In most cases, how to get a death certificate is simpler than it sounds: you do not apply for it yourself. A doctor, medical examiner or coroner certifies the cause of death, and the funeral director files the certificate with the state or local registrar and orders the first certified copies for you. If you need more copies later, they come from the vital records office in the state where the death happened.
The harder question is how many copies to order. The answer depends on how many institutions held an account or policy in the person’s name, so this guide ends with a worksheet for counting them.
How to get a death certificate: who does what
The CDC’s Funeral Directors’ Handbook on Death Registration describes the funeral director as the person responsible for filing an accurate and complete death certificate, although state laws vary in the details. The steps usually run like this:
| Step | Who does it | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pronounce death | A doctor, hospice nurse or other authorized person | Nothing, beyond making the first call |
| 2. Certify the cause of death | The attending physician, or the medical examiner or coroner | Nothing, unless asked about medical history |
| 3. Complete the personal details | The funeral director, with the family | Supply and check names, dates and history |
| 4. File the certificate | The funeral director, with the registrar where the death occurred | Nothing |
| 5. Issue certified copies | The state or local vital records office | Tell the funeral director how many copies to order |
The handbook says the certificate must be filed within the time limit set by state law and before the body is removed from the state or otherwise disposed of. Deadlines differ by state. California, for example, requires each death to be registered with the local registrar within eight calendar days after death and prior to any disposition of the remains (Health and Safety Code section 102775).
Getting the certificate filed is part of what you pay a funeral home for. The FTC says a funeral home’s basic services fee covers securing the necessary permits and copies of death certificates. The copies themselves are usually a cash advance item, meaning a fee the funeral home pays to the state for you and passes on. The FTC names death certificates among typical cash advance items.
What the funeral director will ask you
The funeral director has to verify the personal information with the family, according to the CDC handbook. Mistakes are easier to prevent than to fix, so have these ready:
- Full legal name, and any other names used
- Social Security number
- Date and place of birth
- Marital status and a spouse’s name
- Both parents’ names, including the mother’s name before her first marriage
- Highest level of education
- Usual occupation and the kind of business or industry
- Veteran status
- Home address, including county
Ask to read a draft before it is filed if you can. Spelling errors in a name or Social Security number are the kind of mismatch that can hold up an insurance or bank claim.
If the cause of death is pending
When a medical examiner or coroner is investigating, the certificate may be filed before the cause is final. The CDC’s instructions say that if the manner of death cannot be determined within the state’s filing deadline, it is marked “Pending investigation” and changed later. The state registrar has the authority to amend a certificate to add information that was unknown when it was filed, including results pending autopsy or laboratory findings.
Ask each insurer or bank whether it will accept a certificate with a pending cause, or whether it needs the amended version. The steps for claims are in how to claim life insurance after a death.
Fixing a mistake later
Each state has its own amendment process. California shows how the cost can depend on timing. Its affidavit to amend a death record costs nothing to register if submitted within one year from the date of death. After one year there is a $26 amendment fee, which includes one copy of the corrected record.
Certified copy, photocopy, or informational copy
USA.gov says you will need a certified copy for tasks such as notifying Social Security and other government agencies, closing or transferring bank and credit card accounts, and claiming life insurance or a pension. For smaller tasks, such as canceling a subscription, a photocopy may be enough.
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Some states issue two kinds of certified copy. In California, an authorized copy can be used to establish the identity of the person named. An informational copy carries the legend “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity”. Banks and insurers generally need the authorized kind. By mail in California, an authorized copy requires a notarized sworn statement, or the request is returned unprocessed.
Who is allowed to order copies
Access is restricted. USA.gov says only certain family members, including a spouse, siblings and children, may be able to get a death certificate. Anyone can request one once it becomes public record, which in some states is 25 or more years after death.
California’s list of people who can receive an authorized copy includes an executor or court-appointed representative, an attorney for the estate, surviving next of kin, and an agent or employee of a funeral establishment acting for the family. That last category is why the funeral home can order copies for you.
How many copies do you need?
There is no official number. Count one certified copy for each organization that will keep one. Use this worksheet:
| Where a copy may go | Certified copy? | Your count |
|---|---|---|
| Each life insurance policy | Yes. The NIA says claims need a death certificate and policy numbers. | |
| Each bank, credit union or brokerage | Yes, to close or transfer accounts | |
| Each pension or annuity | Yes | |
| Social Security | Needed later if you report the death yourself. You can start the report without one. | |
| VA burial allowance claim | A copy including the cause of death is on the VA’s document list | |
| Motor vehicles office (title transfer) | Usually | |
| Credit bureaus | Copies to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, per the NIA | |
| Probate court and real estate transfers | Often | |
| Utilities and subscriptions | Usually a photocopy |
Some organizations look at a certified copy and hand it back. Ask before you mail one. For which accounts need what, see how to close a deceased person’s bank accounts and who to call when someone dies.
What copies cost: two state examples
Fees are set by each state and change. Two current examples, both from state vital records offices:
- California: $26 per certified copy of a death record, after fees rose on January 1, 2026 under Assembly Bill 64.
- Texas: the state Vital Statistics office charges $20 for the first death certificate and $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.
The Texas pricing shows why ordering enough at the start can matter: extra copies in the same order cost far less than a new first copy later. Local county offices may charge differently from the state office. Look up your state’s fee with the CDC’s Where to Write for Vital Records directory. To see how certificate fees fit into the whole bill, read how much a funeral costs.
Ordering more copies yourself
The federal government does not issue death certificates. The CDC’s directory says it does not distribute certificates and sends you to the state or area where the death occurred. USA.gov says the state office can tell you how to order online, by mail or in person, how to get a copy fast, and the cost per copy. You will need the date and place of death and may be asked how you are related to the person.
Speed varies by state and by method. In California, mail requests go to the state office in Sacramento with a check for $26 per copy, and in-person copies come from the county office where the death was registered. Texas says that at its Austin office, in most cases, you will get your record the same day, though some applications take 24 hours or more.
If the death happened outside the U.S.
When a U.S. citizen dies abroad, the embassy or consulate issues a Consular Report of Death Abroad. It can be used in the U.S. as proof of death, and USA.gov says you can get up to 20 free certified copies at the time of death. Ask for enough of them then.
Before the arrangement meeting, fill in the worksheet above, add two for items you did not think of, and give that number to the funeral director. It goes on the itemized statement as a cash advance, so you will see the per-copy cost before you sign.
Sources
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics: Funeral Directors’ Handbook on Death Registration and Fetal Death Reporting
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics: Where to Write for Vital Records
- California Legislative Information: Health and Safety Code section 102775
- California Department of Public Health: Vital Records Fees
- California Department of Public Health: Authorized Copy vs. Informational Copy
- California Department of Public Health: Obtaining Certified Copies of Death Certificates
- Texas Department of State Health Services: Vital Statistics Costs and Fees
- Texas Department of State Health Services: Death Records
- USAGov: How to Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate
- USAGov: Report the Death of a Social Security or Medicare Beneficiary
- Federal Trade Commission: Funeral Costs and Pricing Checklist
- Federal Trade Commission: Complying with the Funeral Rule
- National Institute on Aging (NIH): What To Do After Someone Dies
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Veterans Burial Allowance and Transportation Benefits