Ordering From the State Instead
You can also order from the state office. Ordering methods, fees and wait times are on our Nevada death certificate guide.
Who Can Order a Certified Copy
Nevada death certificates are confidential. State law lets a certified copy go only to someone with a "direct and tangible interest" in the record. That means a close blood or marriage relationship, a legal relationship, or a need tied to a legal process. The same rule applies at the state office and at both local health districts.
People who can order include:
- A parent or surviving spouse listed on the certificate, or the informant listed on it
- Close relatives by blood or marriage within the second degree, such as a spouse, child, brother or sister, grandparent or grandchild, with proof of the relationship
- The executor, personal representative or administrator of the estate, with letters of administration, a court order or another document naming them
- The funeral director (or a designee) from the funeral home listed on the certificate, within 180 days after the death is registered
The state's proof list covers other situations, such as legal relationships and legal needs. Contact the office to confirm whether you qualify.
If you do not qualify, you can ask for a $10 verification that confirms a record exists, but you will not receive a certified copy.
What to Bring or Send
Photo ID: A copy of your photo ID is required with every request. The state's identification list lists the photo IDs it accepts. Without one, send two documents from its secondary list instead. SNHD online orders need a clear copy of a driver's license, U.S. passport or current U.S. military ID. If you cannot upload one, order by mail.
Proof of relationship: The application says the request will be rejected without enough proof, unless you are the informant, the listed surviving spouse, or a parent listed on the certificate. The state's proof list gives examples:
- Children and siblings: your own birth certificate
- Grandparents: the birth certificate of your child
- Grandchildren and step-relatives: your birth certificate plus documents linking you to the person who died
- Executors, personal representatives and administrators: letters of administration, a court order or another document naming you, plus a copy of your ID
Payment for the full amount must come with the request.
Certified vs. Informational Copies
Nevada issues certified copies only to qualified applicants. The state does not list a separate "informational" copy. A certified copy issued by the State Registrar is accepted as evidence of the facts in it in all courts. Banks, insurers and courts handling an estate need certified copies.
If you are not a qualified applicant, you can ask for a $10 verification. It confirms that a death record exists, but it is not a certificate.
No official source says whether Nevada offers a certified copy without the cause of death. Contact the office to confirm.
When Certificates Are Available
The funeral director gets the medical certification of the cause of death from the doctor, nurse practitioner, health officer or coroner, adds the burial details, and files the completed death certificate with the local registrar within 72 hours of the death. If the coroner is investigating, the certificate is filed once the investigation is finished, which can take longer.
You can order right after the death, but SNHD holds orders until the death is registered. If a Clark County order has not arrived within 10 days, call SNHD at (702) 759-1010.
The funeral director or a designee from the funeral home listed on the certificate can order certified copies for 180 days after the death is registered, and many families get their first copies through the funeral home.
How Many Copies You Need
Banks, insurers, government agencies and the probate court may each want their own certified copy, and some keep it. At SNHD, extra copies ordered in the same request cost $25 each, while a new request later starts again at $38 for the first copy unless you can show the $13 registration fee was already paid, so ordering extras up front can save money. See our guide on how many copies to plan your count.
Fixing an Error
All changes to Nevada death certificates are made by the state Office of Vital Records, even for Clark and Washoe County deaths. Corrections cannot be made online.
- Form: the Application for a Correction of a Death Record packet. It includes the application, an Affidavit for Correction of a Record (listing each change and why), and a Supplemental Affidavit.
- Two different signers: the person who signs the Supplemental Affidavit cannot be the same person who signs the Affidavit for Correction. Both affidavits must be notarized.
- Evidence: include documents that support the change.
- Fee: $45 per person of record, which includes the correction and one certified copy. Pay by check, money order or cashier's check payable to the Office of Vital Records. No cash.
- Where: mail to 4150 Technology Way, Suite 104, Carson City, NV 89706, or use the office's exterior drop box.
- Time: about 4 weeks for a complete packet.
Only Order From Official Sources
The official ways to get a Nevada death certificate are:
- Southern Nevada Health District in Las Vegas, for Clark County deaths from 1988 on
- Northern Nevada Public Health in Reno, for Washoe County deaths
- The state Office of Vital Records in Carson City, in person or by mail
- VitalChek, the state's only online vendor, at vitalchek.com or 877-456-5410
The state warns that some companies charge customers high fees to "process" or "help apply" for certificates the Department of Health issues. To be safe, start from the Nevada vital records page and follow its links.