A death certificate, also referred to as a medical certificate of the cause of death, is a legal document that declares the location, date, and cause of a person’s death. Death certificates are issued by a registrar of vital statistics or another government official.

In the United States, death certificates can be obtained by anyone, regardless of their relationship to the deceased, because they are considered public domain documents. In the United States, death certificates can be obtained by going to or writing to the vital statistics office in the area or state in which the death occurred. There are several necessary steps to obtain a death certificate. Following these steps will ensure that an accurate death certificate is received in a timely manner.

When writing to obtain a death certificate, letters must be to the point and concise. They should include all important details and should be typed for clarity. Only a maximum of two to three requests should be done at one time. All pertinent addresses and names should be included in the letter when trying to obtain a death certificate. A self-addressed stamped envelope must also be included.

When writing a letter to obtain a death certificate all information about the individual in which you are trying to get a death certificate for must be provided. Such information should include their full name, cause of death (if known), date of death, city/state in which they died, alternate spellings of their names, and any nicknames they were known by. If the exact date of their death is not known, the span of years in which they were believed to have died should be asked for. However, if requesting a search of a span of years, additional charges will apply and most municipalities will require all money upfront. The costs associated with obtaining a death certificate vary by city and state.

When obtaining a death certificate, it is important to be patient because county offices are often swamped with requests and have limited personnel. Providing as much information as possible when obtaining a death certificate will allow the process to go as smoothly and as quickly as possible. The following information should always be included: date of request, date of death, full name of deceased with their last name in all capital letters, sex of the deceased person, place of death (town/city, state, county), why you need the death certificate, and relationship to the deceased.

The requester must also provide detailed personal and contact information. This information must include requesters full name, requesters full address (street, city, state, and zip code), requesters drivers license number and the state in which their driver’s license was issued, and the requesters signature. Some municipalities will require the letter requesting to obtain a death certificate be notarized.

In the United States, different states may have specific guidelines for obtaining a death certificate that other states do not. Because of this it is a good idea to contact the office of vital statistics in your city to ask about their specific requirements prior to requesting a death certificate.