Obtaining A Death Certificate

A death certificate is a legal document signed by the attending physician, which evidences the date and cause of a person's death. As of 1905, each State is responsible for recording all vital statistic--births, marriages, and deaths--of its residents. These records are kept in a central repository, usually called the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics, a part of the Department of Health. Upon an individual's death, the funeral director usually submits the forms to the State for the recording of the death.

Those interested in obtaining a death certificate must apply for a copy from their state's Bureau. This can usually be done through local county offices, either county clerk's offices or registrar's offices depending on the state. Information about the location of the nearest office can be obtained from the state's Department of Health.

Most of these offices accept applications in person and by mail, overnight mail service and fax. Some states provide an application process via the Internet. The death certificate information is confidential. Therefore, only immediate family members, guardians and legal representatives qualify to make a request to see it.

Authorizing An Agent

Qualified applicants are permitted to authorize others to obtain death certificates. There are many services which will take the steps to secure the death certificate for a fee. These services advertise on the Internet and the yellow pages.