There is no record on file

If the vital records office says there is no record, that usually means the search they ran, for the name, place, and years you gave, did not find a registered death. Many offices keep the search fee and send a no-record letter. That letter is not a death certificate. Banks will not take it as one.

What to check next

• Place of death, not residence. A hospital in the next county files in that county.
• The year. Some local offices only keep recent deaths. Older years sit at the state office, or the reverse.
• Spelling and the name used at death. Ask the funeral home whether it already filed, and under what name.
• A delayed filing can take days or weeks after the death. Ordering the next morning often fails.
• Do not buy a 'record' from a third-party scraper that is not the official office. Start again at CDC Where to Write for Vital Records or the state desk on this site.

This desk does not issue no-record letters. Confirm the current search fee and what you get if nothing is found on the official site before you mail a second check.