Tempe Death Certificate Access

Tempe death certificates come from Maricopa County vital records offices. The county runs five locations across the valley. The Phoenix office at 1645 E. Roosevelt St. is closest to Tempe. The Mesa office at 331 E. Coury Ave. also serves Tempe well. You can visit either one or use offices in Peoria, Glendale, or Goodyear. Each certified copy costs $20. Complete applications process within one week typically.

Maricopa County Offices for Tempe

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

Two offices serve Tempe conveniently. The Phoenix office at 1645 E. Roosevelt St. sits just north of Tempe. The Mesa office at 331 E. Coury Ave. is east of Tempe. Both offer the same services. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday starts at 9:00 a.m. Walk-ins are welcome. Same-day certificates may be available if records are complete. Call 602-506-6805 with questions.

Three other offices operate around the valley. Peoria serves northwest residents at 8088 W. Whitney Dr., Suite 2A. Glendale has an office at 5141 W. Lamar Rd. Goodyear opened at 14130 W. McDowell Rd. for West Valley. All five locations charge the same fees and provide identical services. Choose the office closest to you or most convenient for your schedule.

Application Process

Download form VS-159 from the Arizona Department of Health Services website. Fill in all required fields marked with asterisks. 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 with your original signature. Check the box showing your relationship to the deceased. Write how many copies you need. Multiply by $20 to get your total fee. 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 any county office. Staff review applications at the counter. They search the database right there. If the record is registered, you may get copies the same day. Very recent deaths take longer because medical certifiers 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.

Note: Tempe residents can use either Phoenix or Mesa offices for convenience.

Eligibility for Death Records

Arizona restricts death certificate access to protect privacy. 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 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. 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 with supporting paperwork. Government agencies access records for official purposes.

Tempe 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 seal and work only for family history. County offices accept cash, money orders, and all major credit and debit cards. Small processing fees may apply.

Mail orders need money orders or credit card details. Do not 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 but deliver faster. This helps when you need records quickly.

Old Tempe 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 Tempe 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 Tempe library for login details.

Very old Tempe records may have gaps. Death registration started in 1909. Compliance improved after statehood in 1912. By the 1920s, most Tempe deaths were properly registered. Earlier records are rare. Information may be limited. Despite these limits, old records provide valuable information about early Tempe families.

Additional Death Information

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.

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 Tempe

Mesa borders Tempe on the east. Scottsdale lies north. Phoenix extends west and north. Chandler sits south of Tempe. All are in Maricopa County and use the same vital records system.

Gilbert extends southeast from Chandler. Glendale and Peoria serve the northwest valley. All Maricopa County cities share one vital records system. You can use any office for death certificates.

Tempe residents can choose between Phoenix and Mesa offices based on convenience. Both are close and provide identical services at the same price.