A civic copy desk
How to get a certified death certificate.
Banks, insurers, title offices, and the Social Security Administration require certified death certificates. These documents must be ordered from the vital records office in the jurisdiction of death. This directory details the appropriate office, standard fees, eligibility requirements, and recommended initial order quantities.
52 desks
Fifty states, D.C., and New York City. Each page names the office and the official link.
Open the directoryOrder extra copies once
Additional copies on the same request are often a few dollars. A second wait is weeks.
Count your copiesA word from the Clerk's desk
Each day we tackle the issues people face when in need of a certificate: county versus state, who may request, what to bring.
Read today's noteCount the desks
How many copies?
Institutions rarely share a certificate. Count each one, then keep two spares. Order them on a single request. Extras are cheaper than a second wait.
Banks and credit unions
One per institution, maybe two if there is a box
Life insurance companies
Per company, not per policy
Houses or land
Vehicles to retitle
Retirement or IRA custodians
Recommended
10
6 counted + 2 spares, raised to a floor of 10 copies.