How to Get a Death Certificate in New Jersey

New Jersey limits certified copies to people with a direct connection to the person who died. According to the NJ Department of Health and form REG-27A, these people can order:

• The spouse, civil union partner or domestic partner, if of legal age
• A child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age
• A parent or legal guardian
• The deceased's legal representative, such as the executor of the estate
• An attorney retained by the executor or by an eligible family member (an attorney is not entitled to copies just for being an attorney)
• A funeral director with the mortuary recorded on the death certificate
• A state or federal agency for official purposes
• Anyone with a court order (a subpoena is not enough)

Executors: you need to send proof of your appointment as executor. The state's death certificate guide says the document must name you as executor and be issued by the court with the raised seal, and that an executor can only order the record of the person whose will appointed them. If you were appointed as an administrator (no will), contact the office to confirm what it will accept.

Helping a family member? You can order on an eligible person's behalf with your own valid ID, a notarized, written release from that person, and that person's proof of relationship.

An ex-spouse can only get a death certificate on behalf of a minor child of the marriage.

New Jersey has two kinds of offices that issue death certificates: the local registrar in each city, town, borough or township, and the state Office of Vital Statistics and Registry (OVSR).

Local registrars (often the quickest)

Each municipality has a Local Registrar of Vital Statistics, usually in the town or city hall. A local registrar can only issue copies for deaths that happened in that municipality (the place of death, not where the person lived). You can often get same-day service in person. Fees, hours and records on hand vary by town. For example, Jersey City's clerk only holds deaths in Jersey City after 2000 and charges $25 per copy. The state's list of registrars may be out of date, so call the town clerk before you go.

State office: in person (same day)

• 140 East Front Street, Trenton, NJ 08608
• Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, excluding State holidays
• Typically processed within about 2 hours if you arrive by 3:30 pm. After 3:30 pm you can only drop off your application, and the record is mailed the next business day.
• Cash is not accepted as of June 18, 2026.
• See the walk-in page for details.

State office: online

Order 24 hours a day through VitalChek, linked from the state's online requests page. You upload scanned copies (PDF, JPEG or TIF) of your ID and proof of relationship. The newest state page says orders are processed within 4 to 6 weeks, not counting delivery. Older state pages say 6 to 8 weeks. Expedited processing is available for an extra fee. Online orders cannot be picked up at the Trenton walk-in center. Questions about an online order: 866-628-9244.

State office: by phone

Call 1-877-622-7549. You must fax copies of your ID and proof of relationship to 1-888-489-9506. VitalChek adds a $12.95 processing fee.

By mail

The current state page lists mail orders as handled through VitalChek or the local registrar.

• VitalChek mail-in: typically processed within 2 to 4 weeks (the VitalChek form says up to 30 business days), plus a $6 processing fee. Use the application linked from the state's ordering page.
• Local registrar: call the office for its fee and timing. Make checks payable to the municipality.
• Directly to the state: form REG-27A and older state pages still list P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625-0370, with payment by check or money order to "Treasurer, State of New Jersey" (no credit cards by mail). An older state page says these take 8 to 10 weeks from approval. Because the newest page no longer lists this route, call 1-877-622-7549 to confirm before mailing. For questions about mailed-in requests, call 1-866-649-8726.

If you plan to send an application by express courier, the state's pages list two different courier addresses. Call the office to confirm which one to use.

• The application: form REG-27A, Application for a Non-Genealogical Certification or Certified Copy of a Vital Record (for deaths in the last 40 years).
• Your ID: a valid photo driver's license or non-driver ID with your current address, OR a valid non-photo driver's license plus one alternate ID, OR two alternate IDs. Alternate IDs include a vehicle registration or insurance card, voter registration, passport, utility bill or bank statement from the last 90 days, or a recent W-2 or tax return. See the full acceptable ID list. State pages differ on whether one or both alternate IDs must show your current address, so bring two that do if you can.
• Proof of relationship (for a certified copy): copies of documents that link you to the person who died, such as a marriage or birth certificate, or proof of appointment as executor. The state says missing proof of relationship is the number one reason certified copy applications are rejected.
• Payment: $25 for the first copy and $2 for each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time (state fees).

Send copies, never originals. Copies are mailed only to the address on your ID. To have them mailed somewhere else, include a notarized letter giving the other address. If someone else will pick up your copy in person, sign a notarized letter naming the person on the record and the person picking up, who must bring acceptable ID.

New Jersey issues two kinds of copies, and both cost the same.

• Certified copy: a legal document that can be used to establish identity. This is the version banks, courts, insurers and agencies typically ask for when settling an estate. It requires proof of relationship.
• Certification: an informational copy that is not valid for legal purposes. For deaths, it leaves out the Social Security number and the cause of death medical wording. It does not require proof of relationship, but you still need ID.

Certified copies from a local registrar work for most purposes. The exception is an Apostille seal (needed for some foreign countries), which can only be added to a copy issued by the state office. The state does not fax vital records for any reason.

By law, the attending physician, advanced practice nurse or county medical examiner must complete the medical part of the death certificate within 24 hours after death is pronounced. The funeral director in charge is responsible for completing and filing the death certificate with the local registrar, on paper or electronically through the New Jersey Electronic Death Registration System (NJ-EDRS), in exchange for the burial or removal permit. So the record is normally on file before burial or cremation.

The funeral director gathers the personal details (name, family, background) from the person best able to give them, usually a family member. A funeral director with the mortuary recorded on the certificate can also order certified copies. No official source says how many copies a funeral home orders for the family, so ask the funeral home how many it will order and what it charges.

New Jersey does not publish a set number of days after death before copies can be ordered. If a New Jersey resident died in another state or country, the death certificate is not on file in New Jersey. Order it from the state or country where the death happened.

Banks, insurers and agencies settling an estate often ask for their own certified copy. In New Jersey, extra copies of the same record cost only $2 each at the state when ordered at the same time as the first, so ordering several at once is usually cheaper than going back later. For a rough count by asset type, see our guide on how many copies.

To correct a death certificate, file form REG-15 (Application to Amend a New Jersey Vital Record) with the state Office of Vital Statistics and Registry or with the local registrar in the town where the death happened. Include copies of documents that prove the correct information. See the state's correcting records page.

• Date of death, place of death or cause of death can only be changed by the physician who signed the certificate or the Medical Examiner. The funeral director can correct the place of death for a home death.
• Other changes need documentary proof.
• Marital status changes that are not a funeral director's error need proof, and the state must give the informant at least 30 days to support the original entry before it accepts the change.
• Amendments are not handled at the Trenton walk-in counter.

The state will not replace copies issued before the correction, so you will need to order new certified copies of the corrected record. Contact the office to confirm any fees.

Official ways to order a New Jersey death certificate:

• The NJ Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry: in person in Trenton, by phone at 1-877-622-7549, or online and by mail through VitalChek, the vendor linked from the state's online requests page
• The local registrar in the municipality where the death happened

Some third-party websites charge extra fees to submit the same application for you. Start from the state's website or your town's own website to make sure you are ordering from an official source.