How to Get a Death Certificate in Wyoming

Wyoming death records are confidential for 50 years after the death. During that time, you have to be entitled to the record and may have to show evidence of that. You can order a certified copy if you are:

• Immediate family: the current spouse, a parent, or a child over 18
• A lawyer representing the immediate family
• The executor of the estate
• A bank, insurance company, or anyone who needs the certificate to pay a policy or death benefit on the person who died
• In some cases, other people or organizations who need it to determine a personal or property right

Everyone except immediate family must demonstrate the requirement for the certificate. The state does not publish a full list of documents that satisfy this. If you are ordering as an executor, call Vital Records Services at (307) 777-7591 to confirm what to send.

After 50 years, death records are open to the public.

Only the state issues certified death certificates in Wyoming. Deaths are filed with a local registrar and then recorded with the state, but local registrars do not issue copies. Vital Records Services handles only deaths that occurred in Wyoming. For a death in another state, the state points families to the CDC "Where to Write" page.

Online

• Order through the state's own VSS Portal.
• You upload an image of a valid government-issued ID and pay by credit card.
• A 2.4% convenience fee ($1.00 minimum) is added to every order.
• Certificates are mailed by USPS First Class Mail unless you upload your own prepaid shipping label.
• If the office asks for more information, answer promptly. Fees paid for a canceled order cannot be refunded.
• Processing time: not published.

By mail

• Fill out the Request for Certified Copy of a Wyoming Vital Record.
• Mail it to: Vital Statistics Services, 2300 Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002
• Include your ID copy, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the certificates to be mailed back.
• Processing time: not published.

In person

• Hathaway Building, 1st Floor, 2300 Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne
• Hours: Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday by appointment only. Closed holidays.
• Phone: (307) 777-7591
• The state does not say whether in-person orders are filled the same day. Call ahead to ask.

By phone: not available. The office cannot take payment over the phone.

ID. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID with a signature. If the signature is on the back, copy both sides. IDs expired less than 60 days are still accepted. Accepted IDs include:

• Driver's license or state ID card
• Passport or passport card
• Tribal ID or consular card
• Retired or dependent military ID
• U.S. concealed weapons permit
• State or federal prison corrections ID

For mail orders, a notarized signature on the front of the application can take the place of the ID copy. If you have no valid ID, call (307) 777-7591.

Relationship and purpose. State your relationship to the person who died and why you need the certificate on the application. Executors, lawyers, and businesses must show why they need it.

Payment. Money order, a personal check from the person applying, credit card (online or in person), or cash (in person). The application form and the state FAQ use slightly different office names for the check payee, so make the check payable to the name printed on the form you mail.

Someone else picking up? The state has a Permission to Receive Certificate form. The requester signs it and includes a copy of their ID.

Wyoming's standard certified copies are computer-generated abstracts that are acceptable for all legal purposes. Under state law, a certified copy is treated the same as the original record. The state says these copies are accepted by government agencies and insurance companies.

For genealogy research on closed records, the state issues verifications. These are a redacted version of the record and may not contain all the information on the original. They are not the standard certified copy. Contact the office to confirm which option fits your needs.

The funeral director (or person acting as one) who first takes custody of the body files the death certificate. They collect personal details from the next of kin or another informed person and get the medical certification of the cause of death from the person responsible for it.

By law, the death certificate must be filed with the local registrar within three days after the death. If a coroner or local health officer takes charge of the case, they complete the medical certification within a reasonable time after that.

The state does not publish how soon after a death certified copies can be ordered. You can ask the funeral home whether the certificate has been filed, and contact Vital Records Services at (307) 777-7591 to confirm.

Many institutions want their own certified copy: banks, life insurers, retirement plans, and the probate court. In Wyoming, extra copies ordered at the same time cost $20 each instead of $25, so ordering several at once saves money. See our guide on how many copies to plan your count.

Corrections to a Wyoming death certificate are handled by mail only, using the state's Form to Correct a Wyoming Vital Record.

Only these people can correct a death certificate: a parent, child, or spouse, the informant, an attorney representing the person who died or the estate, a court-appointed person for the person who died, or the funeral home.

Send:

• The completed correction form
• A photocopy of your current ID
• Evidence of the correct information, such as a certified birth certificate showing the correct name, date of birth, or place of birth

Fees: $20 for a correction only, or $25 if you also want a new certificate. Any item can be changed with a certified copy of a court order. The state's own materials list different fees for a court-ordered change, so call (307) 777-6943 to confirm the current fee before you send payment.

Questions about death corrections: (307) 777-6943 or wdh.vss@wyo.gov. Corrected records are marked "Amended."

Wyoming has two official ways to pay for a death certificate online or by mail:

• The state's own VSS Portal (Wyoming does not use VitalChek)
• A mailed application to Vital Statistics Services in Cheyenne

You can also order in person at the Hathaway Building in Cheyenne. Start from the Wyoming Department of Health certificates page to be sure you are on the official site.