How many death certificates do you need? Who asks for one, and how to order

If you're doing this because someone close to you has died, we're sorry. This is one of the first errands that comes up, and it's one you can hand to someone steady. The funeral home usually helps order the first batch.

The short answer

Make a list of every company and agency that will need to see proof of the death. Ask each one whether it needs a certified copy or will accept a photocopy, and whether it will give the certified copy back. Order one certified copy for each place that keeps one, and add one or two spares. If you come up short, you can order more from the same office.

For a simple estate, that list might be short: a bank, one life insurance policy, the car title. For someone with several accounts, a house, a pension and a probate case, it can be long. That's why there's no one number that fits everyone.

Certified copies and photocopies

A certified copy is issued by a vital records office, usually with a raised seal or special paper. USA.gov says certified copies are needed for things like notifying government agencies, closing bank or credit accounts, and claiming life insurance or pension benefits, while a photocopy may be enough for smaller tasks, such as canceling a subscription. It suggests checking with each organization.

Some states offer more than one kind of certified copy, so it's worth asking which one you're ordering:

• Copies that can be used for legal purposes, and copies that can't. California issues "authorized" certified copies to family members and certain others, and "informational" copies to everyone else. The informational copy is marked "Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity" (California Department of Public Health).
• Copies with and without the cause of death. In Florida, any adult can order a certified copy without the cause of death, while copies that show it are limited to close family, people who can show an interest in the estate, and a few others (Florida Department of Health). Some places ask for the cause of death. VA, for example, lists the veteran's death certificate "including the cause of death" among the documents for a burial allowance.

If your state offers a choice, ask each place on your list which version it needs before you order.

Who usually asks for a certified copy

Not every place below will apply, and each one sets its own rules. Use this as a starting list:

• Each life insurance company, including group coverage through an employer or union
• Each bank, credit union and brokerage where the person had an account
• Retirement plans, pensions and annuity companies, including plans from old jobs
• The employer, for the final paycheck and any benefits
• The probate court, if the estate goes through probate
• The motor vehicles office, to transfer a car title
• The county office that records deeds, if real estate needs to be retitled
• VA, for veterans burial benefits
• Social Security, if it asks to see proof of death for a benefit claim

Some places only ask for a copy, or only want you to keep proof on file. TransUnion, for example, asks for a copy of the death certificate with a short letter when you report a death, and says it will tell the other two nationwide credit bureaus for you (TransUnion). And on Form 1310, used by some people claiming a deceased person's tax refund, the IRS says to keep proof of death on file rather than attach it.

Our week-by-week checklist shows roughly when each of these calls tends to come up, and USA.gov keeps a list of agencies to notify after a death.

How to count: one list, three questions

Before you order, write each place on its own line and call or check its website with three questions:

1. Do you need a certified copy, or will a photocopy do?
2. Which version? With the cause of death or without, if your state offers both.
3. Will you keep it, or look at it and give it back? Some places return documents. Social Security, for example, says it will return the documents you bring (SSA). Showing a certified copy in person and taking it home can stretch a small batch a long way.

Then count the places that will keep a certified copy, and add one or two. A spare saves a second order when a bank loses one, or when an account turns up that nobody knew about.

Who can order one

Certified copies come from the vital records office in the state where the death happened, which isn't always the state where the person lived. USA.gov says only certain family members, such as a spouse, children or siblings, may be able to order one, and the office may ask about your relationship to the person or why you need it. The CDC keeps a state-by-state list of vital records offices.

Rules on who qualifies differ by state. In Missouri, for example, a local public health office lists the people who may request a certified death certificate as the registrant, immediate family members, legal guardians and legal representatives (Columbia/Boone County Public Health). If you're the executor but not close family, ask the office what it needs from you.

If the person died outside the US, the process is different. USA.gov explains that the US embassy or consulate issues a Consular Report of Death Abroad, and that family can get up to 20 certified copies free at the time of death.

What it costs, and where to order

Fees are set by each state, and many charge less for extra copies ordered at the same time. In Missouri, for example, the state fee is $14 for a death certificate and $11 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time (Missouri Bureau of Vital Records fee sheet). That's one reason to count before the first order rather than after.

Order through the funeral home, the state or county vital records office, or the online service your state's vital records website links to. Ordering online through a vendor may add a handling fee. Be careful with look-alike websites that turn up in search results. Missouri's Bureau of Vital Records, for one, warns that it isn't affiliated with other phone or online services and isn't responsible for fees or personal information given to them (Missouri consumer alert). Start from your state's official site.

Ordering more later

Running out isn't a crisis. You can usually order more copies from the same vital records office later, by mail, online or in person, though it means another wait and another fee. If you think you'll need extras in the next few months, it's often simpler to add them to the first order.

Keeping track of where each one went

Once copies start going out, it's easy to lose count. Keep a simple list: who asked, which version, the date you sent or showed it, and whether it came back. It also helps to treat each copy like a sensitive document. A death certificate can include personal details such as a Social Security number, so send it by tracked mail or show it in person, and don't post a photo of it online.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Vital records rules and fees differ by state and change over time, so check the linked official sources and ask each organization what it needs. For decisions about an estate, talk with a licensed professional in your state. Last reviewed October 2026.