How to Get a Death Certificate in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania limits death certificates to eligible applicants who are 18 or older. Eligible applicants include:

• Spouse
• Parent or step-parent (a step-parent must provide a marriage certificate)
• Sibling or half-sibling
• Child or step-child (a step-child must provide the parent's marriage certificate)
• Grandparent or great-grandparent
• Grandchild or great-grandchild
• Other family members, including ex-spouses, with documentation showing a direct interest
• The executor or administrator of the estate (with additional documents)
• The attorney or legal representative of the estate (with additional documents)
• A person with a direct financial interest (with additional documents)

For executors and administrators: the state does not list which "additional documents" it needs. Proof of your appointment, such as letters from the Register of Wills, may be required. Confirm with Vital Records at 724-656-3100 or toll-free 844-228-3516 before you apply.

The state office only issues death certificates for deaths that happened in Pennsylvania since 1906. For earlier deaths, the state refers people to the appropriate Pennsylvania county courthouse.

In Pennsylvania, death certificates for families come from the state Department of Health, not from county offices. There are three ways to order.

Online

• Order 24 hours a day at mycertificates.health.pa.gov. This is VitalChek, the state's only authorized vendor.
• Cost: $20 per copy plus a $10 processing fee.
• Processing: about 3 weeks from when the state receives a complete application, not counting delivery.

By mail

• Complete the Application for a Death Certificate (form HD02080F).
• Mail it with a check or money order payable to "VITAL RECORDS" (cash is not accepted) and a photocopy of your ID to: Division of Vital Records, Death Certificate Processing Unit, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103.
• Processing: about 3 weeks from receipt, not counting delivery. Certificates are sent by First Class Mail.

In person

• Visit one of the six state Vital Records public offices in Erie, Harrisburg, New Castle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton. These are state offices, not county offices.
• Harrisburg: Forum Place, 1st Floor, 555 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, closed holidays.
• The Philadelphia office requires an appointment.
• You can pay by debit or credit card, check, or money order.
• The state says that if you need a certificate quickly, apply in person or online. It does not publish an in-person turnaround time for death certificates, so contact the office to confirm.

Phone: call 724-656-3100 or toll-free 844-228-3516 with questions. Two official state pages list different call-center hours, so contact the office to confirm when it is open. Check current processing times before you order.

• The application. Online orders collect this for you. For mail or in person, use the Application for a Death Certificate.
• Photo ID. An unexpired government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or state ID card. If the certificate will be mailed to you, the ID must also show your current address.
• No photo ID? Send two documents that show your name and current mailing address instead. The state's acceptable ID page lists what counts.
• By mail, send a photocopy. Send a legible copy of your ID. Do not send original ID cards.
• Relationship or estate documents if you are a step-relative, ex-spouse, other relative, or an estate representative (see "Who Can Order" above).
• Payment: $20 per copy. By mail, a check or money order payable to "VITAL RECORDS."

Fee waiver: Pennsylvania offers a fee waiver to some applicants. It is limited to 10 copies per applicant per calendar year and covers only the certificate fee, not the online processing fee. See the state death certificate page or contact the office to confirm whether you qualify.

Pennsylvania death certificates are printed on security paper with a raised seal. When you order, you choose between two versions:

• With medical information: includes the cause and manner of death. The state says this version is typically needed for life insurance claims and family medical history.
• Without medical information: leaves out medical details. The state says it is generally used to close bank and utility accounts and transfer property titles. It is only available for deaths after 2019.

Pension claims: the state's sources disagree. The Department of Health web page says pension claims typically need the version with medical information, but the official application form lists pension claims under the version without it. Ask the pension administrator which version it needs.

For anything else, if you are unsure which version a bank, insurer, or court wants, ask them before you order. Copies issued by a local registrar (usually through the funeral home) do not include the state registrar's signature.

Pennsylvania law requires deaths to be reported to the Department of Health within four days. The funeral director, working with the doctor or coroner who certifies the death, files the report through the state's eVitals system or with a local registrar.

The funeral home's role: local registrars are appointed by the Department of Health to serve funeral directors, not the public. They can issue certified copies to funeral directors for the first 90 days after the death is reported, and again after a death that was pending investigation is finalized. That is why many families get their first copies through the funeral home.

After that window, or when you need more copies later, order directly from the state. Online and mail orders currently take about 3 weeks, plus delivery. If the cause of death is still under investigation, the record is completed later.

Each copy costs $20, with no discount for ordering more. Banks, insurers, pension plans, utility companies, and the court handling the estate may each ask for a certified copy. See our guide on how many copies to estimate what you need.

Personal details on a death record, such as a name, date, or Social Security number, can be corrected with the Request to Amend a Death Record form.

• Who can file: the informant listed on the death record, or someone who has a court order to amend it.
• What to include: documents that support each change and a photocopy of your ID.
• Notarization: sign the form in front of a notary, unless you include a certified copy of a court order authorizing the changes.
• Where to send it: mail it to the Department of Health address printed on the form.
• Timing: about 8 weeks for complete and accurate requests.

Errors in the cause or manner of death are handled differently: the original medical certifier (the doctor, or the coroner or medical examiner) should request that amendment. Once the record is corrected, order new certificates.

Pennsylvania's official channels are:

• The Department of Health death certificate page
• mycertificates.health.pa.gov (VitalChek), the only authorized online vendor
• Mail to the Division of Vital Records in New Castle
• The six state Vital Records public offices
• Your funeral director, during the first 90 days

The state says other online services convert your order into a paper application, which can slow it down. If you have a problem with another service, you have to contact that company directly. Sites that came up in our research but are not official ordering channels include simplytrust.com, everplans.com, searchsystems.net, wikiprocedure.com, and nolo.com.