New Jersey Death Records: Are They Public + How to Get One

New Jersey is a closed-record state for death certificates. Vital records are not public, so only the deceased person's spouse or partner, child, grandchild, sibling, or legal representative can buy a certified copy. Death records become public genealogical records once the death occurred more than 40 years ago.

Are Death Records Public in New Jersey?

No. New Jersey is a closed-record state, and death certificates are not public records. State law protects and restricts the release of vital records, and they cannot be searched online by the general public.

For deaths that occurred within the last 40 years, the Office of Vital Statistics releases a certified copy only to people with a defined relationship to the deceased. Anyone else may instead request a "certification," which is an informational copy that is not valid for legal or identity purposes.

This closed approach is similar to how New Jersey treats other life-event documents. For broader context, see Are Birth Certificates Public Records?, which follows the same restricted model.

Who Can Request a New Jersey Death Record?

Only people with a qualifying relationship to the deceased can obtain a certified copy of a New Jersey death certificate. The Office of Vital Statistics limits certified copies to the subject's parent, legal guardian, spouse, or civil union partner; child; grandchild; or sibling, if of legal age.

A legal representative may also order a certified copy. To do so, the representative must supply proof of a legal retainer from an eligible individual along with that person's proof of relationship to the deceased.

Every certified-copy request requires a copy of the applicant's valid government-issued identification, the correct fee, and documents proving the relationship to the person named on the record.

If you do not qualify for a certified copy, you can still request a certification. A certification does not require proof of relationship, but it is issued on plain paper with no raised seal and cannot be used to establish identity or for legal purposes.

How to Get a New Jersey Death Certificate

Death certificates are issued by the New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, in Trenton. New Jersey offers four ways to order a non-genealogical death record.

Ordering methods

• Online: Place a request through the state's authorized vendor with a credit card. Online orders are typically processed within 4 to 6 weeks.
• Mail: Submit your application by mail through the vendor VitalChek. Mail orders are typically processed within 2 to 4 weeks, not including delivery time.
• In person: Walk-in service is available at the State Office in Trenton and at local registrar offices. The state office typically processes walk-in requests in about two hours.
• Phone: Call the vendor to order by phone, then fax the required supporting documents. Additional processing fees apply.

Fees

The fee is $25 for the initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record (or a No Record Statement). Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $2.

Orders placed through the online or phone vendor carry an added processing fee, such as $6 for mail orders or $12.95 for phone orders. Local registrar fees can vary by municipality.

You can also request a death certificate from the local registrar in the New Jersey municipality where the death occurred or where the deceased lived. The same eligibility and identification rules apply.

Is the Cause of Death Public in New Jersey?

The cause of death is not public in New Jersey. Because the entire death certificate is a restricted vital record, the medical cause-of-death information on it is released only to the same eligible relatives and legal representatives who may obtain a certified copy.

A certification (the informational copy available to the general public) does not serve as a legal record and is not a route around these access limits. New Jersey treats the full death record, including cause-of-death data, as confidential rather than open.

For how cause-of-death and related records are handled more broadly, see Are Cause of Death Records Public? and Are Autopsies Public Records?, which cover medical examiner findings that follow separate access rules.

How Far Back Do New Jersey Death Records Go?

New Jersey's statewide death records begin in 1848. A death record becomes a public genealogical record once the death occurred more than 40 years ago, at which point proof of relationship is no longer required.

The Office of Vital Statistics holds the most recent 100 years of records. Records older than 100 years are transferred to the New Jersey State Archives, part of the Department of State, which maintains death records dating back to the mid-19th century along with historical indexes.

For deaths nationwide, no single federal database exists. The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics confirms that death records are issued by individual states, not the federal government. The Social Security Administration's public Death Master File can help locate older deaths, but under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 it excludes any death that occurred within the last three calendar years.

For records in other states, start with Death Records by State.

New Jersey Death Records at a Glance

Disclaimer: This page provides general legal information about public records access in New Jersey and is not legal advice. Eligibility rules, fees, and processing times change. Always verify current requirements with the New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, before ordering.

Sources

This article is based on official New Jersey Department of Health, New Jersey State Archives, CDC, and Social Security Administration sources, listed below.