Death Records

• Alabama - County registration of death records began in 1881, with a few earlier death records in probate court records. Statewide registration of deaths began 1 January 1908, with full compliance by 1925. Pre-1908 county records may be accessible through county clerks.
• Alaska - Alaska was permanently founded by Russians from 1799 to 1867. United States purchased Alaska in 1867 and made it a territory. In 1959 Alaska became the 49th state. Alaska is divided into boroughs rather than counties. There were no boroughs that kept death records until 1913 when territory wide registration of deaths began.
• Arizona - Arizona became a territory of the United States 24 February 1863 and officially became the 48th State 14 February 1912. State law required the recording of death certificates in 1909. Arizona has death records dating back as early as 1844. Death records are available from 1844 through the present year.
• Arkansas - Arkansas statewide registration of deaths began in 1914, but compliance was not complete until the 1940s. Some Little Rock and Fort Smith records from 1881 are available at the Online Arkansas Death Records & Indexes. Public access to death records from Arkansas is restricted to deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago.
• California - Before 1905, some counties in California kept death records. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1905 with general compliance by 1920.
• Colorado - Before 1876 no deaths were recorded by county or state. Colorado became a state in 1876 and at that time a law was passed requiring counties and towns to record deaths but not all counties complied. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1907 and was generally complied with by 1920. 
• Connecticut - The state of Connecticut started keeping death records in 1897. Before that time, town clerks kept death records, and they continue to keep the records. The clerks recorded the deaths in town records and/or in land records.  Death records in Connecticut were kept by the towns from the beginning of each town starting as early as the 1600s. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1897 in Connecticut and was generally complied with by 1915. The towns continue to record deaths.
• Delaware - Records prior to 1881 may be found at the Delaware Public Archives. The keeping of death records has been required by the state of Delaware since 1913, at which time the Office of Vital Statistics was created. Law states that Delaware death records older than 40 years are open to the public. Once a record is old enough to become public it is transferred from the Office of Vital Statistics to the Delaware Public Archives. Some deaths were recorded as early as 1855.
• District of Columbia - Before 1855, no deaths were recorded by the District. The District of Columbia did not exist until 1801 with portions coming from the state of Virginia and the state of Maryland. 
• Florida - Before 1877, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1899 in Florida; however, general compliance did not begin until 1917.
• Georgia - Before 1919, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. Some cities began recording deaths earlier, such as Atlanta (beginning in 1896), Macon (beginning in 1882), and Savannah (beginning in 1803). Statewide registration of deaths began in 1919 in Georgia. Counties have copies of these records.
• Hawaii - Until 1896 the Board of Education was the custodian of death records with the teachers acting as registrars. Hawaii death records exist as early as 1849. Prior to 1896 it was the responsibiliy of the Board of Education to record deaths after which the Board of Health became the custodian of the records.
• Idaho - Idaho began requiring registration of deaths by the county recorders in 1907. The death certificates from 1907 to July 1911 are kept in the county records. In 1911 the state of Idaho began requiring statewide registration of deaths. Previous to this time the counties were required to keep records from 1907 to 1911. Some counties may have earlier death records.
• Illinois - Most Illinois counties did not begin recording deaths until 1877. Death records prior to 1916 were recorded only by county clerks.
• Indiana - Before 1882, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. Indiana became a state on 11 December 1816. Death records were recorded by the county health office beginning in 1882, where they remained before mandatory recording with the state board of health began in January 1900.
• Iowa - Before 1880, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1899 in Iowa; however, general compliance did not begin until 1917. Counties have copies of these records.
• Kansas - Before 1911, no deaths were recorded by the state. Between about 1885 and 1911 a few deaths were recorded at the county or city clerk's office in register volumes. Not all of these registers have survived. The State of Kansas started keeping official records of deaths on July 1, 1911.
• Kentucky - Before 1852, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. In 1852, Kentucky law required counties to record deaths, although records are incomplete.
• Louisiana - Before 1911, no deaths were recorded by the state, but some were recorded by parishes, such as Orleans Parish (beginning in 1804) and Jefferson Parish (beginning in 1850). For further information on parish death records, see Louisiana Death Records. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1911 in Louisiana. Parishes have copies of these records.
• Maine - Before 1892, death records were kept by individual town clerks or selectmen. Although some towns have existed since the 1650s, most records date from about 1700. Some of these records have been indexed. In 1820, Maine was created from the state of Massachusetts. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1892.
• Maryland - 
• • Some deaths were recorded in colonial Maryland but not many survived or were ever recorded.
  • 1865 - Some counties began Death registrations.
  • 1875 - Baltimore City began recording deaths.
  • 1898 - All counties in Maryland began recording deaths, although greater compliance did not happen until after 1914.
