Death Certificates in Yavapai County

Yavapai County Community Health Services Vital Records operates as a mail-order only facility for death certificates. The office in Prescott does not provide walk-in service for vital records. You must submit applications by mail to request certified copies of Arizona death records. Processing takes seven to ten business days from when staff receive complete applications with all required documents and payment. Each certified death certificate costs $20. Payment methods include all major forms including personal checks, which many other counties do not accept. Credit card payments incur a 2.39 percent processing fee. Mail applications to YCCHS, Attn Vital Records, 1090 Commerce Dr, Prescott, AZ 86305. Call 928-771-3125 for questions or email web.Health@yavapai.us. Lock boxes in Cottonwood and Prescott Valley provide drop-off locations for applications if you prefer not to use postal mail.

Mail-Order Vital Records Service

Yavapai County Community Health Services operates vital records as a mail-order only facility. The office does not provide walk-in or in-person service for death certificates. All requests must be submitted by mail or through lock box drop-off. This system allows the county to process applications efficiently with limited staff while serving a large geographic area across central Arizona.

Mail your completed application to YCCHS, Attn Vital Records, 1090 Commerce Dr, Prescott, AZ 86305. Include all required documents and payment. Processing takes seven to ten business days from when staff receive your complete application. Staff review applications in the order received. Missing documents or incorrect information delays processing. Double-check everything before mailing.

Lock boxes provide drop-off alternatives to postal mail. The Cottonwood lock box sits at 10 S. Sixth Street. The Prescott Valley lock box is located at 3212 N. Windsong Drive. Call 928-771-3377 for Prescott Valley lock box questions. Drop off your application in a sealed envelope. Staff collect from lock boxes regularly. This option works if you want to submit in person but the office does not provide walk-in service.

Call 928-771-3125 for questions about applications or processing. Fax documents to 928-771-3129 if needed. Email web.Health@yavapai.us with questions. Staff respond during business hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed on weekends and county holidays.

Note: Arizona is a closed record state and vital records are not public records.

Death Certificate Application Process

Arizona restricts who can obtain death certificates. Arizona Administrative Code R9-19-314 lists eligible persons. Surviving spouses can request copies. Parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren qualify as immediate family. Executors named in wills have access. Estate beneficiaries and life insurance beneficiaries may apply. Attorneys representing eligible persons can request copies on their behalf.

Financial institutions with accounts for the deceased can obtain certificates. Insurance companies holding policies on the person qualify. Hospitals and health care providers processing claims against the estate have access. Anyone with a documented legal claim against the estate may apply. Government agencies receive copies for official purposes. Funeral directors representing families can order within twelve months of death. You must prove you fit one of these categories.

Mail clear photocopies of both sides of your valid government-issued photo ID. Driver licenses, state ID cards, passports, and military IDs all work. The ID must be current and show your photo. You can use a notarized signature instead of ID copies. Include proof of your relationship or legal interest. Birth certificates show parent or child relationships. Marriage certificates prove spouse status. Wills or probate documents demonstrate executor or beneficiary authority. Insurance policies work for beneficiaries. Bank statements establish financial institution interest. Court orders show legal claims.

Complete the death certificate application form with accurate information. Provide the deceased person's full legal name as it appears on the certificate. Include first, middle, and last names spelled correctly. Give the date of death and location. Add the social security number if known. This helps staff search the database faster. State your relationship to the deceased clearly. Sign the form with your original handwritten signature.

Include payment with your application. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of certificates. Processing takes seven to ten business days from receipt. Very recent deaths may not be available. Deaths within thirty to ninety days might still be processing through medical certification and state registration.

Death Certificate Fees

Certified death certificates cost $20 per copy. This is the standard Arizona fee set by Arizona Revised Statutes Section 36-341. Amendments and corrections run $30 each. Non-certified genealogy copies cost $5. Order multiple copies when applying if you need them for different purposes. Social Security, banks, insurance companies, pension funds, and courts typically require original certified copies. Photocopies usually do not work for official business.

Yavapai County accepts all payment methods including personal checks. This differs from many Arizona counties that do not accept personal checks. You can pay by cash, money order, personal check, credit card, or debit card. Make checks payable to Yavapai County Community Health Services. Include card information on the application form for credit or debit payments. Write card number, expiration date, CVV code, and authorization signature.

Credit card payments include a 2.39 percent processing fee. Debit cards may have different fees. Personal checks, money orders, and cash avoid processing fees. Calculate your total including any fees before submitting payment. A single $20 certificate paid by credit card would add about $0.48 for the processing fee, making your total $20.48.

Arizona Death Registration Laws

Funeral establishments must file death certificates within seven days. Arizona Revised Statutes Section 36-325 sets this requirement. Funeral directors take possession of human remains and gather personal information from families. They complete demographic sections including name, birth date, birthplace, residence, occupation, parents' names, marital status, and other details. Medical certifiers then add cause of death information.

Doctors who treated the deceased sign certifications for natural deaths. Medical examiners or coroners handle sudden, unexpected, or suspicious deaths. They investigate and determine cause and manner of death. All sections must be finished before the state registrar accepts the certificate for registration. This process takes time. Allow thirty to ninety days for recent deaths to complete all certification and registration steps.

Arizona maintains closed death records. Arizona Revised Statutes Section 36-342 prohibits vital records staff from releasing information to the public. Only eligible persons with proper ID and relationship proof can obtain copies. This law protects personal privacy and medical information. Government agencies get separate access for official business under specific rules.

Death records become public fifty years after death. Arizona Revised Statutes Section 36-351 requires the Bureau of Vital Records to transfer certificates to state archives at this point. Historical records appear in genealogy databases where anyone can search them. Certified copies still require ordering through vital records offices even for old public records.

Other Death Record Sources

The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records serves as the state central office. Located at 150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85007, the state office handles mail orders like Yavapai County. No walk-in service available. Send applications to PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. Call 602-364-1300 for state office assistance. VitalChek offers expedited online ordering at 888-816-5907 with additional processing fees.

The Arizona genealogy database contains historical death records from 1870 through fifty years ago. Search free online for old death records. The database shows names, dates, places, and images of historical certificates. These work for family history and genealogy research. Order certified copies through vital records offices if you need legal documents. The genealogy database provides search capability without issuing copies.

Arizona State Library gives state residents free Ancestry access. Collections include Arizona County Coroner and Death Records from 1881 to 1971. Visit the library in Phoenix to search premium genealogy databases. Free access works only on library computers during library hours. You cannot access these databases from home without your own paid Ancestry subscription.

Yavapai County Cities

Yavapai County includes Prescott Valley as one of its larger communities. Other cities include Prescott, Sedona, Cottonwood, and smaller towns across central Arizona. All county residents use the mail-order vital records service based in Prescott.

Nearby Counties

Yavapai County sits in central Arizona. It borders Mohave County to the northwest, Coconino County to the north, Navajo County to the northeast, Gila County to the east, Maricopa County to the south, and La Paz County to the southwest. Each Arizona county operates vital records offices that can issue death certificates for deaths in the state.