Vital record
A civil record of a life event maintained under state or local law.
Use in contextRestview reference
Death record and probate glossary
Plain-language definitions for terms used by vital records offices, archives, courts, and burial repositories.
Vital records offices, courts, archives, and burial repositories use terms with precise administrative meanings. A familiar word can have a narrower legal meaning in one state, and a relationship label such as next of kin may be defined differently by different procedures.
These definitions are written for record-finding context. They are not legal definitions for every jurisdiction and do not determine eligibility, authority, or inheritance rights. Follow the definition and instruction published by the office handling your request.
Useful starting terms include vital record, certified copy, informational copy, probate, and record custodian.
Browse the directory
Informant
The person who supplied personal details for a record.
Use in contextCause of death
The disease, injury, or chain of events recorded as leading to death; access can be restricted.
Use in contextManner of death
An administrative classification such as natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined.
Use in contextProbate
The court-supervised process used to administer certain estates.
Use in contextIntestate
Dying without a valid will governing property subject to probate.
Use in contextExecutor
A person named in a will and authorized by a court to administer an estate.
Use in contextAdministrator
A person appointed by a court to administer an estate when applicable.
Use in contextLetters testamentary
A court document showing an executor’s authority.
Use in contextSSDI
A commercial or research index derived from portions of Social Security death data.
Use in contextDeath Master File
A Social Security Administration data file containing reported deaths, subject to access rules and known limits.
Use in contextInterment
Placement of remains in a burial location.
Use in contextPlot
A designated space in a cemetery or burial ground.
Use in contextColumbarium
A structure with niches for cremated remains.
Use in contextCoroner
An official whose death-investigation role is defined by state and local law.
Use in contextMedical examiner
A physician-led public office that investigates designated deaths under local law.
Use in contextDelayed registration
Registration completed after the ordinary filing period and supported by required evidence.
Use in contextCertified copy
A copy issued by the custodian with certification for official use.
Use in contextInformational copy
A non-authoritative copy that may be available under broader access rules.
Use in contextDeath index
A finding aid listing selected fields from registered deaths.
Use in contextObituary
A published biographical notice or article; it is not a civil record.
Use in contextDeath notice
A usually brief publication announcing a death or service.
Use in contextNext of kin
A relationship category defined differently across laws and agency procedures.
Use in contextDirect and tangible interest
A documented legal or personal interest that some states require for vital-record access.
Use in contextDisposition
The administrative term for burial, cremation, donation, or another lawful handling of remains.
Use in contextCemetery register
A record maintained by a cemetery or burial ground about interments or plots.
Use in contextMortality schedule
A nonpopulation census schedule documenting deaths during a specified historical period.
Use in contextRecord custodian
The office or institution responsible for maintaining and releasing a record.
Use in contextRedaction
Removal or masking of information before a record is released.
Use in contextGenealogical copy
A copy or transcript offered for historical research, often under different age and access rules.
Use in context