How to Check for a Death Certificate

A death certificate is an official document that the government issues to verify the death of a person. Death certificates include information such as the date, time and location of death. The certificate also will state the cause of death. Death certificates are issued and held by the office of vital records or department of health in the state where the individual died. The particular procedures in obtaining a death certificate may vary slightly from state to state, but the general principles remain the same.

• 1

  Obtain written permission from the decedent's immediate family member, if you are not an immediate family member of the deceased. In most states, an immediate family member includes the mother, father, sibling, son or daughter.

• 2

  Call or visit the office of vital records or health department in the state in which the person died.

• 3

  Present the written permission for the death certificate. Request the death certificate. Some states may require you to present a government-issued I.D., such as a driver's license. Most states also require the payment of a fee for the death certificate. The fee is usually $25, as of 2010.