Death Certificates

Without Cause of Death: Any person of legal age (18 or over) may apply for a certified copy of a death record without the cause of death. The first five digits of the decedent’s social security number will be redacted.

With Cause of Death: Death records less than 50 years old with the cause of death and full social security number are confidential and may only be issued to:

• Decedent’s spouse or parent;
• Decedent’s child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age;
• Any person who provides a will, insurance policy or other document that demonstrates his or her interest in the estate;
• Any person who provides documentation that he or she is acting on behalf of any of the above-named persons;
• By Court Order

Valid photo identification is required when requesting cause of death.

If applicant is not one of the above, the application must be accompanied by a notarized Affidavit to Release Cause of Death Information (DH Form 1959) signed by one of the above, along with any supporting documentation and a copy of valid photo ID of both the person authorizing release and the applicant.

Social Security Numbers (Section 119.071 Florida Statutes): Social security numbers held by the Department of Health on death certificates are confidential and will only be issued to an eligible party requesting a confidential record, regardless of the date of death. Therefore, the first five digits of the decedent’s social security number will be redacted when issuing a public record request.

Ordering a Florida Death Certificate

• DOH-Washington Death Certificate Application Form
• Statewide Death Certificates 2009 - present 
• Fee for Death Certifications: $10.00
• Payment in cash, check Visa, Mastercard, or Debit

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Please note that limited deaths were recorded between 1877 and 1917.

For more information, email VitalStats@FLHealth.gov.

Any person who willfully and knowingly provides any false information on a certificate, record or report required by Chapter 382, Florida Statutes, or on an application or affidavit, or who obtains confidential information from any Vital Record under false or fraudulent purposes, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in Chapter 775, Florida Statutes.

Births Outside of Florida or the U.S.

Need information on deaths that occurred outside of Florida or the United States? 

For deaths that occurred outside of Florida, visit the National Center of Health Statistics.

For deaths that occurred outside of the United States, visit the National Center of Health Statistics.

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.