Arizona Death Records: Are They Public + How to Get One

Arizona is a closed-record state for death certificates. Only the immediate family, legal representatives, and others who can document a relationship or tangible interest may buy a certified copy from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Death records become public for genealogy research 50 years after the date of death.

Are Death Records Public in Arizona?

No. Arizona is a closed-record state for death certificates. A certified copy is not available to just anyone who asks. Access is limited to people who can show a qualifying relationship to the deceased or a documented legal interest.

This rule comes from Arizona Revised Statutes Title 36. Under A.R.S. 36-342, vital records are confidential, and registrars may not allow inspection or issue copies except as authorized by law.

A death record only becomes a true public record once it ages out of the confidential period. In Arizona, that happens 50 years after the date of death, when the record opens for noncommercial genealogy research.

For a national overview and links to every other state, see our Death Records by State guide.

Who Can Request an Arizona Death Record?

Eligible requesters are people with a defined relationship to the deceased or a tangible interest in the record. The official application from the Arizona Department of Health Services asks you to identify your relationship and to attach proof.

The relationship categories on the state form include:

• Parent of the deceased
• Spouse of the deceased
• Grandparent of the deceased
• Other relative of the deceased
• Government agency acting in an official capacity
• Other person who can document a tangible legal or property interest

You must provide proof of relationship, such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or certified court document. You also need a clear photocopy of the front and back of a valid, signed government photo ID, or you can have your signature notarized.

Funeral directors, attorneys, insurers, and others acting on behalf of a family member can also obtain a certificate when they document their role and authorization.

How to Get an Arizona Death Certificate

You order an Arizona death certificate from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Bureau of Vital Records, or from a participating county vital records office. The fee is $20 for a certified copy.

There are three main ways to request a copy:

By mail

Mail a completed Request for Copy of Death Certificate (form VS-159) to the State Bureau of Vital Records, PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. Include proof of relationship, a copy of your photo ID (or a notarized signature), the $20 fee per copy (no cash), and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

In person

Many county health department vital records offices, including Maricopa and Pima counties, offer same-day walk-in service. Accepted payment types vary by office, so confirm hours and fees with the local office first.

Online

You can order online through VitalChek, the state-approved vendor linked from the ADHS website. VitalChek charges its own service fees in addition to the state fee.

Bring or include exact details: the full name on the certificate, date of death, place of death, and your relationship to the deceased. Missing information or proof can delay or reject your request.

Is the Cause of Death Public in Arizona?

No, not during the confidential period. The cause of death is printed on the Arizona death certificate, so it carries the same restrictions as the rest of the record.

That means only eligible requesters, such as immediate family, legal representatives, or authorized agencies, can obtain a certificate showing the cause of death while the record is closed.

Once a death record reaches 50 years old and opens for genealogy, the image of the certificate, including the medical cause-of-death detail, becomes viewable for noncommercial research. For more on how states handle this, see Are Cause of Death Records Public? and Are Autopsies Public Records?.

How Far Back Do Arizona Death Records Go?

Arizona maintains statewide death records dating to the late 1800s. The state began centralized registration in 1909, and the genealogy index reaches back to roughly 1870.

Death records older than 50 years are searchable through the ADHS genealogy database. As of now, that covers deaths from about 1870 through 1970, with the window advancing by one year each year. Birth records open later, at 75 years.

Images released for genealogy are informational only and do not count as certified copies. If you need a certified record for a legal or estate matter, you must use the standard application even for older deaths.

For older or out-of-state research, two national resources help. The CDC and its National Center for Health Statistics confirm there is no national death-records database, because certificates are issued and held by each state. The Social Security Administration publishes a public Death Master File, but under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 it excludes deaths within the most recent three calendar years.

Closely related records often have their own rules. To compare, see Are Birth Certificates Public Records?.

Arizona Death Record Facts

Disclaimer: This page provides general legal information about public-records access in Arizona, not legal advice. Eligibility rules, fees, and processing times change, and individual situations vary. Always confirm current requirements with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Vital Records, before you rely on this information.

Sources

This guide draws on official Arizona Department of Health Services vital-records pages, Arizona Revised Statutes Title 36, and federal CDC/NCHS and Social Security Administration sources, all listed below.