Pennsylvania Death Records

Name Phone Number License Plate VIN
Name Phone Number License Plate VIN

Pennsylvania Death Records Search

In Pennsylvania, the Division of Vital Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health maintains and issues the records of all deaths that occur in the state of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Vital Records Division maintains records of 1906-present. The death records maintained by the Division of Vital Records reveal the name of the deceased, the place and date of death, the DOB of the decease, the name of the deceased’s parents and spouse, place of burial and cause of death.

People request Pennsylvania Death Records for a number of purposes including:

  • Insurance purpose
  • Transferring title of property or land
  • Closing bank accounts

Before 1906, some cities and counties in the state of Pennsylvania maintained records of all births deaths that occurred in the city or county. However, in 1906, the Pennsylvania government took over the responsibility and started to record all births and deaths that occurred in the state. Unlike other vital records, Pennsylvania Death Records are restricted records. This means that only the immediate family members of the deceased or people with a tangible interest in the record can make a request for and obtain a person’s death record. Provided you’re eligible for it, you can request for and obtain death records in Pennsylvania in three different ways: in person, by mail and online. Let’s take a look at how you can obtain the death record you need through each method.

How To Obtain Pennsylvania Death Certificates

The first way to make a request for and obtain the death record certificates you need is in person. To make an in person request for the death record you need, visit any of the six Vital Records offices in Pennsylvania, provide the complete record information, and pay the required fee.

Pennsylvania Death Records Via Mail

Another way to make a request for Pennsylvania Death Records is by mail. To make a mail request for the death record you need, complete and mail the Application for Certified Copy of Death Record along with a copy of your valid photo ID to:

Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Death Unit
PO Box 1528
New Castle, PA 1603

Also, mail the pay order or check for the fee. The fee for Pennsylvania Death Records is nominal, view the website for up to date pricing and delivery options for obtaining a copy of a PA death record. Generally, a mail request for a Pennsylvania death record takes 8 to 10 weeks to process.

Pennsylvania Death Records Online

The final way for you to make a request for and obtain the death record you need is online. To make an online request for the death record you need, contact VitalCheck, an independent company the Pennsylvania Department of Health has partnered with to make vital records available online. To make an online request for the death record you need, visit the website of VitalCheck, follow the instructions given there, and pay the nominal fee for a copy of a PA death record

In addition to the aforementioned ways, you can obtain Pennsylvania Death Records online through public databases. To find out more, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 724-656-3100.

State Death Record Request

Pennsylvania Death Records


Pennsylvania Death Record FAQs

Can anyone lookup a Pennsylvania death record?

Yes, Pennsylvania death records are public record which means anyone can view them. Only immediate family members however, can obtain a copy of a person's Pennsylvania death certificate.

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Responses to “Pennsylvania Death Records

  1. squarryadministrator says:

    William we can certainly help find your father’s PA death record however we do not have burial information in our database resources. That said, you can visit the website FindAGrave.com to lookup gravesites by name

  2. William T. Foran says:

    I am trying to locate my late Father’s burial ground. His name was Thomas Daniel Foran, he was born on October 4, 1882 in Pheonxville, PA and died at the age of 86 on March 17, 1968. He was living at a care home just outside of Philadelphia when he died. I do not know what county that may have been. My name is William Thomas Foran, born on November 10, 1937. My Mother was Frances X. Foran. Her maden name was Frances Sullivan born May 24, 1900 and died on October 15, 1987. She is burried in El Paso TX. My Father had a funeral mass at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church on Levick Street in North East Philadelphia. I have tried to find out the name of the funeral home from which he was burried but have been unsucsessful in getting enformation. Having his official death certificate may help me in my search for his final resting place and give me the opportunity to visit his grave before I enter mine. Thank you for any assistance you may render to this request.

  3. squarryadministrator says:

    Daniel, would you like us to lookup a PA death record for you to verify a public record?

  4. Daniel A. Davis says:

    Taught together in NC just heard he has passed

  5. Jacqueline elizabeth Boyd says:

    To Whom it may concern:

    Iam am searching for my mother’s father. Her name is Donna Elizabeth Graham. Her father I know was John Graham. Her mother’s name was Lilly Graham or Possibly Trunbow. I am seeking his death cert. to hopefully find some of his living relatives to help us know more about her medical history. Any help would be greatly appreciated. My mother was born June1, 1975 and was told her father passed at age 13. So we think he was deceased sometime in 1958. Again, any help would be appreciated.

