstonCity Clerk - Marriage Licenses / Vital Records10——
CumberlandTown Clerk - Vital Records11—Certified copy: $22 walk-in, $25 by mail; $18 for each additional copy of the same record bought the same day11
East Providence——Walk-in $22 first; mail-in $25 first; $18 each additional12
JohnstonJohnston Town Clerk: any RI death 2022-present13—Walk-in: $22 first copy, $18 each additional copy13
North ProvidenceTown Clerk - Vital Records14—Same as birth: walk-in $22.00 first, $18.00 additional; mail-in $25.00 first14
Pawtucket2022 to present: any RI municipality15—In person $22 first; by mail or online $25 first; $18 each additional15
ProvidenceVital Records16—$22.00 walk-in / $25.00 mail-in; $18 each additional copy the same day17
Providence County———
South KingstownTown Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics18—$22 first copy, $18 additional; by mail $25 first18
Warwick——Walk-in $22 first; mail-in $25 first; $18 each additional19
Washington County———
West WarwickTown Clerk - Vital Records20—Same as birth ($22 walk-in first copy; $25 mail-in)20
WoonsocketCity Clerk21——

For any other town, see the town list on the Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island: Rhode Island public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 21 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Birth, Death & Marriage Records (Vital Records)Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
  2. Requesting a Vital Record from the StateRhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
  3. Rhode Island State Vital Records (State Archives)Rhode Island Department of State
  4. R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-3-23 Disclosure of recordsRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
  5. Judicial Records Center - List of RecordsRhode Island Judiciary
  6. Recorder of DeedsCity of Providence
  7. Where can I find that Record?Rhode Island Department of State
  8. Town ClerkTown of Coventry
  9. Application for Copy of Death Certificate (PDF)Town of Coventry
  10. City of Cranston home pageCity of Cranston
  11. Vital Records - General Information (PDF)Town of Cumberland
  12. Ep-vitalCity of East Providence
  13. Vital Records- Birth, Marriage and Death CertificatesTown of Johnston
  14. Vital RecordsTown of North Providence
  15. Paw-deathCity of Pawtucket
  16. Department DirectoryCity of Providence
  17. Vital RecordsCity of Providence
  18. Registry of Vital StatisticsTown of South Kingstown
  19. War-vitalCity of Warwick
  20. Vital RecordsTown of West Warwick
  21. City ClerkCity of Woonsocket