How to Find a Relative's Death Record
A death record is information about someone's death that includes the person's full name, date and cause of death. Each state maintains death records for everyone who died in that state. To find death records of your relatives, you must know the city or county of their death, their full name and date of death. Most states will release death records only to close relatives of the deceased or to those with some legal interest in the death record. After a specified number of years that varies by state, death records become public information.
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Instructions
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Go to the county vital records office in the county of your relative's death or the state office in the state's capital. County offices often keep copies of death records for a specified time. For example, county offices in Oregon keep records up to six months after someone's death. Most states and counties charge a small fee for death records, usually from $5 to $20. Be prepared to provide identification and proof of your relationship to the deceased.
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Go to the county clerk's office in the county where your relative died. The office will be in the county courthouse. In some states, the county clerk can't give out death certificates. In that case, you must go through the state office of vital records.
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Mail a request for a death record to either your county or state vital records office. Go to your state vital records website to download an application. For states that don't have a formal application, be sure your request includes the full name of the deceased, date and place of death and Social Security number. You'll also need to include your full name, address and phone number and relationship to the deceased. Be sure to include a copy of your identification, if requested, and a check or money order for the fee.
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