People delve into the past to find a death record for many reasons. Many want to reconstruct their family tree and public death records are a great way to get started. Others want proof of a death record for settling legal claims. Whatever the reason, you can access free death records online or find death notices along with other background information for a small fee.

There are many ways to conduct an online death records search — all you need is some basic information about the person. Depending on how much or little information you have about the person in question, you can begin your search to find death notices one of three ways. Below are three suggestions for conducting a death record search and finding out the pricing and costs of death records search:

1. Search for a Social Security death record if the person in question died after 1935.

2. Search death certificates by state if you know where the person died.

3. Conduct a death records search by first and/or last name.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Search for public death records according to Social Security number

Anyone born in the U.S., or who was a U.S. citizen after 1935, receives a Social Security number (SSN). When searching by SSN, be aware that prior to 1962 information obtained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) was not automated. This means if the person died before 1962, the only way their name would be listed is if their death was reported to the SSA after 1962.

I recommend: RootsWeb and Family Tree Legends are great sites to conduct a Social Security Death Index (SSDI) search. While the SSDI search is free, to take advantage of other features on these sites usually involves payment of a membership fees of approximately $15 per month.

Search for public death records according to state

Each state keeps records of those individuals who died there. Most sites allow you to search for death information such as date of death and last place of residence for free. If you need a copy of an official death record, however, the cost is approximately $50. It is important to keep in mind that many states did not keep accurate vital records, which included birth, death and marriage certificates, until the early 1900s.

I recommend: PublicRecordsNow allows you to search by state as well as by name. Ancestry, which is part of The Generations Network, will get you a copy of an official death certificate for $47. You must provide the county and city of death.

Conduct a death records search according to the name of the person in question

If you don't have a lot of information about a person other than a first and/or last name, do not be discouraged. A death records search can begin with this small amount of information. The price for these services varies -- many sites will charge you less to join for a year than for a month, and will give you access to more than just death records.

I recommend: USA People Search will provide conduct a death record search for $19.95. Pay a bit more and you can also get marriage, birth and other vital records information. Death-Search allows you to search for information on five distinct individuals for less than $20.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When sifting through public death records online, you can increase your results by limiting your search criteria. Conversely, when looking for someone with a common name, try and include as much information as possible to help narrow your search.

Public death records are easily accessible by anyone. A death certificate records data such as person's full legal name, date of death, location where death occurred, and the cause of death. This information can be helpful to family members or anyone needing to confirm an individual's death.

In order to perform a death certificate search, the more information you have about the decedent, the easier your search will be. However, you should be able to find a record of death by knowing as little as a person's last name. Death certificates can serve one or more purposes:

1. Cause of death is listed and can be used to determine if any foul play was involved or if the decedent died of natural causes.

2. An official record of death is needed before cremation or burial can be conducted.

3. If a person is missing for a certain number of years, or after a natural catastrophe or large accident, a death certificate can be issued in order for the survivor to receive benefits.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start your search with the social security death record

People are assigned social security numbers early in their lives and use them throughout their lives for credit applications, employment, and to file taxes. Searching the social security death record database is not often a place where people start their search for a record of death.

I recommend: RootsWeb and World Vital Records each offer a version of the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) which is searchable by any information you have available including a partial last name, or last known state of residence.

It's all about location: search death certificates by state

Knowing the state where a person died can aid you in your ability to search death certificates since that is where death records are issued.

I recommend: Death Records Search offers links to individual states where you can find a death. Unlimited Records allows death record searches after you create a user account.

Get the proof you need with official death records

Banks and insurance companies require official death certificates before releasing money to beneficiaries. The documents need to have the official stamp and seal of the issuing agency. Copies are not acceptable so you need to be able to obtain an original document.

I recommend: You can order official death certificates online from VitalCheck or from one of the state resources available through the National Center for Health Statistics.

Utilize free death records searchable sites

Free is always a price that fits any budget. If you only need to do a search and do not require an official death record certificate, you have a few options available. First and last name are always helpful, as is knowing the state where the death took place, but if you have burial information from a resource such as a coffin plate or actual tombstone, use historical societies in the community to help you get started.

I recommend: Ancestors At Rest is an online searchable database of death records via such outlets as funeral homes, church records and cemetery records, while Obituaries.com lets you find death notices published in newspapers around the U.S.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Libraries are great resources to find death notices, since they keep copies of newspapers on microfiche or scanned into a searchable database.

Knowing how to find a death record is a critical skill for many professionals. Lawyers, insurance personnel, health care workers, newspaper reporters and funeral directors all perform work that requires them to verify key information about an individual's death.

Whether these professionals need to know the date, cause or location of death, the only acceptable source for this information is the official death record itself. Helpful Internet sources that explain a death records search for beginners include the following:

1. Learn why the death record is regarded as a vital document for many legal and non-legal purposes.

2. Find out what kind of professionals depend on a death records search to perform their work.

3. Read copies of official death records so you'll know what to expect.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find out why a record of death is important and who uses them

Read articles to understand why some professionals depend on locating free death records to perform their work.

I recommend: Ezine Articles and Public Records explain what death records are, where to find them and who uses them. Death Records explains why certificates of death record certain life events. Read Public Records Pro to understand how the work of genealogists and other researchers depends on locating death certificates.

Identify the professionals whose work depends on performing a death certificate search

Health and state agencies may depend upon a death records search to help them identify disease trends. Insurance companies and lawyers may need to document an individual's death in connection with pending litigation.

I recommend: Article Snatch explains why lawyers and police officers use death records. Find out how real estate agents use death certificates at The Records Project. The Illinois Department of Human Services explains why that agency depends on death records. Find out the importance of death records for funeral directors at Health Care Informatics.

Get started on learning how to search death certificates on various registries

Some websites will walk you through the steps of performing a free death certificate search and offer suggestions on how to perform advanced searches in different data bases.

I recommend: State Registry explains how to perform a nationwide search for death records. Use Public Record Finder and Intelius.com to search records by name and state. Vital Rec explains how to perform online searches as well as how to request copies of death records.

Examine samples of official death records to learn how to read them

No explanation of a death records search for beginners would be complete without presenting a sample official death record. Review these samples so you'll know what kinds of information you can expect to find out using death certificates.

I recommend: Read commentaries on The Origins Network to learn how genealogists read death records. Examine sample death certificates at the New Mexico Department of Health and the Barton Family Funeral Service.