How to Find Pennsylvania Death Records
Statewide registration for Pennsylvania deaths began in 1906. Prior to the state keeping death records counties kept death records beginning in 1893.
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| Indexes and Digital Images | ||||||||
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| 1852-1854, Pennsylvania, Deaths at Ancestry.com | ($), Free at family history centers. | |||||||
| 1683-1994, Pennsylvania, Probate Records at FamilySearch.org |
Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center This is an incomplete database which includes county records as well as church records. Below are the counties included in the collection. | |||||||
| 1720-1999, Pennsylvania Deaths and Burials, index. | At FamilySearch Historical Records, free. | |||||||
| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||||||
| No death record for your ancestor? | Other records with death information | |||||||
Deaths before 1852[edit | edit source]
Pennsylvania did not record deaths on a state level until 1906. Prior to 1906 some attempts were made to record deaths but these were usually done on the county level and not until about 1893. To determine a date of death for an individual church and cemetery records are the primary records to search. There are also substitute records which can be searched when there is an absence of death records.
| Records that give death information: | ||
Deaths 1852-1854[edit | edit source]
1852-1854 - grouped by county and record type, then arranged by certificate number, these records of death were kept by the Register of Wills for each county with returns sent to the Department of State. These returns are available for 49 of the 64 counties existing at that time; however, they are not complete for each county. Digital images of the records along with a search capability are available at www.ancestry.com. Film copies of the death records can also be found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below try searching for death information in other records.
Deaths 1855-1892[edit | edit source]
Prior to 1852 the state of Pennsylvania did not record statewide deaths. Search church, cemetery and probate records in the area where the individual died to determine the death date for an individual. You must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s death date and place.
| Records that give death information: | ||
Deaths 1893-1905[edit | edit source]
1893-1905 - Deaths were recorded by the Clerk of Orphans Court at each county courthouse. While the State Archives holds microfilm copies of these records for some counties for use by on-site researchers, inquiries should be directed to the courthouse of the county in which the death occurred. These records are not complete. Microfilm copies of some records can also be found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
For addresses and phone numbers for Pennsylvania courthouses websites use this link.
Deaths 1906-1966[edit | edit source]
1906 began the period of state wide registration for deaths. Currently death certificates 1906-1966 are available at the State Archives. The certificates may be reviewed in person during public research hours, Wednesday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
An index is available on the website of the Division of Vital Records and at the Pennsylvania Archives. When visiting the Archives, researchers will be limited to ten certificates per day for records with known file numbers. No telephone or e-mail requests in advance of one's visit to the Archives will be accepted. Researchers should plan to allow a minimum of 20-40 minutes for retrieval of these records.
Records for this time period are available through Ancestry - $
- Currently 1906-1966 Death Certificates are available
Copies of death certificates, 1906-1966, may be requested from the Pennsylvania Archives by mail:
- Pennsylvania State Archives
350 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0090
Phone: (717) 783-3281
- Pennsylvania State Archives
Death certificates from 1906 to the present can also be obtained from:
- Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103
Phone: (724) 656-3100
- Division of Vital Records
Also, try:
- United States Social Security Death Index - starts 1962 Index.
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 ($)
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, incomplete, ($).
If you do not want to order the death record, you can search other records with death information.
Deaths 1964-Present[edit | edit source]
Death records for this period are available to the public but there is no online index to search. To determine the death date for an individual in to order a death certificate search substitute records.
| Records that give death information: | ||
Death certificates from 1906 to the present can also be obtained from:
- Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103
Phone: (724) 656-3100
- Division of Vital Records
Who May Request a Death Certificate?[edit | edit source]
Only certain people can request a death certificate. You must be:
- Legal representative of decedent's estate
- Immediate family member
- Extended family member who indicates a direct relationship to the decedent
- Power of Attorney (Please note that a Power of Attorney document is no longer valid upon the death of the individual)
