Death Certificates

We understand that ordering a death certificate often comes during one of the most difficult times in a person's life. Our goal is to make this part of the process as straightforward as possible. A certified death certificate is a legal document required to handle the financial and legal affairs of someone who has passed away, and you may need multiple copies for different institutions.

When Do You Need a Death Certificate?

A certified death certificate is required by most institutions before they will release assets, close accounts, or process claims. Common situations include:

Estate Settlement

Life Insurance Claims

Closing Bank Accounts

Property Transfers

Social Security Benefits

Vehicle Title Transfers

Probate & Legal Proceedings

Remarriage

Many institutions require their own certified copy and will not accept photocopies. Consider ordering multiple copies to avoid delays.

How It Works

Ordering a death certificate through GoCertificates follows these steps:

Select the State Where the Death Occurred

Death certificates are issued by the state where the death took place, regardless of where the person lived.

Complete the Application

Our guided form will ask for the deceased's information. This typically takes less than 10 minutes.

Verify Your Identity & Relationship

States require you to prove your identity and your relationship to the deceased. You'll upload your photo ID and may need to provide documentation such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or court order that establishes your relationship.

We Review & Submit

Our team checks your application for accuracy and completeness before sending it to the state. This step helps avoid processing delays.

Certificate Delivered

The state agency processes and ships the certified death certificate directly to you.

What You'll Need

About the Deceased

Full legal name of the deceased
Date of death
Place of death (city/county and state)
Date of birth (if known)
Social Security number (if known)
Parent names (may vary by state)

Your Identification

Government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, etc.)
Proof of relationship to the deceased

About proof of relationship: The specific documents needed depend on your relationship. For example, if you're a grandchild, you may need documentation connecting each generation. If you're unsure what's needed, contact us and we'll help you determine the exact documents required for your situation.

Processing Times & Fees

Processing times and fees vary by state. Here's what to keep in mind:

Processing time is determined by the state agency. After we submit your application, the state reviews and processes it on their timeline, which can vary significantly.
Recent deaths may take longer to process as the record may not yet be registered with the state.
Shipping time is separate from processing. Add both together for your expected delivery window.
Multiple copies can be requested at checkout. Each additional copy typically has a lower fee than the first.
Some states require notarization for death certificate orders. If your state requires this, you'll be notified during the ordering process. Our partner, NotariesOnDemand.com, can help you complete this step online.

For questions about your specific order, contact us at 1-800-324-6380 (Option 1) or orderprocessing@genesisinfo.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click on any question below to reveal the answer.

A Certified Copy of a Death Certificate has a raised seal, a State Registrar’s signature, and is printed on security paper. Many entities will not accept a photo copy of the original and require you to provide a Certified Copy.

A Certified Death Certificate is most commonly used for legal purposes such as claiming insurance benefits and settling estates.

Processing and shipping times vary from state to state. Processing and shipping are separate procedures and the times should be added together to determine when the Certificate will be delivered. Many, but not all, states offer expedited processing and shipping which you may select during checkout to speed up the process. Choosing expedited shipping does not always mean that the state will expedite the processing in every state. Please refer to your email confirmation, we have provided you a link where you may check the status of your order. If you have not received this email, please contact us and we can provide you with that information. 1-800-324-6380 (Option 1) or orderprocessing@genesisinfo.com

Death Certificates should be ordered in the state in which the event occurred.

This also varies state to state. Typically, you may order a death certificate for those related to you and you must be listed on the certificate. For security reasons, you may be asked to provide proof of your relationship. After you select your state, click the relationship link to see who you may order for.

Currently we do not offer all states for Death Certificate ordering, but please check back soon as we are always updating and improving our site.

For security reasons we need to verify who you are in order for the state to release any records to you. Verification by ID will ensure the safety of your personal information.

Most states will accept the following forms of identification:

• State Issued Photo Driver’s License
• State Issued Photo ID Card
• U.S. Passport
• Foreign Passport
• U.S. Military ID Card
• School, University or College ID Card
• Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
• Temporary or Permanent Resident Card

Many states have additional options you may use to verify your identity, they can be found during the ordering process.

Yes, if you cannot scan and upload the ID via your computer, you may take a clear, legible photo on your mobile phone/tablet and send it to us at orderprocessing@genesisinfo.com. If you sent it by email, please include your order number for faster processing.

Yes, you can upload a photo of your ID to our site via your mobile phone/tablet two different ways. First, if you have an account, you can log in to your account and choose the upload ID option. This will access your photo library and either allows you to choose a photo already taken or to take the photo and upload it at that time. Second, if you have not created an account, you will get a link via email. The link will connect you to the upload ID page where you can follow the steps above. This requires use of internet on your mobile device and the regular charges will apply.

For our online orders we accept all major credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

Ready to Order a Death Certificate?

We're here to help during a difficult time. Get started with our guided process.

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