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How to Find a Death Certificate in Florida
by Wanda Brito
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Overview
Death records have regularly been employed as an aid in genealogy research. They are known as "primary source" records because the facts are documented by an eyewitness at the time of death. Death records contain details regarding a person's demise, including the date and place of death, the doctor who attended the death and sometimes the names of the deceased's parents.
Although vital registration was mandated in Florida in 1899, birth and death records before 1917 are fractional and unreliable. Records after 1917 are kept by the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics, as are most earlier birth and death registrations. Florida birth and death records from after June 6, 1927, can be obtained in person, by phone or by mail from the Florida Department of Health's Office of Vital Statistics.
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Step 1
Prepare a signed letter of request or access an Application For Florida Death Or Fetal Death Record on the Florida Department of Health website.
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Step 2
Provide the full name of the deceased, their gender, the date of death (month, day and year or series of years to be searched), the city or county where the death took place and the Social Security number of the deceased, if known. Also provide your full name, mailing address, a phone number where you can be reached during business hours and your signature.
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Step 3
Identify if you are requesting a single copy or multiple copies of the same certificate and include the corresponding payment. The first copy will cost five dollars and all additional copies will be four dollars. When ordering by mail, you will only be able to pay via check or money order made out to Vital Statistics.
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Step 4
Choose your mode of delivery: standard, rush or express. There is no additional charge for standard, which is traditional U.S. mail; rush delivery is an added $10 and express requires the $10 rush fee as well as a prepaid express-delivery envelope.
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Step 5
Send the completed application or letter of request, payment and, if you chose the express mode of delivery, a prepaid express-delivery envelope to:
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Attn: Client Services
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
- 1
- Computer with Internet access
Printer
Check or money order
- Computer with Internet access
- Printer
- Check or money order
- While anyone may request a death certificate, a Florida death certificate that lists the cause of death is considered confidential by Florida law, and can only be issued to the deceased's spouse, parent, child, grandchild or sibling (18 years or older) or someone who provides a will, insurance policy or other document that substantiates his concern in the estate of the deceased. A person who supplies proof that she is acting on behalf of any of the mentioned persons can legally request a Florida death certificate with cause of death as well. Fifty years after the date of death, "cause of death" becomes public information, at which time anyone can obtain a death certificate containing this information. If you need the certificate to include the cause of death and the death occurred less than 50 years ago, you must be an eligible person, include a copy of a valid photo ID and include your relationship to the deceased with your request. Satisfactory forms of ID are: driver's license, state identification card, passport, and/or military ID card. Again, if you are not requesting cause of death, you will not need to include your relationship to the deceased nor the copy of your identification with your request.
Processing time is usually between 10 and 14 business days. It may take longer, however, depending on the volume of work the bureau has at the time of your request.
Your request can be processed in one or two days for an additional "rush" fee of $10. If you place your order in person and prepay (including the rush fee) before noon, you can pick it up after 3:30 p.m. the same day. If you prepay the order after noon, you can pick it up after 10:00 a.m. the following business day. By mail, a "rush" request will take longer to receive but the processing time itself will likewise be expedited.
- While anyone may request a death certificate, a Florida death certificate that lists the cause of death is considered confidential by Florida law, and can only be issued to the deceased's spouse, parent, child, grandchild or sibling (18 years or older) or someone who provides a will, insurance policy or other document that substantiates his concern in the estate of the deceased. A person who supplies proof that she is acting on behalf of any of the mentioned persons can legally request a Florida death certificate with cause of death as well. Fifty years after the date of death, "cause of death" becomes public information, at which time anyone can obtain a death certificate containing this information. If you need the certificate to include the cause of death and the death occurred less than 50 years ago, you must be an eligible person, include a copy of a valid photo ID and include your relationship to the deceased with your request. Satisfactory forms of ID are: driver's license, state identification card, passport, and/or military ID card. Again, if you are not requesting cause of death, you will not need to include your relationship to the deceased nor the copy of your identification with your request.
- Processing time is usually between 10 and 14 business days. It may take longer, however, depending on the volume of work the bureau has at the time of your request.
- Your request can be processed in one or two days for an additional "rush" fee of $10. If you place your order in person and prepay (including the rush fee) before noon, you can pick it up after 3:30 p.m. the same day. If you prepay the order after noon, you can pick it up after 10:00 a.m. the following business day. By mail, a "rush" request will take longer to receive but the processing time itself will likewise be expedited.
