Phoenix Death Records

Phoenix residents obtain death certificates through Maricopa County. The county operates five vital records offices across the metro area. The main Phoenix location sits at 1645 E. Roosevelt St. near downtown. You can also visit offices in Mesa, Peoria, Glendale, or Goodyear for the same services. All locations handle death records for the entire state of Arizona. Each certified copy costs $20.

Maricopa County Vital Registration

Phoenix is located in Maricopa County. Death certificates come from the county, not the city. The Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration handles all requests. This office provides death records for Phoenix and every other Arizona city. The statewide death index connects all county offices across the state.

The Phoenix office at 1645 E. Roosevelt St. serves downtown and central Phoenix residents. This is the main location with the most staff. Hours run 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. Call ahead at 602-506-6805 if you have questions about what to bring or how long it takes.

Four satellite offices operate in other parts of the valley. Mesa has an office at 331 E. Coury Ave. for East Valley residents. Peoria serves the northwest at 8088 W. Whitney Dr., Suite 2A. Glendale operates at 5141 W. Lamar Rd. Goodyear opened recently at 14130 W. McDowell Rd. for West Valley growth. All five locations offer identical services and charge the same fees for death certificates.

Note: Phoenix residents can use any of the five Maricopa County vital records offices for death certificates.

How to Get Death Certificates

You need a completed application form to request a death certificate in Phoenix. Download form VS-159 from the Arizona Department of Health Services website. Or pick one up at any Maricopa County office. Fill in the deceased person's full name as it appears on the certificate. Include their date of death if you know it. An approximate year works if you lack the exact date. More details help staff locate the right record faster in the database.

Sign the form with your legal signature. State how you are related to the deceased. Check the appropriate box. Write how many copies you need. Each costs $20. Include payment for the total amount. Attach a photocopy of your government ID showing both front and back. Driver licenses, state IDs, and passports all work. Some requests need proof of relationship like birth certificates or marriage licenses. Have those ready if asked by county staff.

Walk-in applicants submit forms at the counter. Same-day service may be available if the record is ready and staff workload permits. Mail requests go to PO Box 2111, Phoenix, AZ 85001. Include a stamped return envelope. Processing typically takes one week for complete applications. Incomplete forms take longer because the county must contact you for missing information. Recent deaths may not be in the system yet if medical certifiers have not finished the registration process.

Who Can Obtain Records

Arizona law limits who can get recent death certificates. You must be 18 or older and prove your connection to the deceased. Immediate family qualifies. This includes spouses, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings. Executors named in wills can request copies. Attorneys representing eligible persons may act for them. Anyone with power of attorney from a qualified person has access.

Court orders grant access. Bring the signed order from a judge to the office. Funeral directors who handled the death can get certificates within 12 months. After that window, regular rules apply. Insurance companies with policies on the deceased qualify. Banks and lenders with accounts in the person's name can obtain certificates to close accounts or settle estates. Hospitals and health care facilities processing claims against the estate may request copies as well.

Government agencies with official needs can access records. This includes Social Security, Veterans Affairs, and state benefit programs. Anyone with a documented financial claim against the estate qualifies. You must prove your claim or show official authorization. Maricopa County verifies all eligibility before releasing death certificates to protect privacy under Arizona law.

Phoenix Death Certificate Fees

Certified copies cost $20 each. This is the standard Arizona fee. Corrections and amendments run $30 per request. Non-certified genealogy copies cost $5. These lack the official seal and work only for family history research, not legal purposes. Walk-in offices accept cash, money orders, and all major credit cards. Debit cards work too. Credit card fees may apply depending on the payment processor.

Mail orders need money orders or credit card information. Do not mail cash. The county cannot replace lost cash payments. If paying by card, fill out the payment section on your application. Include card number, expiration date, and security code. Sign to authorize the charge. VitalChek offers expedited online ordering with extra service fees on top of the state price. Call 888-816-5907 or visit their website for faster delivery options.

Old Phoenix Death Records

Deaths in Phoenix from over 50 years ago are public records. The state genealogy database at genealogy.az.gov has free access to old certificates. Anyone can search without proving relationship. The database covers deaths from 1870 through 50 years ago. This includes Phoenix deaths from territorial days through the mid-1970s depending on current year.

The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records maintains historical vital records. They hold physical copies of old certificates. You can visit the library in Phoenix to research in person. Some records are digitized and available online. Ancestry.com also has Arizona death records from 1881 to 1971. Arizona residents access Ancestry for free through the state library system. Check with your local library for login details and access instructions.

Very old Phoenix records may be incomplete. Death registration started in 1909 when Arizona was still a territory. Coverage improved after statehood in 1912. By the 1920s, most Phoenix deaths were properly registered. Earlier records are rare. Information on old certificates may be limited compared to modern ones. Handwriting can be hard to read. Causes of death used old medical terms. Despite these limits, old records provide valuable genealogy information about Phoenix families and history.

Other Death Record Resources

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

Social Security Death Index lists deaths reported to Social Security. The federal database covers deaths from the 1960s forward. It shows name, birth date, death date, last residence, and where the Social Security card was issued. Several websites offer free SSDI searches. Use it to verify dates and locations before ordering official certificates. The Social Security index does not replace state death certificates for legal purposes like settling estates or insurance claims.

Death Records in Nearby Cities

Phoenix sits in the center of a large metro area. Surrounding cities all use Maricopa County for death certificates. Scottsdale borders Phoenix on the east. Tempe lies southeast near the airport. Mesa extends farther east as the third largest Arizona city.

Glendale and Peoria sit northwest of downtown Phoenix. Surprise continues north from there. Chandler and Gilbert anchor the southeast valley. Goodyear, Avondale, and Buckeye cover the growing West Valley.

All these cities share the same county vital records system. You do not need to visit offices in each city. Any Maricopa County location handles death certificates for the entire metro area. Choose the office closest to your home or work for convenience.

Note: All Phoenix area cities use Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration for death certificates.