How Do I Search for Someone Who Is Dead?
People may wish to search for someone who is dead because they are either interested in learning about their family history (also known as genealogy), or to confirm that the person is actually deceased. There are several ways to go about performing a search for someone who has died. Often, death records are available for public access. Depending on which record you search for, and the location where it is filed, you may have to pay a small fee to access it.
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Instructions
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Perform a free search for the deceased person on the Social Security Death Index. This search can be done online using the website listed in the resource section below. You will need to know the person's first and last names for the best results.
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Write a letter to the Department of Vital Records in the state that the person died in. There is a list of links to each state's department in the resource section below. The letter should be concise and list information about the deceased person, such as the full name (maiden name if it's a woman), date and place of death, gender, your relationship to the deceased, and why you need the record. It us also important that you include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with your letter.
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Search for cemetery records online at virtual cemetery sites, such as those listed below. Volunteer contributors submit tombstone transcriptions and photographs to these free-to-use sites. You may be able to locate the deceased person you are looking for on one of these sites.
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Visit the town where the person died to perform a search for their death record. Not all states allow full access to death records, so be sure to call ahead to inquire about the regulations in that particular state. There may also be a fee to access the archives, although this is usually no more than a few dollars per hour.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit family tree image by Judy Ben Joud from Fotolia.com