  6. Gene Morris says:

    Hello. How do I find a record of my paternal grandfather’s death? His name was Eugene Leo Morris, and he died probably sometime in the 1940s, likely in Philadelphia, but I don’t know anything more than that. Thank you.

  7. Veronica Tonkovic says:

    I am looking for information on my grandfather, James Corrado or Vincent James Corrado born in Italy but died in Philadelphia in 1918 of the Spanish flu. His wife’s name was Mary. Thank you.

  8. Felicia Hantman says:

    I want to know if my first cousin is still alive.

  9. Jim Fisher says:

    Looking for death record for Frederick Bieber. Lived in Blair County. Was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Believe he died in 2003.

  10. Darlene Deffenbaugh says:

    Would like to know cause of death for my brother,
    James N.Culbertson for family purposes.

  11. Nicholette Hester says:

    To Whom It May Concern:
    I am trying to locate the deaths of family in approximately 1897-1900 in Pennsylvania by the last name of Hester. The husband is, first name unknown, last name Hester, and his wife, first name unknown, maiden name of Urban. Is this the right way to look for this information?

    Please advise.

    Sincerely,
    Nicholette Hester

  12. KEN HÀGER says:

    Í am looking for a friend born in 1944 past away after 2017 in pa.

  13. Terrance o coulter sr says:

    I am looking for anything on Mary Margaret Brisbane Fenton died around 1976

  14. Willie says:

    I am looking for the death date for Laura Jackson born 02/15/26

  15. squarryadministrator says:

    Merle, there are multiple public record listing with your first and last name. You should also verify that the middle name matches as well as the date of birth and state of residence. If all these are correct and there is an error with your information, we are happy to correct this incorrect public record for you in our database.

  16. Merle Clark says:

    They have people on the death list that are not dead. I am one of them they have me like I am dead and I am not. How are you suppose to correct this.

  17. squarryadministrator says:

    Lawrence, you will need to contact the funeral home or the Pennsylvania Department of Health to inquire about the status of a PA death certificate. It’s uncertain during Covid how death certificate will be processed by each state. There may be some delays that you might see when receiving a copy

  18. Lawrence Thomas says:

    Do the funeral home take care of death certificates

  19. squarryadministrator says:

    Mary, unfortunately we do not show grave sites with our PA death record information. You can use the resource Findagrave.com to locate the cemetery where this person is laid to rest

  20. Mary Ferney says:

    Thank you. One last question. On the death certificate does it list Plum Creek Cemetery as his resting place ?

  21. squarryadministrator says:

    Mary this is the Pennsylvania death record that we show in our database resources
    Jose Trujillo, Date of Death: 04/30/1975 , Date of Birth: 06/10/1888

  22. Mary F Ferney says:

    Looking for Great Grandfather death records. Jose (Joseph) Trujillo born in 1889 in Mexico. Guessing death is after 1967 since it is not part of the Ancestry public records. Wife, Maria (Mary) Trujillo passed 3/22/1950.

  23. squarryadministrator says:

    Frank, unfortunately this record is not available in our system just yet. You can also contact the PA Department of Health to verify a death

  24. Frank - Mary Chimienti says:

    Richard Dischart died Friday
    @ home: Providence Rd., Alden
    Delaware County PA.

  25. squarryadministrator says:

    Kimberly, we found a couple of death records belonging to different Eric Carter however we don’t have the date of birth listed on these records. Can you confirm his middle name so we can see if one of these belongs to him?

  26. squarryadministrator says:

    Dave, unfortunately this Pennsylvania record of death is older than what we currently have in our public record resources. You can also check with the PA Department of Health as they manage death records in Pennsylvania. You can call them directly @ 1-877-724-3258

  27. Dave Scheina says:

    looking for James Brennan

    died 2 Jan 1947

    Born North Ireland

  28. KIMBERLEY D LONG HICKS says:

    Looking for a good friend of mines in Pennsylvania name Eric Carter born 10/28/1964 or 10/28/1965 not sure of the year got a message that he past away can u help me out

  29. squarryadministrator says:

    Alice, unfortunately we could not locate your mother’s Pennsylvania death record. You can also contact the PA Department of Health and request a death verification from them. They manage the state’s vital records which include death records, birth records and marriage records.

  30. Alice Magnuson says:

    Hello. I’m looking to see if my mother passed away. Her name is Frances C. Thompson DOB 10/23/1923 Her maiden name is Schiller.

