When an individual passes away, their death must be registered with the state vital records office. This is an agency responsible for maintaining records of all births, marriages, divorces, and deaths that occur in that particular state. A medical examiner is usually responsible for filing the death certificate.
If a loved one has recently passed, you will likely need copies of the death certificate to settle their affairs. So, we’ll explain more about how death certificates work and show you how to get a death certificate copy.
What information is in a death certificate?
Death certificates can vary somewhat by state. However, they generally include basic information about the individual and their death. For example, they may show the person’s:
- Full, legal name
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Place of death
- Time of death
- Parents’ names
- Spouse’s name
- Place of residence
- Occupation
All death certificates will also have the signature of the medical examiner that prepared the record.
Why do you need to get a death certificate copy?
The executor of the deceased’s estate frequently needs copies of the death certificate to settle their affairs. In addition, the spouse of the deceased, or other immediate family members, may need to get a death certificate copy in order to:
- Close any bank accounts or credit cards of the deceased
- Take care of any loans or mortgages the deceased had
- Cancel other accounts or subscriptions, such as cell phone plan
- Claim pension, Social Security, or Medicaid benefits
- Claim life insurance payouts
In addition, older death certificates can be valuable sources of information for genealogical research. Death certificates that are more than a few decades old are usually considered public records. So, you can generally find them online for free.
How to apply to get a death certificate copy
Most states keep their death records closed for at least a few decades after the individual’s death. So, if you need a recent death certificate, you will likely need to be an immediate family member of the deceased to get a copy. There are a couple of different ways to apply.
First, you can visit a vital records office in the state where the death occurred. It must be an office in the state where the individual’s death was recorded, because each state maintains their own records. You’ll need to bring a valid photo ID, payment for the processing fees, and proof that you are an immediate family member of the deceased.
However, applying in-person is not always an option. If you live in a different state, it may be inconvenient to travel just to get a death certificate copy. In addition, vital records offices stay very busy, and you will likely have to wait in line for a few hours.
So, you can also apply online instead here. This will allow you to apply from the comfort of your own home and have the death certificate copies mailed straight to your house.
Application fees and processing times vary by state. However, fees generally range from $10-20 per copy, and applications take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to process.