How to get a Virginia death certificate

Ways to order

What a Virginia death certificate costs

First certified copy

$15³

Each additional copy

$15³

If no record is found

The fee is kept as a search fee³

Fees in effect since

July 1, 2026¹

Types of copies

No-fee copies

• Veterans or survivors: no charge for a copy needed for service-connected benefits⁹
• Homeless youth: no fee⁹
• At DMV: homeless youth under 21 may get a vital record free with the Virginia Affidavit Certifying Homeless Youth Status¹⁸
• Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth: no cost³

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

Who can order a Virginia death certificate

Anyone may order a certified copy.¹⁹

The office also names these requesters and conditions. Each line gives the official wording.

• Spouse, child, a parent named on the record and brother or sister⁶
• Grandchild: The State Registrar or the city or county registrar shall issue a certified copy of a death certificate to the grandchild or great-grandchild of a decedent in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Board in regulation.¹⁹
• Funeral director⁶
  Proof: Licence evidence and evidence of handling final disposition or need²
• Attorney or legal representative: For the purposes of obtaining information of certified copies of death certificates, the term "legal representative" shall include the registrant's funeral service licensee; attorney; person with power of attorney for the affairs of the registrant; insurance company insuring the registrant; a federal, state or local governmental agency acting in behalf of the registrant or his family; a court appointed guardian; or a court appointed administrator.²⁰
  Proof: Proof of representation (e.g., Virginia attorneys: bar number and evidence of need)²
• Executor or estate administrator²⁰

Other kinds of copies

• Verification However, non-immediate family members can receive a Verification of Death if they have a direct and tangible interest for the certificate.⁷

Records open to the public after

25 years¹⁹

Cause of death

Restricted on some copies⁷

Social Security number on the copy

Verification of Death shows only the last four digits of the SSN⁷

ID you need

Photo ID

Required²¹

Accepted ID

• Photo ID card or driver's license issued by a U.S. state, territory or jurisdiction (incl. Global Entry card), unexpired or expired not more than one year
• Learner's/instruction permit (unexpired or expired not more than one year)
• Current school or employment photo ID with ID number (not check-cashing cards)
• Unexpired U.S. military card (active duty or retired)
• Unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
• Unexpired foreign passport, I-94 or I-94W
• Certificate of Naturalization (N-550, N-570, N-578)
• Certificate of Citizenship (N-560, N-561)
• U.S. Citizen Identification Card (I-197)
• Temporary Resident Card (unexpired I-688)
• Employment Authorization Document (unexpired I-766)
• Refugee Travel Document (unexpired I-571)
• Resident Alien / Permanent Resident / Northern Marianas Card (unexpired I-551)
• Asylum: first and last page of the asylum application
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)
• Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350)
• Virginia Criminal Justice Agency Offender Information Form
• U.S. Probation Offender Information Form
• Certificate of Birth Abroad (FS-545)²¹

Without that ID

Two documents from the secondary list (e.g., Selective Service card, DD214, certified school records, life insurance policy, Medicare/Medicaid card, driver's license/state ID/passport expired not more than 5 years, utility bill within 6 months, valid voter registration card, foreign photo ID). If you cannot meet the ID rules, VDH suggests an eligible immediate family member request the record.⁶

ID copy with a mail order

Include a copy of your ID⁶

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.⁶

• Name at death
• Date of death
• Age at death
• Place of death (Virginia city or county)
• Hospital (if any)
• Sex
• Full maiden name of mother/parent one
• Full name of father/parent two
• Requester details
• Relationship
• Reason for request
• Certificate type (death certificate or verification) and number of copies
• Signature

Forms

• Application for Certification of a Death Record (VS6D) revision VS6D-07/26¹²
• Solicitud de certificación de Acta de Defunción (VS6D)¹²
• Application for Certification of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (VS6FD) revision VS6-07/22²²
• Virginia Vital Record Application (DMV, in person) (DL 82)¹⁰

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds

1853 to today (except 1897 to June 1912 (no statewide registration))⁷

Older records

The Library of Virginia (Archives Division) holds 1853-1896 birth and death registers on microfilm²³

Special situations

Stillbirth

Free Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth for parents (20+ weeks gestation)⁶ Details

Fetal death

Spontaneous fetal death reports held from 1999¹⁶ Details

Military and veterans

Free copies for veterans' service-connected benefits⁹ Details

Use abroad

Apostilles come from the Secretary of the Commonwealth²⁴ Details

Warnings from the office

• VDH is not associated with genealogy websites²³
• A false application is a felony²⁵
• The State Registrar may accept or deny any application²¹
• Virginia certified copies have no raised seal; VDH provides a letter for agencies that question this²⁶

The state office

Office

Office of Vital Records¹

Phone

(804) 662-6200¹

Contact

Contact form¹⁴

Mailing address

VDH, Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000

¹

Walk-in address

Office of Vital Records, 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227

¹⁴

Hours

Walk-in Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:00pm; Customer Care Center phone Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm¹

Website

Official website¹

Questions people ask