North Carolina Death Certificates

Ordering North Carolina Death Certificates Online

Order Death Certificates Here

General Information on Ordering North Carolina Death Certificates

The North Carolina Vital Records Unit is responsible for registering all births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages, and divorces which occur in North Carolina, coding those events for statistical research purposes, maintaining the records properly, and locating and providing certified or uncertified copies of those records. The registration process involves a statewide system of hospitals, funeral directors, registers of deeds, local health department staff, and others who register vital events. Once vital events have been registered, the individual vital records are preserved in a secure environment. When appropriate, they are corrected, amended, or even replaced. Certified and uncertified copies are provided when requested for legal actions, passports, law enforcement investigations, child support enforcement, health-related research, and official identification. Standard fees authorized by law are charged for services.

Individuals may visit the office on the first floor of the Cooper Memorial Health Building at 225 N. McDowell Street, Raleigh, N.C. between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday, except on state government holidays. Parking is available on the north (Lane Street) side of the Cooper Building. Customers should bring a valid photo ID and non-refundable $15 search fee for each request. Copies of the same certificate are $5 if requested at the same time. You will be asked to fill out an application upon arrival or you may bring a completed one with you (see above for required forms). Walk-in requests for same day service are subject to an additional $15 expedited services fee and will usually be fulfilled in about one hour. Customers are encouraged to leave completed requests forms with us for a mailed response to avoid the extra fee for same day services.

Information for Genealogists

For assistance with your family history research, please do not contact the State of North Carolina. Instead please refer to the following websites for help:

• North Carolina Birth, Marriage and Death Records - online databases of primary records.

• North Carolina Adoption Registry - for help with locating adoptees and birth families from North Carolina.

• North Carolina Obituaries - find obituaries from North Carolina newspapers.

• Social Security Death Index - National database of deaths dating back to the 1940's.