How much is a death certificate in West Virginia?

$12 for the first certified copy from the West Virginia Department of Health, Health Statistics Center, Vital Registration Office, and $12 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Online orders through VitalChek add vendor fees. In-person card payments add a 4 percent surcharge.

Who can order a death certificate in West Virginia?

The informant on the death certificate, parents, grandparents, adult children or grandchildren, adult siblings, the spouse, or a legal representative with proof. Death records become public after 50 years.

How do I order a death certificate in West Virginia?

You can order online, by mail or in person. Online orders go through VitalChek, a private company the state uses, which adds its own fee. One primary ID such as a driver's license or passport, or two secondary documents. Mail requests need a copy of the ID.

Death certificates

Death certificates in West Virginia

In West Virginia, a certified copy of a death certificate costs $12 from the West Virginia Department of Health, Health Statistics Center, Vital Registration Office. Each copy costs the same. You can order online, by mail or in person. The funeral home can often order the first copies for you.

Last checked October 20, 2026 on the West Virginia Department of Health, Health Statistics Center, Vital Registration Office site. General information, not legal advice. Fees change, so confirm before you pay.

How to order in West Virginia

Ordering a certified copy of a death certificate in West Virginia
Office	West Virginia Department of Health, Health Statistics Center, Vital Registration Office
First certified copy	$12
Each extra copy, same order	$12 Online orders through VitalChek add vendor fees. In-person card payments add a 4 percent surcharge.
Who can order	The informant on the death certificate, parents, grandparents, adult children or grandchildren, adult siblings, the spouse, or a legal representative with proof. Death records become public after 50 years.
ID you need	One primary ID such as a driver's license or passport, or two secondary documents. Mail requests need a copy of the ID.
Ways to order	Online, by mail or in person. The state takes online orders only through VitalChek, a private company, which adds its own fee. By mail or in person costs only the state fee. At the state Vital Registration Office in Charleston, with same-day service.
How long it takes	Same-day service in person. The office does not state a time for mail or online orders.

Do funeral homes order the first copies?

Often, yes. The funeral director files the death certificate with the state, so ordering copies at the same time is common. The FTC lists death certificates among the cash advance items a funeral home may buy for you and add to its bill. Ask what it charges per copy.

For more copies later, order from the office above. How many copies do you need? Our calculator counts one for each bank, insurer and agency.

Questions people ask

How much is a death certificate in West Virginia?: $12 for the first certified copy from the West Virginia Department of Health, Health Statistics Center, Vital Registration Office, and $12 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Online orders through VitalChek add vendor fees. In-person card payments add a 4 percent surcharge.
Who can order a death certificate in West Virginia?: The informant on the death certificate, parents, grandparents, adult children or grandchildren, adult siblings, the spouse, or a legal representative with proof. Death records become public after 50 years.
How do I order a death certificate in West Virginia?: You can order online, by mail or in person. Online orders go through VitalChek, a private company the state uses, which adds its own fee. One primary ID such as a driver's license or passport, or two secondary documents. Mail requests need a copy of the ID.

Death certificates in West Virginia

How to order in West Virginia

Do funeral homes order the first copies?

Questions people ask

Sources