How to Get a Death Certificate in Maryland

Maryland issues death certificates only to people with a "direct and tangible interest" in the record (COMAR 10.03.01.08). That includes:

• Surviving relatives of the person who died
• An authorized representative, such as someone with Letters of Administration, or a person with a signed authorization from a surviving relative
• A beneficiary, or someone who needs to prove that a beneficiary has died
• A person who wants to open an estate in the deceased's name
• A person paying insurance, pension, welfare or other benefits to the deceased or the deceased's beneficiaries
• A person carrying out a legal duty that was the deceased's responsibility
• A person who must prove the death so property can be transferred with clear title
• A creditor of the deceased
• A person with a qualifying subpoena or court order, or a party in a lawsuit where the death is in question
• A government official who needs it for official duties
• The funeral director in charge of final disposition

Every application must include proof of your interest. See What to Bring or Send below.

Maryland has two kinds of offices that issue certified death certificates: county health departments and the state Division of Vital Records (DVR).

Which years are available. DVR issues certificates for deaths in 2012 or later. For older deaths, contact the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis (410-260-6400), which holds death records through 2014. For a death between 2012 and 2014, official sources point to both offices, so call DVR to confirm where to apply. County offices may only have more recent deaths, so ask when you call.

County health departments

State law lets county health departments pull death certificates electronically from the state system (Health-General 4-217), so a county office is not limited to deaths in its own county. Services differ a lot from place to place:

• Most issue by appointment, and each sets its own fee. MDH's table lists about $18 to $25 for the first copy. Some add a card fee.
• Baltimore City and Baltimore County do not issue certificates.
• Howard and Queen Anne's issue death certificates to funeral homes only.
• Some counties warn that MDH's new statewide records system is slower than usual, and same-day service may not be possible when it is slow or down.

MDH's county table may lag behind county websites. Find your office on MDH's local health department list and call to confirm hours, fees and services before you go.

State office: Division of Vital Records

• In person: 6764B Reisterstown Road (rear of Reisterstown Road Plaza), Baltimore, MD 21215. By appointment only, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Certificates are issued the same day. Book through the MDH location page.
• Online: through VitalChek, which MDH calls the only authorized online vendor of Maryland vital records. Use the link on MDH's death certificate page. MDH lists about 5 weeks with regular shipping or 3 weeks with expedited shipping, and says processing times are temporarily longer.
• Mail: send the application, your ID copy, proof of interest and a check or money order payable to the Division of Vital Records to: Division of Vital Records, P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036. MDH's processing time page says 6 weeks, while the DVR main page reports a 4 week delay. Expedited shipping is not available by mail.

Questions: Division of Vital Records, 410-764-3038.

• The application: Application for Certified Copy of Maryland Death Record.
• Photo ID: a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID that shows issue and expiration dates, such as a driver's license or passport. By mail, send a legible photocopy. If you pay by check, the ID must show your current address. Without a photo ID, provide two other documents, at least one with your current mailing address, such as a pay stub, car registration, bank statement, lease or utility bill. The certificate is then mailed only to that address. See MDH's ID requirements.
• Proof of your interest (MDH's list):
• Relatives: a document such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate or obituary showing the relationship.
• Authorized representatives: Letters of Administration signed by the Court Clerk or Register of Wills, or an Authorization of Release signed by a surviving relative.
• Insurance claims or other business needs: a document such as a letter from the insurance company, a deed or a vehicle title.
• Court-required copies: the court order.
• Payment: $10 for the first copy and $12 for each additional copy of the same certificate in the same order. By mail, pay by check or money order. The fee is not refunded if no record is found; you get a Certification of Record Search instead.

There is no state fee for a copy issued to a current or former member of the uniformed services, or to that member's surviving spouse or child for a dependent or beneficiary claim (proof of service is required). The fee is also waived for the death certificate of a first responder killed in the line of duty, for the surviving spouse or child for a dependent or beneficiary claim. Ask DVR what proof it needs.

MDH issues certified copies. It does not describe a separate informational version for current records.

For older deaths, the Maryland State Archives offers a certified record for $25, an official paper copy with a raised seal, and an uncertified record for $5, an emailed copy meant mostly for family history research.

The Archives notes that most people need certified records for legal matters such as pension requests, estate settlements and MVA requests. For banks, insurers and the MVA, order certified copies.

The funeral director files the death certificate electronically through MD-EDRS, the system funeral homes and medical certifiers use to report deaths to MDH. By law, the funeral director must file it within 72 hours after the death (Health-General 4-212).

If the medical examiner has not yet found the cause of death, the certificate shows "investigation pending" until the medical examiner reports it.

MDH does not publish how soon after the death families can order. The funeral director can also order certified copies through a VitalChek funeral home portal, which MDH says processes orders within 1 to 2 business days. Ask your funeral home whether it will order your first copies.

Many banks, insurers and agencies want their own certified copy, and some keep it. Each extra Maryland copy costs $12 when ordered with the first, so ordering several at once saves a second trip or mail order. See our guide on how many copies to estimate your number.

Only the informant listed on the certificate can request a correction. Complete the Request for Correction/Amendment to Death Certificate form and send it to DVR with supporting documents. The form lists examples, such as a Social Security card for a Social Security number, or a marriage or divorce record for marital status. See MDH's death correction page.

• The decedent's name, the cause of death, and the date, time and place of death can be changed only by the physician, or by the medical examiner in a medical examiner case. Give your supporting documents to them.
• A correction to a certificate more than 3 years old needs an order from your local circuit court.

Cost: there may be a $10 fee. The correction page and form list $10, but MDH's fee table says corrections made within the first year are free. Call DVR at 410-764-3038 to confirm before you pay.

Corrections take about 10 weeks by mail. Some can be done the same day at an in-person DVR appointment, depending on the request.

Order Maryland death certificates only through official channels:

• The Division of Vital Records, in person by appointment or by mail
• VitalChek, the only online vendor MDH authorizes, reached through the link on MDH's death certificate page
• Your county health department
• The Maryland State Archives for older deaths

Some unofficial websites charge extra to submit the same application for you. Before you pay, check that the site is one of the official channels above.

MDH also warns about a phone scam aimed at people who misdial its number. The Division of Vital Records will never ask for your Social Security number or credit card PIN.