How to Get a Death Certificate in Kentucky

Kentucky treats death certificates as open records. The state's guidelines say anyone who pays the search fee and gives enough information to identify the record can get a certified copy.

• The application (Form VS-31) asks for your relationship to the person who died.
• No official page lists documents you must send to prove that relationship.
• The Office of Vital Statistics says it may ask for more documentation or identification to confirm eligibility and identity.

The office holds records for deaths that happened in Kentucky from 1911 to the present.

All certified copies come from the state Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) in Frankfort. Each county has a local registrar at the local health department who can hand out blank applications, but only OVS issues certified copies.

Online through VitalChek

• Order at vitalchek.com, the state's only authorized online and phone ordering partner.
• $12.50 service fee on top of the $6 per copy. UPS expedited shipping costs extra.
• Most orders are processed in 3 to 5 business days, not counting shipping. OVS usually receives the order the next business day.
• Will-Call: you can order online and pick up in Frankfort. This is not same-day. Bring proof of your order and a valid government-issued photo ID.

By phone through VitalChek

• Call (800) 241-8322 and choose option 1.
• $13.50 service fee, plus optional UPS shipping. OVS itself does not take credit cards by phone.

By mail

• Fill out Form VS-31, Application for a Certified Copy of Death Certificate.
• Mail it to: Office of Vital Statistics, 275 East Main Street, 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621.
• Mail orders are usually filled within about 5 business days of arrival, but the state says to allow up to 30 business days for processing and delivery.

In person or drop box in Frankfort

• Office of Vital Statistics, 275 East Main Street, Frankfort, KY.
• Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, closed state holidays.
• Most eligible requests are done the same business day. Same-day service is not guaranteed after 3:45 p.m.
• Orders with more than 10 requests may take longer.
• A drop box at the visitor entrance also accepts applications. These are handled on the same timeline as mail orders.

Questions: call OVS at (502) 564-4212.

• Completed Form VS-31 with enough information to identify the record.
• Payment:
• Mail: check or money order payable to "Kentucky State Treasurer," in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank. Do not send cash.
• In person: cash, check, money order, debit card or credit card.
• VitalChek: Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express.
• Will-Call pickup: proof of your order and a valid government-issued photo ID.

The $6 is a search fee and is non-refundable, even if no record is found. Kentucky law says no fee is charged for death certificates needed to support a claim for government benefits, insurance or compensation for someone who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air Force. The state does not explain how to request this, so contact the office to confirm.

The state does not publish ID rules for mail or walk-in orders. Contact the office at (502) 564-4212 to confirm what to bring.

Kentucky issues only certified copies. The Office of Vital Statistics does not issue photocopies, faxed copies, non-certified copies or electronic copies. There is no informational copy option.

• The funeral director receives three free verification-of-death statements for every death. These are not certified copies.
• Autopsy reports are not part of the death certificate. Request them in writing from the coroner in the county where the death happened.

The funeral director who first takes custody of the body is responsible for filing the death certificate. It is filed electronically through the Kentucky Electronic Death Registration System (KY-EDRS).

• The funeral director must give the certificate to the doctor or coroner within 5 days of the death so the cause of death can be completed.
• The state calls ordering copies through the funeral director at the time of filing the "most expedient and preferred" way to get the first copies.
• Copies requested at the time of filing must be issued within 2 working days.

After that, families and executors can order more copies from OVS using Form VS-31. Orders can be delayed if the funeral director or medical certifier has not promptly filed the original certificate.

Banks, insurers, retirement plans and the probate court often each want their own certified copy. In Kentucky every copy costs the same $6, so ordering a few extra up front can save a second order and a second VitalChek fee later. See our guide on how many copies to estimate your number.

Corrections use Form VS-33, Kentucky Supplemental Report of Death.

• It can be filed by the funeral director, the medical certifier, or the informant (the person who gave the information on the certificate).
• An informant's request must be notarized.
• Every request must include acceptable supporting evidence. The form lists what qualifies.
• After a death certificate has been on file for 5 years, it can be changed only by court order.
• If a certified copy was issued within the past year and you return it, a corrected copy is issued at no charge. Otherwise, each new copy costs the normal fee.

Mail to Office of Vital Statistics, 275 East Main Street, 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621, or call (502) 564-4212 with questions.

Kentucky warns that several third-party vendors charge excessive fees to help people get vital records. If a site is not one of the channels below, order directly instead.

The official ways to order are:

• The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, by mail, drop box or in person in Frankfort
• VitalChek, the state's only authorized online and phone ordering partner
• Your funeral director, at the time the death certificate is filed