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

Virginia is a closed-record state for death certificates. Only immediate family members can buy a certified copy, and a death record does not become public information until 25 years after the date of death. The Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records issues certified copies for $12.00 each.

Are Death Records Public in Virginia?

No. Virginia is a closed-record state, so a recent death certificate is not open to the general public. Access is limited to people the law authorizes.

Under Va. Code § 32.1-271, a death record stays restricted until 25 years have elapsed after the date of death. At that point the record in the custody of the State Registrar becomes public information, unless a statute, court order, or law-enforcement request blocks release.

This is much shorter than the wait for birth records. In Virginia, birth data does not become public until 100 years after the event, while death, marriage, and divorce data open after 25 years.

For comparison across the country, see our Death Records by State guide. Rules on the underlying medical detail are covered in Are Cause of Death Records Public?.

Who Can Request a Virginia Death Record?

Only immediate family members are entitled to a full certified copy of a death certificate while the record is still restricted. That covers the decedent's parent, current spouse, child, brother or sister, grandparent, grandchild, and great-grandchild.

Aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and unrelated parties cannot obtain a certified copy. A person who is not immediate family but has a direct and tangible interest, such as an estate or insurance matter, may instead request a Verification of Death rather than the full certificate.

Anyone requesting a record must provide a legible copy of valid government-issued identification. The Division of Vital Records lists acceptable ID forms; without proper ID, the office will not release a record.

Legal representatives acting on behalf of an eligible family member, such as an attorney or a court-appointed administrator, may also apply with appropriate documentation.

How to Get a Virginia Death Certificate

Certified Virginia death certificates are issued by the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Records (the Office of Vital Records), located at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227.

The fee is $12.00 per certificate or per search. The fee is charged whether or not a record is found, and there is no refund if the search comes back empty.

You can order in several ways:

By mail

Send a completed application, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to "The State Health Department." Standard mail processing can take up to about 4 weeks, and longer during the February-through-September peak season.

In person

Visit the Richmond office (open 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday). In-person payment options include check, money order, major credit cards, and cash.

Online or expedited

Credit-card and expedited orders are handled through the state's authorized vendor and by phone. Many Virginia local health departments and the Department of Motor Vehicles also issue certified vital records, which can be faster than mailing the central office.

Is the Cause of Death Public in Virginia?

The cause of death is printed on the certified death certificate, so an eligible family member who receives a full certified copy will see it. Virginia does not publish a separate public cause-of-death listing for restricted records.

Because the certificate itself is closed to the general public for 25 years, the medical cause of death is effectively private during that window except to authorized requesters. Social Security numbers are redacted from the digital images Virginia later provides to the public.

Related medical-record questions are discussed in Are Autopsies Public Records?, since an autopsy or medical examiner report follows separate access rules from the vital record.

How Far Back Do Virginia Death Records Go?

The Office of Vital Records holds Virginia death records back to 1912. Some earlier records, covering roughly 1853 to 1896, are kept at The Library of Virginia and at the Library's genealogical collections.

Once a death record passes the 25-year mark, it becomes a public genealogical record and can be searched by researchers and family historians. This makes most early- and mid-20th-century Virginia deaths openly available today.

There is no national death-records database. The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics confirms that vital records are issued and held by each state, not the federal government. The Social Security Administration publishes a public Death Master File, but under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 it excludes deaths from the most recent three calendar years.

For the parallel rules on birth documents, see Are Birth Certificates Public Records?.

Virginia Death Records at a Glance

Disclaimer: This page provides general legal information about access to Virginia death records, not legal advice. Eligibility rules, fees, and processing times change, and individual situations vary. Confirm current requirements directly with the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, before you apply.

Sources

This article is based on the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records, the Code of Virginia, and federal vital-statistics guidance, cited below.