Death Records Search

Similar to background checks, 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. You may be tempted to conduct a background check in order to find this information. 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.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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