Glendale Death Records

Death records for Glendale come from Maricopa County offices. The county runs a vital records office right in Glendale at 5141 W. Lamar Rd. This local office serves Glendale and surrounding west valley cities. You can also visit offices in Phoenix, Mesa, Peoria, or Goodyear. All five locations provide the same services. Each certified copy costs $20. Walk-ins are welcome during business hours. Complete applications typically process within one week.

Maricopa County Glendale Office

Glendale is in Maricopa County. All death certificates come from county offices. The city does not handle vital records. Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration processes all requests. They issue certificates for any Arizona death through the statewide index system.

The Glendale office at 5141 W. Lamar Rd. serves local residents. This is the most convenient location for Glendale. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday hours start at 9:00 a.m. for staff training. Walk-ins are welcome during posted hours. Same-day certificates may be available if the record is complete. Call 602-506-6805 before visiting if you have questions.

Four other offices operate around the valley. The main Phoenix office sits at 1645 E. Roosevelt St. downtown. Mesa serves East Valley residents at 331 E. Coury Ave. Peoria has an office at 8088 W. Whitney Dr., Suite 2A for northwest valley. Goodyear opened at 14130 W. McDowell Rd. for West Valley growth. All five locations offer identical services and charge the same fees. Choose the one closest to your home or work.

How to Request Certificates

Download form VS-159 from the Arizona Department of Health Services website. Fill in all required fields. Write the deceased person's full legal name. Add their date of death if known. An approximate year helps if you lack exact dates. Include place of death if you remember it.

Sign the form at the bottom. State your relationship to the deceased. Check the appropriate box. Write how many copies you need. Multiply by $20 to get your total. Attach a photocopy of your government ID showing both sides. Driver licenses and state IDs work best. Passports are acceptable. Some cases require proof of relationship like marriage or birth certificates.

Walk-in applicants bring forms to the Glendale office counter. Staff review applications and search the database. If the record is registered, you may get copies the same day. Very recent deaths take longer because doctors and funeral directors need time to complete registration. Mail requests go to PO Box 2111, Phoenix, AZ 85001. Include a stamped return envelope. Processing takes about one week for complete applications.

Note: Deaths within 30 to 90 days may not be registered yet.

Eligibility to Obtain Records

Arizona restricts death certificate access. You must be 18 or older and prove your connection. Arizona Administrative Code R9-19-314 defines who qualifies. Immediate family can get records. This includes spouses, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren.

Executors named in wills qualify. Attorneys representing eligible persons may apply. Anyone with valid power of attorney from a qualified person has access. Court orders grant access to people judges name. Bring signed orders when applying.

Funeral directors who handled arrangements get certificates for 12 months after death. Life insurance companies with policies qualify. Banks with accounts need certificates to close them. Hospitals billing estates may request copies. Anyone with documented financial claims qualifies. Government agencies access records for official purposes.

Glendale Death Certificate Fees

Certified copies cost $20 each. This is the standard Arizona fee. Corrections and amendments run $30 per change. Non-certified genealogy copies cost $5. These lack the seal and work only for family history. The Glendale office accepts cash, money orders, and all major credit cards. Debit cards work too. Small processing fees may apply.

Mail orders need money orders or credit card details. Never mail cash. If paying by card, fill out the payment section on your application. Sign to authorize the charge. VitalChek offers expedited online ordering for extra fees. Call 888-816-5907 or visit their website. They charge convenience fees and shipping costs but deliver faster than regular mail.

Historical Glendale Death Records

Deaths over 50 years old are public records under Arizona Revised Statutes Section 36-351. Anyone can access them without proving relationship. The state genealogy database at genealogy.az.gov offers free searches. It covers Glendale deaths from 1870 forward to 50 years ago.

The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records maintains historical vital records. Visit in Phoenix to research in person. Some records are digitized. Ancestry.com has Arizona death records from 1881 to 1971. Arizona residents get free Ancestry access through the state library system. Contact your local Glendale library for login credentials.

Very old Glendale records may have gaps. Death registration started in 1909 during territorial days. Compliance improved after statehood in 1912. By the 1920s, most Glendale deaths were properly registered. Earlier records are rare. Information may be limited. Handwriting can be hard to read. Despite these limits, old records provide valuable information about Glendale families.

Other Death Information Sources

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner investigates violent and suspicious deaths. Homicides, suicides, and accidents trigger investigations. The medical examiner determines cause and manner of death. These reports are separate from death certificates. Contact the medical examiner's office at 701 W. Jefferson St. in Phoenix for investigation records.

Social Security Death Index lists deaths from the 1960s forward. The federal database shows name, birth date, death date, and last residence. Several free websites offer SSDI searches. Use it to verify dates before ordering official certificates. The Social Security index does not replace state death certificates for legal purposes.

Death Records Near Glendale

Peoria borders Glendale on the northwest. Phoenix lies east as the state capital. Surprise extends northwest from Peoria. All are in Maricopa County and use the same vital records system.

Scottsdale sits northeast of Phoenix. Tempe lies southeast. Mesa extends farther east. Goodyear and Avondale serve the West Valley. All Maricopa County cities share one vital records system. You can use any office for death certificates.

Glendale residents should use the local Glendale office for convenience. All locations access the same database and provide identical services at the same price.