Death Records by State: Are They Public + How to Get Them

By Recording Law Editorial TeamPublished June 15, 20268 min read

Death records in the United States are issued by the state where the death occurred, not by the federal government, and whether a death record is public depends entirely on that state's vital-records law. Some states are open-record (anyone may buy a certified copy); others are closed-record, releasing recent certificates only to family or those with a legal interest until a statutory waiting period passes.

Are Death Records Public in the United States?

It depends on the state. Death records are governed by each state's vital-statistics law and its public-records act, so there is no single national rule and no federal database to search. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directs the public to the vital-records office in the state or territory where the death was registered.

Open-record states treat death certificates as public documents and will issue a certified copy to any applicant. Closed-record states limit recent certificates to a defined list of eligible requesters and only release the record to the general public after a waiting period set by statute.

Many closed-record states draw a line between a certified copy (the legal document used to settle estates and claim benefits) and an informational copy (marked "not a valid document to establish identity"). The informational copy is frequently available to a wider audience, sometimes with the cause of death omitted.

Who Issues Death Records and Who Can Get Them?

Every state runs a vital-records office, usually inside the state department of health, that registers deaths and issues certificates. Many states also let the county or local registrar where the death occurred issue copies.

a row of labeled hanging file folders in an open drawer

In closed-record states, eligibility typically extends to the surviving spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, the legal representative of the estate, and people who can show a direct legal or property interest. Applicants must show government-issued identification and pay a per-copy fee that varies by state.

In open-record states, no relationship is required; anyone may order a certified copy by providing the decedent's name, date, and place of death, plus the fee.

Is the Cause of Death Public?

Often it is more protected than the rest of the certificate. The medical cause-of-death section is completed by a physician, coroner, or medical examiner, and a number of states withhold it from informational copies or from requesters who lack a qualifying relationship.

a printed fee schedule and a few coins resting on a counter

When a death is sudden, violent, or unexplained, a coroner or medical examiner may conduct an autopsy. The resulting autopsy and toxicology reports are governed by a separate medical-examiner statute and may be exempt while an investigation is open. Access rules for those reports differ from the death-certificate rules and are covered on each state's page.

How Do You Request a Death Record?

Start with the state where the death occurred. The general steps are consistent across the country:

a wall calendar page with a year circled in pencil beside a pen

Identify the correct office. Use the state vital-records office (or the county registrar) for the place of death.
Confirm your eligibility. In closed-record states, check whether you qualify and what proof of relationship or interest is required.
Gather the details and ID. You will need the decedent's full name, date of death, and place of death, plus your own identification.
Choose a method and pay the fee. Most offices accept mail, in-person, and online orders; many states use an outside processing vendor for online requests.

Processing times range from same-day in person to several weeks by mail. Fees and turnaround are set by each state and change periodically, so verify the current amount with the office before you apply.

How Far Back Do Death Records Go and Are Old Ones Public?

Statewide death registration began at different times by state, generally between the 1880s and the early 1900s. Once a record passes the state's public-access threshold, it usually becomes available to anyone and is often indexed for genealogical research.

a magnifying glass held over a column of handwritten names in an open ledger

Nationally, the Social Security Death Index, drawn from the Social Security Administration's Death Master File, lets the public search deaths reported to Social Security. Since the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, the public file excludes deaths within the prior three calendar years; immediate access is limited to users certified through the Department of Commerce for fraud-prevention or legitimate business purposes.