How to get a Pennsylvania death certificate

In Pennsylvania, order a certified death certificate from the Division of Vital Records, Pennsylvania Department of Health.¹ Local registrars may issue death certificates right after registration.² Each certified copy costs $20¹. You can order online, by mail or in person. Only the people the state lists below can order a certified copy. The fastest published option is online: 3 weeks on average³.

Last checked November 5, 2026 against official sources.

On this page

Ways to order
What a Pennsylvania death certificate costs
How long it takes
Who can order a Pennsylvania death certificate
ID you need
What the application asks for
Forms
Years held and older records
Special situations
Warnings from the office
The state office
Questions people ask
Sources

Ways to order

How	Cost per copy	Processing time	Payment
Online through LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc.	$30 for one copy ($20¹ plus $10¹ processing fee)	3 weeks on average³	Card¹
By mail	$20¹	3 weeks on average³	Check and money order¹
In person	$20¹	–	Card, check and money order⁴

Online through LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc.

Vendor: LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc.⁵
Vendor status: The state's only authorized vendor¹
Fees: Per copy $20¹
Processing fee $10¹
Processing time: 3 weeks on average³
Payment: Card¹

Good to know

18 or older¹
Fee waivers do not cover the online fee¹

Go to the ordering site¹

By mail

Fees: Per copy $20¹
Processing time: 3 weeks on average³
Payment: Check and money order¹
Make payable to: VITAL RECORDS¹
Mail to: Division of Vital Records, Death Certificate Processing Unit, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103
¹

Open the application or mail instructions⁶

In person

Fees: Per copy $20¹
Payment: Card, check and money order⁴
Office: 105 Nesbitt Road, New Castle, PA 16105
⁷
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM - 4:00PM. Closed holidays.⁷

Open the official page⁷

What a Pennsylvania death certificate costs

First certified copy: $20¹
Each additional copy: $20¹
Each extra year searched: $25⁸
If no record is found: The fee is kept as a search fee¹

Types of copies

Copy	Accepted for	Fee
Death certificate with medical information¹	Life insurance or pension benefit claims, family medical history¹	$20¹
Death certificate without medical information¹	Closing bank and utility accounts, transferring property titles¹	$20¹
No Record Certification of Death¹	–	–
Non-certified copy from the Pennsylvania State Archives⁹	–	$5⁹

No-fee copies

U.S. Armed Forces: decedent or decedent's spouse; spouse, dependent-child applicant or estate representative; up to 10 copies per applicant per calendar year¹⁰

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. They count from the day the office receives your order. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

How you order	Processing time
Online through LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc.	3 weeks on average³
By mail	3 weeks on average³

Who can order a Pennsylvania death certificate

The state names these people and bodies as able to order a certified copy. Each line gives the official wording.

Spouse¹
A parent named on the record¹
Proof: Step-parent: marriage certificate¹
Brother or sister¹
Child¹
Proof: Step-child: parent's marriage certificate¹
Grandparent¹
Grandchild¹
Attorney or legal representative¹
Executor or estate administrator¹
Proof for each of the 2 lines above: Additional documents, not itemized on the page¹
Other family members not listed above, including ex-spouses , must submit documentation to support direct interest.¹
Proof: Documentation of direct interest¹
Individual with direct financial interest (must provide additional documents)¹
Proof: Additional documents, not itemized on the page¹

Records open to the public after: 50 years¹¹
Minimum age to order: 18¹

ID you need

Photo ID: Required¹²
Without that ID: Two documents: Bank Statement, Credit Card Statement, Medical Records, Pay Stub, Social Security Statement, Utility Bill, Car Insurance, Lease/Rental Agreement, School Records/Student ID, Tax Return/W-2 form, Vehicle Registration; Last resort: two pieces of current mail¹²
ID copy with a mail order: Include a copy of your ID¹²

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.⁴

Name at death
Date of death
Sex
Social Security number
Age at death
Date of birth
Place of death (state, county, city/borough/township)
Funeral home
Parents' information
Relationship to person named on record
Type of death certificate

Forms

Application for a Death Certificate (HD02080F) REV 03/25⁴
Solicitud de un Certificado de Defuncion (HD02080F) REV 09/23¹³
Application for a Multi-Year Search of a Death Record Rev. 11/17¹⁴

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds: 1906 to today¹
Older records: County courthouse¹⁰

Special situations

Use abroad: Must carry the state registrar's signature¹⁰
Military and veterans: Armed forces fee waiver¹
If no record is found: Certified no-record statement issued¹

Warnings from the office

VitalChek is the only authorized online vendor¹
Other online services convert orders to paper and delay service¹
Problems with other vendors go to that vendor¹

The state office

Office: Division of Vital Records¹⁵
Contact: Contact form¹⁵
Mailing address: Division of Vital Records, Birth Certificate Processing Unit, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103
¹⁵
Walk-in address: 105 Nesbitt Road, New Castle, PA 16105
⁷
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM - 4:00PM. Closed holidays.⁷
Website: Official website¹⁶

Questions people ask

How much is a certified Pennsylvania death certificate?

Each certified copy costs $20.¹

How long does it take to get a Pennsylvania death certificate?

Online through LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc.: 3 weeks on average. By mail: 3 weeks on average.³

Who do I make the check or money order payable to?

Write it exactly as the office prints it: VITAL RECORDS.¹

Where are older Pennsylvania death certificates kept?

County courthouse.¹⁰

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 5, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

Death certificatesPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Death reportPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Processing timesPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Application for a Death Certificate (PDF)Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordsdated March 1, 2025
Pennsylvania Department of Health home pagePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Pennsylvania Department of Health: FormsPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Public officesPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Multi year searchesPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Request a birth or death certificatePennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, State Archives
Pennsylvania Department of Health: Faq deathPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Act of Dec. 15, 2011,P.L. 445, No. 110 Cl. 35Pennsylvania General Assemblydated December 15, 2011
Acceptable idPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Solicitud de un Certificado de Defuncion (PDF)Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordsdated September 1, 2023
Multiyear death application 03 2015 (PDF)Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordsdated November 1, 2017
Birth certificatesPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records
Vital recordsPennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records