How to Get a Death Certificate in Baker County, Florida

You can also order from the state office. Ordering methods, fees and wait times are on our Florida death certificate guide.

Florida has two versions of the certified copy, and the rules differ.

Without the cause of death: any person 18 or older can order this copy. It is a public record, and the first five digits of the decedent's Social Security number are blacked out.

With the cause of death (for deaths less than 50 years ago), the copy is limited to:

• The decedent's spouse or parent
• The decedent's child, grandchild or sibling, if 18 or older
• Anyone who provides a will, insurance policy or other document that shows an interest in the estate
• Anyone acting on behalf of one of the people above, such as an attorney or the funeral home of record, who gives their license number
• Anyone with a court order
• Anyone else who sends a notarized Affidavit to Release Cause of Death Information (form DH 1959) signed by an eligible person

For deaths 50 years ago or more, anyone 18 or older can get the cause of death.

The Department of Health does not say whether letters of administration alone count as a document showing an interest in the estate. Contact the Bureau of Vital Statistics to confirm before you order.

• The application: the state's Application for Florida Death or Fetal Death Certificate (DH 727) for mail and walk-in orders at the state office. County offices may use their own form, so check the county page.
• Payment: see the fees below.
• Photo ID (for a copy with cause of death): a valid driver license, state ID card, passport or military ID. For mail requests, include a copy of the front and back of the ID. Some county health departments ask for a photo ID with every request, so check before you go.
• Proof of eligibility (for a copy with cause of death): family members state their relationship on the application. Someone with an interest in the estate includes the will, insurance policy or other document. An attorney or the funeral home of record gives their license number and the name and relationship of the person they represent. Anyone else needs the notarized DH 1959 affidavit.

State office fees

• $5 search fee for one calendar year, which includes one certified copy
• $4 for each additional copy ordered at the same time
• $1 shipping and handling on mail orders
• $10 optional rush fee
• $2 per extra calendar year searched if you don't know the exact year of death (maximum $50)

Through VitalChek, the first copy is $15 (the $5 search fee plus a required $10 rush fee), VitalChek adds a $7 processing fee, and additional copies are $4. Fees are nonrefundable, except fees for additional copies when no record is found. County offices set their own prices, roughly $7 to $20 for the first copy, and their additional copies often cost more than the state's $4.

Every Florida copy is certified. The choice is whether the copy shows the cause of death.

• Without cause of death: a public record any adult can order. The first five digits of the Social Security number are blacked out.
• With cause of death: confidential for 50 years and limited to eligible people.

For probate: the Department of Health's application form says the Florida Clerk of Circuit Court will not accept a death certificate with cause of death information when filing probate. That means the copy for the court should be the one without the cause of death. A life insurer or benefits office may want a different version, so ask each one what it needs before you order.

Records from before 2009 are issued as photocopy certificates and take extra processing time.

The funeral director who first takes custody of the body files the death certificate electronically. Florida law requires it to be filed within 5 days after the death and before burial or cremation. The doctor or medical examiner must complete the cause of death within 72 hours after receiving the certificate from the funeral director.

If the cause of death is still pending, for example while waiting on test results, the funeral director files a temporary certificate. It is replaced later with a permanent one.

The Department of Health does not publish how many days after a death copies can first be ordered. The funeral home of record can order copies for an eligible family member. Whether the funeral home orders your first copies, and whether the cost is in the funeral contract, depends on the funeral home, so ask them.

Many banks, insurers and agencies want their own certified copy, and the probate court needs one too. At the Florida state office, extra copies ordered at the same time as the first cost $4 each, while a new order later starts again at $5, so it can help to count the places you'll need one before you order. See our guide on how many copies for a checklist.

Corrections go through the Bureau of Vital Statistics. See the amendments and corrections page for the current forms.

• Personal information (such as a name or date of birth): there is a non-refundable $20 amendment fee, which includes one certified copy of the corrected record.
• Medical information (such as the cause of death): the certifying doctor or medical examiner files the correction. There is no amendment fee for a medical amendment.
• Other than fixing a misspelling or omission, the surviving spouse entry can only be changed by court order.

An amendment is generally finished within two to three weeks. For questions, call 904-359-6900 ext. 9005.

The official ways to order a Florida death certificate are:

• Your county health department
• The Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville
• VitalChek, the department's only contracted vendor

The Bureau of Vital Statistics says it is not affiliated with any other vendors. Other websites may add their own service fees on top of the state fee. The state's application form is free to download.