The Virginia Department of Health is the office tasked within the state of Virginia to file and issue death certificates recording deaths that took place within the state. They have records of deaths which took place within the state on the years 1853-1896 as well as those recorded from 1912 up to the present.

There are three ways in order to properly obtain a certified death certificate from the state of Virginia .

If you are looking for the fastest way to get access to Virginia public death records, start by filling the form at the top or bottom opf this page. Our database will make a preliminary search of our database.

"Looking for Public Death Records in Virginia?"

"Why not save some time by searching billions of public records? Make things a lot faster by starting your preliminary search at the top or bottom of this page to see if there's a record available for your query."

The first method is by mail, which will allow your request to be processed within 1-2 weeks. This is the method that the office encourages the public to make use of. For this application you need to provide the proper identification documentation. You also have to supply personal information about the person whose name is on the certificate you are requesting as well as your own in order to allow faster and more efficient processing of the application. Complete all this along with a check or money order payable to State Health Department and send it to the address below:

Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1000
Richmond , Virginia 23218-1000

The second method is the walk-in application. This is a same-day service open to everyone and is the fastest way to acquire a death certificate. You just need to supply the same information and identification requirements and fees when you visit the office located at:

The Shops at Willow Lawn
1601 Willow Lawn Drive
Suite 275
Richmond , VA 23230
(804) 662-6200

Office hours are 8:00 AM to 4:45 PM from Mondays to Fridays and 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon on Saturdays.

Lastly, you can make your request through Express Delivery with the VitalChek Network – an online services for vital records access for the state of Virginia . You will get your request processed within 2-5 business days. You also have to pay via credit card.

Each copy of the death certificate you requested for costs $12. For online applications, there will be additional charges. Also, don't forget the essentials: your identification, your personal information – these must always be present when applying for a copy of the death certificate in any of the three methods above.

"Looking for Public Death Records in Virginia?"

"Why not save some time by searching billions of public records? Make things a lot faster by starting your preliminary search at the top or bottom of this page to see if there's a record available for your query."