How to Get a North Dakota Death Certificate (2026)

You get a North Dakota death certificate from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Vital Records. A complete certified copy costs $15 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy ordered at the same time, and it goes to relatives, authorized representatives, funeral directors, or by court order.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in North Dakota?

You get a North Dakota death certificate from the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Vital Records, in Bismarck. This state office holds death records and issues certified copies. There are three main ways to request one.

The fastest option is the secure online portal at vrcerts.hhs.nd.gov. You create an account, complete the request, upload your identification, and pay the fee by card.

You can also order by mail. Complete the death record request application, enclose a check or money order made out to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services for all fees, and include a copy of your identification.

In-person pickup is available through the same online system. Choose the web order pickup option, then collect the certificate in person, usually in under two hours, by showing the ID you used to place the order.

State Mailing Address

Mail requests go to the Division of Vital Records, 600 East Boulevard Ave, Bismarck, ND 58505-0250. Questions can be directed to the office at (701) 328-2360 or vitalrec@nd.gov.

Who Is Eligible to Request a North Dakota Death Certificate?

A certified copy of a complete North Dakota death record may be issued to a relative, an authorized representative, a funeral director reporting the facts of death, or by the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

The state defines a relative as the decedent's current or surviving spouse, a parent or legal guardian, a child, a grandparent, a grandchild, or a genetic sibling. The complete record includes the cause of death and the Social Security number.

If you are not in one of those eligible categories, you can still obtain a certified informational copy. That version is available to the general public but omits the cause of death and the Social Security number.

You must provide valid identification that matches the name used to place the order. For in-person pickup, bring the same ID you used when you submitted the request.

North Dakota Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

A North Dakota death certificate costs $15 for the first certified copy and $10 for each additional copy when ordered at the same time. Ordering all copies together is cheaper than placing separate orders later.

Pay by credit or debit card for online orders, or by check or money order payable to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services for mail requests.

Once the office receives your request, certified copies are usually mailed within 3 to 5 business days. That window does not include return mail transit time.

If you add FedEx, UPS, or USPS Priority Mail return shipping, your request is typically processed the next business day for faster delivery. In-person web order pickups are often ready in under two hours.

Certified vs Informational Copy in North Dakota

North Dakota issues more than one kind of certified copy, and the difference is who may receive them and what they show. The two most common are described below; a third "facts of death" record (which includes the Social Security number but not the cause of death) is also available to eligible relatives and representatives, as well as to a licensed attorney who needs it for a bona fide legal determination.

A certified complete copy is the full death record. It includes the cause of death and the decedent's Social Security number, and it is restricted to relatives, authorized representatives, funeral directors, and court orders. This is the version banks, insurers, and courts usually require to settle an estate.

A certified informational copy is available to the general public. It confirms the death and includes demographic information, but it leaves out the cause of death and the Social Security number. It works for many genealogy and personal record needs but is generally not accepted for legal or financial transactions.

Choose the complete copy if you are settling an estate, claiming life insurance, or closing financial accounts. Choose the informational copy if you only need to confirm the death or are researching family history.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

Additional certified copies cost $10 each when you order them in the same request as your first copy. List the total number of copies you need on the application so they are all issued together at the lower per-copy rate.

If you need more copies later, place a new order through the online portal or by mail. The first copy in any new order is charged at the $15 rate, with additional copies in that order at $10 each.

Replacement copies follow the same process. There is no separate replacement procedure, so you simply submit a fresh request and the same eligibility and identification rules apply.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Fees, eligibility rules, and procedures change. Always verify current requirements with the North Dakota Division of Vital Records before submitting a request.

Sources

This page draws on the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services Division of Vital Records and North Dakota Century Code.

For the parent overview, see North Dakota Death Records. For all states, see Death Records by State.