• Massachusetts - Massachusetts was the first state to initiate statewide registration of vital records beginning in 1841. However, the city of Boston, which had kept records prior to this time, didn't start reporting their vital statistics to the state until about 1850. Records from 1841 to 1925 are housed at the Massachusetts Archives. Every five years, another block of five years is transferred from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics to the Archives.
• Michigan - Before 1867, deaths were not recorded formally by the county or state. Michigan was admitted into the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. Death records for each county, with copies also sent to the state, began no later than January 1867, although registration of all vital records was certainly not enforced. A 1905 law was much more effective, and was generally complied with by 1915.
• Minnesota - Before 1870, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. Minnesota gained statehood in 1858. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1908. General compliance followed shortly after in 1910.
• Mississippi - Before 1879, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. In 1879, Mississippi law required counties to record deaths, although records are incomplete. Records are known to exist for Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Lauderdale, Panola, Pike, and Tallahatchie counties.
• Missouri - Before 1883, no deaths were recorded by the county or state, exceptions being the cities of St. Louis (beginning in 1850) and Kansas City (beginning in 1874). In most cases, you must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s death date and place. In 1883, Missouri law required counties to record deaths, although records are incomplete. The practice continued for ten years and stopped in 1893. Deaths were not recorded for most places in Missouri between 1893 and 1910. Statewide registration of deaths began in January 1, 1910 in Missouri. Counties have copies of these records.
• Montana - Before 1907, Montana counties recorded a few deaths. Prior to 1895 there were no legal requirements for keeping death records in Montana. At that time the registration of deaths was the responsibility of clergymen, coroners, physicians, sextons, and undertakers. In 1895 the Legislative Assembly passed a law requiring all physicians to keep a register of all deaths. All existing pre-1907 death records are filed with the county clerk in the county where the person died. Registration of deaths on the state level began in 1907. By 1910 the registration of deaths reached about 90 percent. It was not until about 1915 that the registration of Montana deaths became reasonably complete.
• Nebraska - Nebraska did not begin statewide registration of death records until late 1904, and compliance was not complete for several years.  However, some earlier death records were kept by city health departments.  For example, the city of Omaha has death records from 1873 and the city of Lincoln has death files from 1889.  If your ancestor's death occured in either of these cities contact the respective City Hall and request a search.
• Nevada - Before 1887, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1911 in Nevada. Some Nevada counties have death records beginning in 1887, and was generally complied with by 1911.
• New Hampshire - Town clerks in New Hampshire have been keeping records of deaths since the 1600s. In 1866, law required town clerks to send copies of death records to the state government. Between 1866 and 1905, compliance was not enforced and many death records were not sent to the state. Statewide registration began in 1866. Total compliance with the law was not accomplished until the 1880s, and even then the practice was not uniform. By this point, less than half of the population was listed in the death records. Total compliance began in 1905 with the establishment of the Bureau of Vital Records.
• New Jersey - Statewide registration of deaths began in 1848, and some earlier records have been extracted from other sources. Records before 1911 are kept at the New Jersey State Archives. From 1912 to the present, death records are kept at the New Jersey Office of Vital Statistics. Records from 1848 to the present are also kept by the Local Registrars for individual counties; however, many pre-1910 records have not survived.
• New Mexico - The state of New Mexico did not keep records before 1906. New Mexico's earliest settlement, San Juan, was established in 1598. In 1850 New Mexico became a territory of the United States and a state in 1912. County registration of deaths was required in 1907 and statewide registration began in 1920.
• New York - Before 1847, no deaths were recorded by New York State.  New York State briefly kept death records from 1847 to about 1850 and started recording deaths again in June 1880. Copies of all records can obtained from either the village, town, or city of death or by contacting the state archives.
• North Carolina - Before 1913, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1913 in North Carolina with general compliance by 1917. Counties have copies of these records.
• North Dakota - Before 1893, no deaths were consistently recorded by the county or state. North Dakota became a state in 1889, and was created from the Dakota Territory. In 1893 a state law was enacted requiring registration of deaths. This law was repealed in 1895 and then reenacted in 1899. When the State Department of Vital Records was formed in 1923 all prior records kept by the counties were to be set to the state. Death records from 1893 can be obtained from the Department of Vital Records and from the county where the event occurred.
• Ohio - Before 1867, deaths were not recorded formally by the county or state. The Ohio Territory became a state in 1803. A statute was enacted in 1856-57 requiring registration of deaths, but it was mostly ignored. A law was passed in 1867 requiring registration but the current record keeping system was not in place until 1908.
• Oklahoma - Before 1908, no deaths were recorded by the state. A few earlier death records exist as part of the Chickasaw Nation, Creek Nation, and Cherokee Outlet records. Some of these records may be available through the current counties. Most of the counties in Oklahoma did not start recording deaths until after statehood in 1907. The few earlier records are included in records of the Chickasaw Nation, Creek Nation, and Cherokee Outlet. Statewide registration of deaths began in Oklahoma in 1908 and was generally complied with by 1930.

