From submitting your form to receiving certified copies - here's exactly what happens at every step.
Fill out our secure three-step intake form with basic information about the deceased: their full name, date of death, state and county of death, and the number of certified copies you need. You'll also provide your delivery address and contact information.
The form takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. No documentation is required from you at this stage.
Once we receive your order, our team identifies the exact vital records office responsible for the county where the death occurred. Each state has different requirements - some states process everything centrally, others route through county offices.
We research the current requirements for your specific county and state, including: required application forms, acceptable ID documentation, current processing fees, and any specific instructions.
Our team prepares your application in the exact format required by the vital records office, completes all required forms on your behalf, and pays the official government fees. We submit your request via the most efficient available method - mail, online portal, or in-person where applicable.
You will receive a confirmation email with your order ID and estimated completion date once your request has been submitted.
The vital records office mails certified death certificate copies to us. We forward them to your delivery address via tracked mail. You'll receive a shipment notification with tracking information when your copies are on the way.
Standard processing: 3-4 weeks from order submission. Expedited processing: approximately 1-2 weeks (available in most states, +$25 flat fee).
Occasionally vital records offices request additional documentation or have questions about an application. In these cases, our team contacts you directly to resolve the issue. We handle all communication with the vital records office on your behalf.
If an order cannot be fulfilled for any reason within our control, we issue a full refund.
State vital records processing times vary significantly. Some states process requests in 2-3 weeks; others take 6-10 weeks. Our website provides current processing time estimates for each state's vital records office.
You will receive official certified copies of the death certificate with the state registrar's seal. These are identical to what you would receive if you submitted the request yourself directly to the vital records office. Each copy is legally recognized for all purposes.
Order takes about 5 minutes. We handle everything from there.
Order Death CertificatesIn most cases, no. We handle the documentation internally. For some states that require a copy of requestor ID, we may contact you by email with instructions. We will never ask you to send original documents.
Yes. Most states maintain death records indefinitely. We can obtain certified copies for deaths that occurred decades ago, though very old records (pre-1900) may have limited availability in some counties.
If the same individual's death needs to be documented in multiple states for estate purposes, please contact us at support@getdeathcertificates.com. We can handle multi-state requests.
Yes. Select "Expedited Processing" on Step 2 of the order form for an additional $25 flat fee. Expedited processing is available in most states. Some states (Illinois, Georgia) do not offer expedited processing through their vital records office.