Death certificates by state
Certified copies of a death certificate come from the vital records office in the state where the death happened. Each state sets its own fee, and about half charge less for extra copies ordered at the same time. The funeral home can often order the first copies for you.
Fees from each state's own vital records office, checked on October 20, 2026. Fees change, so confirm with the office before you pay.
Fees by state
| Alabama | $15 | $6 |
| Alaska | $30 | $25 |
| Arizona | $20 | $20 |
| Arkansas | $10 | $8 |
| California | $26 | $26 |
| Colorado | $25 | $20 |
| Connecticut | $20 | $20 |
| Delaware | $25 | $25 |
| Florida | $5 | $4 |
| Georgia | $25 | $5 |
| Hawaii | $10 | $4 |
| Idaho | $16 | $16 |
| Illinois | $19 | $4 |
| Indiana | $8 | $4 |
| Iowa | $20 | $20 |
| Kansas | Ask | Ask |
| Kentucky | $6 | $6 |
| Louisiana | $7 | $7 |
| Maine | $15 | $6 |
| Maryland | $10 | $12 |
| Massachusetts | Ask | Ask |
| Michigan | $34 | $16 |
| Minnesota | $13 | $6 |
| Mississippi | $17 | $6 |
| Missouri | $14 | $11 |
| Montana | $16 | $16 |
| Nebraska | $16 | $16 |
| Nevada | $25 | $25 |
| New Hampshire | Ask | Ask |
| New Jersey | $25 | $2 |
| New Mexico | $5 | $5 |
| New York | $30 | $30 |
| North Carolina | $24 | $15 |
| North Dakota | $15 | $10 |
| Ohio | $21.50 | $21.50 |
| Oklahoma | $15 | $15 |
| Oregon | $25 | $25 |
| Pennsylvania | $20 | $20 |
| Rhode Island | Ask | Ask |
| South Carolina | $12 | $3 |
| South Dakota | $15 | $15 |
| Tennessee | Ask | Ask |
| Texas | $20 | $3 |
| Utah | $35 | $10 |
| Vermont | $10 | $10 |
| Virginia | $15 | $15 |
| Washington | $25 | $25 |
| Washington, D.C. | $18 | $18 |
| West Virginia | $12 | $12 |
| Wisconsin | $20 | $3 |
| Wyoming | $25 | $20 |
"Ask" means we could not confirm the fee on the state's own site yet. Its page links to the office. Online orders through a private company cost more than the state fee. We found each office through the CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records.
Before you order
- Ask the funeral home first. The funeral director files the death certificate with the state and can often order your first copies.
- Count how many you need. Most banks, insurers and pension plans keep the certified copy you send. Our death certificate calculator adds them up.
- Order them all at once. In many states extra copies of the same record cost less when you order them together.
Questions people ask
- Where do I order a death certificate?
- From the vital records office in the state where the death happened, not the state where the person lived. Many counties issue copies too. The funeral home can often order the first copies for you.
- Can the funeral home order death certificates for me?
- Usually, yes. The funeral director files the death certificate with the state, and many funeral homes order the family's first copies at the same time. The FTC lists death certificates among the cash advance items a funeral home may buy for you and add to its bill.
- Who can order a certified copy of a death certificate?
- Usually close family, such as a spouse, parent, child or sibling, and people who need it for a legal or financial matter. Each state sets its own list. Others can often get an informational copy, which can't be used for legal purposes.
Sources: each state's vital records office (linked on its page), USAGov, the CDC Funeral Directors' Handbook and the FTC Funeral Rule. General information, not legal advice.