• Oregon - The state of Oregon began recording deaths statewide in July 1903.
• • In 1859, Oregon became the 33rd state admitted to the Union.
  • The earliest death record was in 1862.
  • Oregon began statewide registration of deaths began in July 1903. The counties have copies of these records.
• Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania did not record deaths on a state level until 1906. Prior to 1906 some attempts were made to record deaths but these were usually done on the county level and not until about 1893.
• Rhode Island - Towns began keeping death records as early as 1636. In 1700 the laws concerning vital records registration were made more specific and the records after that time are more complete. State wide registration of deaths began in 1853 and was generally complied with by the 1900s. State wide registration of deaths in Rhode Island began in 1853. 
• South Carolina - Statewide registration of deaths began in 1915 in South Carolina. Counties have copies of these records.
• South Dakota - Before 1905, no deaths were recorded by the state. In some instances however, county officers have records filed prior to 1905. These exceptions are listed on each county page.
• Tennessee - Before 1872, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1914 in Tennessee with general compliance by 1936. Counties have copies of these records.
• Texas - Death registrations began officially in 1903 by the county and state. A few stray death registrations and delayed death records were created from 1890s-1990, as reported from obituaries and probate records. These delayed death registrations are grouped with the regular death certificates. Texas was created in 1845 as the 28th state of the Union. Some counties began registration of deaths in 1903, but statewide registration began in 1908. Death records are accessible through county clerks or through the state Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• Utah - Before 1896, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. The earliest Utah statewide deaths began in 1897, with Salt Lake City recording deaths as early as 1848. Statewide registration didn't begin until 1905, and was generally complied with by 1919. The counties have copies of these records.
• Vermont - Death records were kept by each town clerk. Early town clerks put death records in town records and in land records. After about 1850, death information was only put in town records. Town clerks were usually good at recording death information. The towns continue to keep death records today. These are described further in Vermont Town Records. Following the Revolutionary War until about 1870, records were not always recorded. In 1870, the State Board of Health was established and record keeping in towns improved. Vermont towns are like western townships, so several populated places are in a town's borders. The name of the town is used in official records rather than the name of the populated place. In Vermont, towns were created starting about 1760. Deaths were and still are recorded by town clerks, beginning when the town was formed. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1857 and was generally complied with by 1919. The towns have copies of these state death registration records.
• Virginia - Before 1853, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. In 1853, Virginia law required counties to record deaths, although records are incomplete. No deaths were recorded between 1896 and 1912. Statewide registration of deaths began in June 1912 in Virginia. The State and Counties have copies of these records.
• Washington - Washington did not record deaths on the state level at this time. Before 1891, deaths were not required to be recorded by the county or the state. 

​The Washington Territory was established in 1853. Statehood was granted in 1889. Statewide registration of deaths in Washington began in ​1907.

• • • 1848 - Oregon Territory created, including present day Washington state
    • 1853 - Washington Territory organized
    • 1889 – Washington granted statehood as the 42nd state of the Union
    • 1891 – Washington law required counties to record deaths
    • 1907 - Statewide registration of deaths began on July 1
• West Virginia - In 1863, West Virginia was created from the state of Virginia. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1917 in West Virginia and was generally complied with by 1925. The counties have copies of these records.
• • 1853 - Virginia law required counties to record deaths, although records are incomplete
  • 1863 - West Virginia was created from the state of Virginia
  • 1917 - West Virginia Statewide death registration began
• Wisconsin - Statewide registration of deaths began in 1907. Before 1907, deaths were not recorded by the state; however, some counties recorded deaths. But county registration was voluntary, making death records before 1907 irregular.
• Wyoming - Statewide registration of deaths began in July 1909 and was generally complied with by 1922. A few Wyoming counties kept records of deaths a few years prior to state registration. For information about pre-1909 death records, write to the local county clerk. Wyoming became a territory of the United States in 1868 and officially became the 44th State in 1890. State law required the recording of death certificates in 1909. Death records are available from 1909 through the present year.

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