Yuma Death Certificate Lookup

Yuma death records come from Yuma County Office of Vital Statistics. The county office sits at 2200 W. 28th Street, Room 256 in Yuma. Death certificates requested in person are processed 7 business days after they are requested. Mail requests take 10 to 15 business days. Each certified copy costs $20. The county does not accept online orders. You must apply in person or by mail. Walk-in hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Yuma County Office of Vital Statistics

Yuma sits in Yuma County. All death certificates come from the county office. The city does not handle vital records. Yuma County Office of Vital Statistics processes all requests. They issue certificates for any Arizona death through the statewide index system that connects all 15 county offices.

The Yuma office at 2200 W. 28th Street, Room 256 is the only vital records office in the county. Hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome during posted hours. Death certificates requested in person are processed in 7 business days. You cannot get same-day service. Return after 7 business days to pick up your copies. Call 928-317-4530 with questions about the process or required documents before visiting.

Yuma County does not accept online orders through VitalChek or any other service. You must apply in person or by mail. In-person requests take 7 business days. Mail requests take 10 to 15 business days to process. Plan ahead if you need certificates by a specific date for legal deadlines or insurance company requirements. The county connects to the statewide death index so they can issue certificates for deaths anywhere in Arizona, not just Yuma County.

Note: Yuma County does not provide same-day or online ordering service.

Application Process

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. Add their date of death if you know it. An approximate year helps if you lack exact dates.

Sign the application. Your signature must be original. Check the box showing your relationship to the deceased. 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 and state IDs work best. Some cases require proof of relationship like birth or marriage certificates.

Walk-in applicants bring completed forms to Room 256 at the county office. Staff review applications at the counter. They process the request over the next 7 business days. Return after that time to pick up your copies. Mail requests go to the same address at 2200 W. 28th Street, Room 256, Yuma, AZ 85364. Processing takes 10 to 15 business days for mailed applications. Include a self-addressed stamped return envelope with your application.

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. Attorneys representing eligible persons may apply for them. Anyone with valid power of attorney has access. Court orders grant access to people judges name. Funeral directors who handled arrangements get certificates for 12 months after death. Insurance companies, banks, hospitals, and anyone with documented financial claims qualify with supporting paperwork.

Yuma Death Certificate Fees

Certified copies cost $20 each. This is the standard Arizona fee. Corrections and amendments run $30 per request. Expedited service adds a $10 fee on top of the regular price. Non-certified genealogy copies cost $5. Yuma County accepts cash at the walk-in office. Money orders work for both walk-ins and mail requests. Cashier checks are accepted.

Credit cards are accepted with a 2.49% processing fee added to your total. Debit cards have a $3.95 flat fee. These card fees are charged by the payment processor, not the county. For mail orders, send money orders or cashier checks made out to Yuma County. Do not mail cash. VitalChek and other online ordering services are not available for Yuma County. You must apply in person or by mail only.

Old Yuma 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 Yuma deaths from 1870 forward to 50 years ago. This includes deaths from when Yuma was a territorial crossing point on the Colorado River.

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

Very old Yuma records may have gaps. Death registration started in 1909 during territorial days. Compliance improved after statehood in 1912. By the 1920s, most Yuma deaths were properly registered. Earlier records are rare. Despite these limits, old records provide valuable information about Yuma families and Colorado River history.

Other Death Information Sources

The Yuma County Medical Examiner investigates violent, accidental, and suspicious deaths. These reports are separate from death certificates. Contact the medical examiner's office for investigation records.

Social Security Death Index lists deaths from the 1960s forward. Several free websites offer SSDI searches. Use it to verify dates before ordering official certificates.

Death Records Near Yuma

Yuma sits in the far southwest corner of Arizona along the California and Mexico borders. No other major Arizona cities are nearby. Phoenix lies 180 miles northeast as the state capital in Maricopa County. Tucson is 240 miles east in Pima County.

Smaller towns in Yuma County use the same county vital records office. San Luis and Somerton are nearby but fall below the 50,000 population threshold for separate pages. All Yuma County deaths go through the same office at 2200 W. 28th Street in Yuma.