  31. squarryadministrator says:

    The only Pennsylvania death record that we can find is for an Andrew J. Merer who was born in 1975

  32. squarryadministrator says:

    Shannon, we show a multitude of PA death record listings for a Richard Shields however, we don’t have any that match the date of birth you’ve provided

  33. Shannon Stellitano says:

    Looking for information for Richard Shields date of birth is 07/15/1951

  34. Rita Lynn says:

    I’m trying to find out information on my father who passed away. DOB 8/13/53. Died sometime last year in October. Name Andrew G Mercer

  35. squarryadministrator says:

    Dave, we ran a check for the person you mentioned with both last names and did not find their PA death record. You can also try contacting the PA Department of Health, they archive older death records in Pennsylvania

  36. Dave Scheina says:

    looking for james brannan
    died pennsylvania 1947
    born north ireland
    name may have been changed from crown

  37. squarryadministrator says:

    Patricia, we ran a check in our PA death record database with the information you provided and there are a multitude of death record listings for people with the name Raymond Jones however there is no death record that we can find for the specific person you mentioned. You can also contact the PA Department of Health and request a death verification. Their phone number is 877-724-3258 for your convenience

  38. Patricia N. Elliott says:

    Looking for raymond s jones
    Dob 10/31/1952

    Dod would be around 3/2020

  39. squarryadministrator says:

    Darlene, the only PA death records we show for a Loretta Showers are

    1. Date of Death: 01/31/1976 Date of Birth: 09/28/1930
    2. Date of Death: 01/19/1999 Date of Birth: 05/29/1926

  40. Darlene Sanzotta says:

    I am looking for information regarding my Aunt Loretta Showers..her D.O.B was 8/29/1919. I believe her date of death was on or around January 11th 2018.

  41. squarryadministrator says:

    Trish, we ran a PA death record search for a Stephanie Sers and could not find anything. You can also contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health to verify a death record.

  42. trish shannon says:

    I am trying to find out if a friend passed away. Her name is Stephanie Sers aka Castrogiovanni aka Nielsen. Age 52. Born 12/23/67
    If she passed it would have been after 3/8/2020

  43. Mary Hahn says:

    Thank you so very much for the fast reply and the name of the Agency where I can obtain the information I want. Warm regaards, Mary Hahb

  44. squarryadministrator says:

    Mary, unfortunately our PA death records only go back around 50 years and this is a much older Pennsylvania death record than we have on file. Another option is to reach out to the Pennsylvania Department of Health – Vital Records Department to inquire about a PA death verification. You can visit their website or call them directly @ 877-724-3258. We hope this helps and please reach out if we can assist you with any of your vital record needs in the future.

  45. Mary V Hahn says:

    I am looking for my Mother’s Death Certificate. Her Name is Mary Vojnik, She was born June 26, 1902 in Greensberg, PA. She passed away on June 21, 1933 at the Passavant Hopital in Pittsburg, PA from Childbirth, Her mother was Mary Berty. I was informed the number is 379, but have not be able to access any information on this. I just want to check the spelling of My Mother’s Father’s Name on the certificate. My sister has a copy of death certificate with the father’s name as Martin Bersay or Besy. She may be misreading the certificate she has – says it is very small. I do not need a copy of the certificate, but would like to know how the name is spelled on the certificate you have. The correct spelling of the family’s name is B E R T Y. I appreciate any effort it will take for you to get this information (I have been researching seeing an online copy of the Certificate for almost day and a half. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

  46. Lisa Jewell says:

    Thank you

  47. squarryadministrator says:

    Lisa, we are not showing any Pennsylvania death records for a Thomas Walker that fits that description and date of birth

  48. lisa jewell says:

    i am looking to see if Thomas leon walker is deceased, DOB 09/28/75 thank you

  49. squarryadministrator says:

    Andrea, we can help with a Pennsylvania death record however Pennsylvania obituaries are not cataloged in our public record database. You can contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health and inquire with them if they would know where to source an obituary from 1994. PA newspaper archives are also a good place to research PA death records.

  50. squarryadministrator says:

    Linda, we searched our Pennsylvania death record database and did not find your father’s death record unfortunately. Is it possible he passed away in another state? We can run another death record search for you if this is the case. Otherwise, you can also check with the Pennsylvania Department of Health as they record all PA death records in Pennsylvania. You can make your request through their website or call them in person for a death verification @ 877-724-3258

Author:
Last Updated: 2017-06-08

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