Prescott Valley Death Certificate Access

Prescott Valley death records come from Yavapai County Community Health Services. The county vital records office is mail-order only. Walk-in service is not available for death certificates. All requests must be mailed to YCCHS, Attn Vital Records, 1090 Commerce Dr, Prescott, AZ 86305. Processing takes 7 to 10 days. Each certified copy costs $20. Drop boxes are available in Cottonwood and Prescott Valley for convenience but all processing happens by mail. Call 928-771-3125 with questions about the process.

Yavapai County Community Health Services

Prescott Valley sits in Yavapai County. All death certificates come from the county office in Prescott. Yavapai County Community Health Services processes all death certificate requests. Vital Records is a mail-order only facility. Walk-in service is not available for birth or death certificates. All requests must be submitted by mail.

Mail all requests to YCCHS, Attn Vital Records, 1090 Commerce Dr, Prescott, AZ 86305. Processing takes 7 to 10 days from when complete applications are received. Call 928-771-3125 during business hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with questions. Email web.Health@yavapai.us for information. The office fax number is 928-771-3129 if you need to send supporting documents.

Drop boxes are available for convenience in two locations. Cottonwood has a lock box at 10 S. Sixth Street. Prescott Valley has a lock box at 3212 N. Windsong Drive. Call 928-771-3377 for the Prescott Valley location. Use these drop boxes to submit applications without mailing them. Processing time remains 7 to 10 days regardless of submission method. The county issues certificates for any Arizona death through the statewide index that connects all 15 county offices.

Note: Yavapai County vital records is mail-order only with no walk-in service.

How to Request Certificates

Download form VS-159 from the Arizona Department of Health Services website. This is the standard state form. Fill in all required fields marked with asterisks. Write the deceased person's full legal name as it appears on the certificate. Add their date of death if you know it. An approximate year works if you lack exact dates. Include the place of death if you remember it.

Sign the application with your original signature. Check the box that shows your relationship to the deceased. Write how many certified copies you need. Each costs $20. Include payment for the total amount. Attach a clear photocopy of your valid government ID showing both front and back. Driver licenses and state IDs work best. Passports are acceptable. Some cases require proof of relationship like birth certificates or marriage licenses.

Mail completed applications to YCCHS, Attn Vital Records, 1090 Commerce Dr, Prescott, AZ 86305. Or drop them in lock boxes at Cottonwood or Prescott Valley. Include a self-addressed stamped return envelope. Processing takes 7 to 10 days from when the complete application is received. Incomplete forms delay processing because the county must contact you for missing information. There is no walk-in service so all requests go through the mail system.

Eligibility Requirements

Arizona restricts death certificate access to protect privacy. You must be at least 18 years old and prove your legal connection to the deceased. Arizona Administrative Code R9-19-314 defines who qualifies. Immediate family members can request records. This includes spouses, parents, adult children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings.

Executors named in wills qualify for access. Attorneys representing eligible persons may apply on their behalf. Anyone with valid power of attorney from a qualified person has access. Court orders grant access to people named by judges. Funeral directors who handled final arrangements can get certificates for 12 months after death. Insurance companies, banks, hospitals, and anyone with documented financial claims qualify with supporting paperwork.

Prescott Valley Death Certificate Fees

Certified copies cost $20 each. This is the standard Arizona fee. Corrections and amendments to existing certificates run $30 per change. Non-certified genealogy copies cost $5. These lack the raised seal and work only for family history research. Yavapai County accepts all payment methods including personal checks, which some other Arizona counties do not accept. Money orders work well for mail requests. Credit cards are accepted with a 2.39% processing fee added to your total.

Include payment with your mailed application. Personal checks should be made out to Yavapai County Community Health Services. Money orders work the same way. For credit card payment, fill out the card information section on the application form. Include card number, expiration date, and security code. Sign to authorize the charge. VitalChek offers expedited online ordering for additional fees beyond the state price. Call 888-816-5907 or visit their website for faster service with convenience fees and shipping costs.

Old Prescott Valley Death Records

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

The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records stores physical copies of historical vital records in Phoenix. Visit to research in person. Some materials are digitized and available online through their catalog. Ancestry.com maintains Arizona death records from 1881 to 1971 in a searchable database. Arizona residents get free Ancestry access through the state library system. Contact your local Prescott Valley library branch for login credentials and instructions.

Very old Prescott Valley records may have gaps. The town incorporated in 1978 so early records are limited. Death registration started statewide in 1909 during territorial days. Compliance improved after statehood in 1912. Most deaths in the Prescott area were properly registered by the 1920s. Despite some limitations, old records provide valuable information about Yavapai County families and central Arizona history.

Other Death Information Sources

The Yavapai County Medical Examiner investigates deaths from violence, accidents, and suspicious circumstances. Homicides, suicides, unexplained deaths, 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 for investigation records and autopsy reports.

Social Security Death Index covers deaths reported to Social Security from the 1960s to present. The federal database shows name, birth date, death date, last known residence, and where the Social Security number was issued. Several free websites offer SSDI searches. Use it to verify information before ordering official certificates. The Social Security index does not replace state death certificates for legal purposes like probate, insurance claims, or estate settlement.

Death Records Near Prescott Valley

Prescott sits adjacent to Prescott Valley as the county seat. Both use the same Yavapai County vital records mail-order system. Cottonwood is another Yavapai County town with a drop box for convenience. All Yavapai County deaths go through the same vital records office in Prescott.

Phoenix lies 90 miles south as the state capital in Maricopa County. Flagstaff sits 80 miles northeast in Coconino County. Each Arizona county runs its own vital records system. Yavapai County is unique in requiring mail-order service only with no walk-in option available.