Death certificate
A certified civil vital record used for official purposes.
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Types of death and related records
Understand what certificates, indexes, obituaries, burial registers, probate files, and other records contain—and what they cannot prove.
A death can be documented in several systems created for different purposes. A civil certificate records the event under state law. A newspaper notice communicates information to readers. A burial register documents interment. A probate file concerns estate administration. None is automatically a substitute for another.
Choose a record by the question you need to answer and the standard of proof required. An index can identify the likely jurisdiction and filing reference, but a receiving institution may require a certified copy. A user-contributed memorial can suggest a location, but the underlying cemetery register or government record should be checked independently.
Use the state directory for jurisdiction rules, confirming a death for an evidence path, resources for repository coverage, source documentation for citations, and the glossary for unfamiliar terms.
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Death index
A finding aid that points to a registered death without replacing the underlying certificate.
Understand this recordObituary
A published notice or biographical account rather than a government record.
Understand this recordFuneral home record
A business file that may document arrangements and disposition.
Understand this recordCemetery or burial register
An interment register or plot record maintained by the place of burial.
Understand this recordProbate file
A court file concerning administration of an estate.
Understand this recordSocial Security Death Index
A derivative index built from Social Security death data.
Understand this recordCoroner or medical examiner report
An investigative record created when a death falls within the office’s jurisdiction.
Understand this recordMilitary death record
A federal service, casualty, or benefits record connected to military service.
Understand this recordChurch burial register
A religious register recording burial or funeral rites.
Understand this recordMonumental inscription transcript
A text transcription of a memorial inscription, not a civil record.
Understand this recordNewspaper death notice
A short publication announcing a death or service.
Understand this recordMortality schedule
A historical census schedule listing people who died during a defined prior period.
Understand this recordDelayed death registration
A death record registered after the ordinary statutory filing period.
Understand this recordBurial transit permit
A permit authorizing transport and final disposition of remains.
Understand this recordProbate index
A court finding aid organized by estate or case.
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