How to Get a Death Certificate in Colorado

Colorado death certificates are confidential records. They are not available through a public online search, and only people with a direct and tangible interest can order a certified copy.

People who can order include:

• Close relatives: spouse, parent, stepparent, sibling, half-sibling, child or stepchild
• The deceased's legal guardian, conservator or custodian
• The funeral director and the informant listed on the death certificate
• An agent under a Durable Power of Attorney signed by the person who died (a Medical Power of Attorney is not accepted)
• A legal representative of any of the above. Colorado's rule defines this as an attorney, physician or funeral director acting for the person or their family.
• Anyone who needs the certificate to determine or protect a personal or property right, such as a life insurance or pension beneficiary, with proof of that interest

More distant relatives (grandparents, in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins) need proof of a direct and tangible interest, such as an insurance policy or will, for a death in the last 25 years.

Executors: the state application does not list executors or personal representatives on their own. An executor who is not also a relative may need to show a direct and tangible interest, such as a need to protect a property right. Contact CDPHE Vital Records at 303-692-2200 to confirm what to send.

Colorado has two kinds of offices that issue death certificates: local vital records offices and the state office in Denver. The fee is the same at both.

Local vital records offices

Most Colorado counties have a local vital records office. It is usually run by the county or district public health department, though in some counties it is another county office, such as the Treasurer. A few counties have no office of their own, and the state's office map sends you to a neighboring county (for example, Clear Creek County to Jefferson County, and Saguache County to Rio Grande County) or to the state office (San Juan County). Find your nearest office on the CDPHE contact page.

What each local office can issue differs:

• Some issue certificates for deaths anywhere in Colorado.
• Others issue only for deaths in their own county.
• A recent death must be completed in the statewide system before any office can issue a copy.

Hours, payment rules and whether you need an appointment also vary. Call the local office before you go.

State office: CDPHE Vital Records

• Online: order through VitalChek or GoCertificates from the CDPHE "Order certificate now" page. CDPHE says normal processing for online orders is thirty business days from the date received, plus shipping. Vendor processing fees and a card surcharge apply; CDPHE does not publish the amounts.
• By mail: send the Application for Certified Death Certificate (linked from the ordering page) with your ID, proof of relationship and payment to: Vital Record Mail Services, ATTN: Colorado Vital Records, P.O. Box 222130, El Paso, TX 79912. This Texas address and the VitalChek payee are correct: CDPHE uses VitalChek to process its mail orders. Make checks or money orders payable to VitalChek. The application says processing may take up to 21-25 business days, plus shipping.
• In person: State Vital Records Office, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246. By appointment only; no walk-ins. Lobby hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 3:40 pm, excluding holidays. CDPHE does not say on its pages how to book an appointment, so call 303-692-2200 (phone hours 8:30 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:15 pm).

The CDPHE ordering page shows the dates of the online and mail orders it is working on now. Check it for the current wait.

• A completed application. At the state office this is the Application for Certified Death Certificate (REV. 12/2025), linked from the CDPHE ordering page.
• Identification. One current, unexpired ID from CDPHE's "Primary" list, such as a driver's license or state ID. If you do not have one, CDPHE accepts two documents from its "Secondary" list instead. The full list is on the ordering page. If you cannot provide acceptable ID, CDPHE suggests asking a spouse, parent, sibling or adult child who has ID to request the certificate.
• Proof of your relationship or interest. Required for everyone. For example:
• A current spouse or parent must be listed on the death certificate.
• A child needs a birth certificate showing the relationship.
• A beneficiary needs a letter on insurance or pension company letterhead stating they are a beneficiary or can file a claim.
• Payment. $25 for the first copy and $20 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. State mail orders add a non-refundable $8 VitalChek processing fee. Regular U.S. mail is free; UPS is $21. A surcharge applies to credit and debit card payments. If no record is found, the $25 search fee is kept.

Colorado issues certified copies to people who qualify. It does not offer a general informational copy to the public, and death records cannot be searched online.

For genealogists, and for some distant relatives of a death more than 25 years ago, the certified copy is marked "For Genealogical Use Only."

The state fee schedule also lists a death "verification" at the same price, but CDPHE does not explain when to use it. When settling an estate, ask for a certified copy.

In Colorado, deaths are reported through the state's electronic death registration system. The funeral director (or a person acting for the family in a non-professional capacity) files the death certificate with the State Registrar within 72 hours of taking custody of the body.

If some information is not ready in time, the funeral director files with what is available. An amended report with the missing details is then filed within 90 days of the death.

A copy can be issued only once the record is complete and available in the statewide system. For a recent death, call the local office before you go. The funeral director listed on the certificate is also eligible to order certified copies.

Many banks, insurers and agencies want their own certified copy, so most executors need several. In Colorado, extra copies cost $20 each when ordered with the first $25 copy, so ordering them together saves money. For help estimating, see our guide on how many copies.

Only a funeral director, coroner, physician, local registrar, health facility, next of kin or legal representative can ask to amend a Colorado death record.

• Cause of death and other medical items: only the physician or coroner who signed the medical certification can change the cause of death. The funeral director can fix typographical errors in medical items.
• Personal details (name, dates, family information): the funeral director can correct these, or the informant (or the next of kin, if the informant has died) can with documents that support the change.

To request a correction, mail the Form to Correct a Colorado Death Certificate with a copy of your ID, the supporting documents and the fees to: Vital Records, Death Unit, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, Colorado 80246-1530. The correction fee is $25 and does not include a new copy; a new certified copy is $25, plus $20 for each additional copy. In-person correction requests are by appointment only.

The form, instructions and current processing dates are on the CDPHE corrections page. Questions: 303-692-2200.

The official ways to order a Colorado death certificate are:

• A local vital records office listed on the CDPHE contact page
• The CDPHE state office, by mail or by appointment in Denver
• VitalChek or GoCertificates, the online services linked from the CDPHE ordering page

Other websites that offer Colorado death certificates are not official ordering sources and may add their own fees. Colorado's fees rose on January 1, 2026, so a site showing $20 for the first copy is out of date.

To be safe, start from the CDPHE Vital Records page and follow its links.