How to Find Death Records Online: Free and Paid Resources

Death records are one of the most information-rich sources in genealogy research. A single death certificate can tell you when and where someone died, their age, where they were born, their parents' names, their occupation, and where they were buried. This guide covers every resource — free and paid — for finding death records online.

State Vital Records Offices

In the United States, death records are maintained at the state level. Each state began registering deaths at different times — some as early as the 1860s, others not until the 20th century. For genealogical research, the key distinction is whether the record is open to the public.

Most states restrict access to recent death records (typically within the last 25–50 years) to immediate family members. But older records are generally available to the public, either through the state archive or through digitization projects that have made them accessible online.

• Vital Records offices — each state's department of health maintains official death certificates. You can order certified copies directly, though processing times and fees vary.
• State archives — many states have transferred older vital records to their state archives, where they may be available for in-person or digital research.

The USGenWeb Project maintains state-by-state guides to vital records access at usgenweb.org.

The Social Security Death Index (SSDI)

The Social Security Death Index is one of the most useful free death record resources available. It covers most deaths reported to the Social Security Administration since 1962 — roughly 94 million records.

Each record includes:

• Full name
• Social Security number
• Birth and death dates
• Last known residence state

The SSDI is freely searchable on FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, and several independent genealogy sites. It's most useful for locating the death year of a 20th-century ancestor when you don't have a death certificate, or for verifying that the person you found in census records is the right individual.

Note: The SSDI has limited coverage before the 1960s, and not every death was reported to the SSA. It's a supplement to other research, not a replacement.

Find A Grave and Cemetery Databases

Cemetery databases are often the fastest way to confirm a death date and location. They don't replace official death records, but they frequently provide burial information that links you directly to more detailed sources.

• GraveMapper — a clean, fast online cemetery search with over 100 million records. Particularly useful for quick name searches across multiple databases with minimal friction. No account required.
• Find A Grave — the largest volunteer-contributed grave database, with photos of headstones, memorial pages, and links to family members. Managed by Ancestry.com but free to search.
• BillionGraves — GPS-tagged headstone photos uploaded via mobile app. Useful for pinpointing exact cemetery locations and contributing your own discoveries.
• Veterans Legacy Memorial — a free database of veterans buried in VA national cemeteries, maintained by the National Cemetery Administration.

Cemetery records often provide leads that official records can't. Nearby graves in a family plot may reveal siblings or cousins you didn't know existed. Epitaphs sometimes include birth locations or family details not captured elsewhere.

Free Online Resources

Several platforms offer substantial free access to death records:

• FamilySearch.org — the largest free genealogy database in the world. Includes digitized death certificates, cemetery records, obituary indexes, and the SSDI. Free with a free account.
• USGenWeb Archives — volunteer-maintained state and county records including some death indexes. Coverage is uneven but often excellent for rural counties.
• Chronicling America — the Library of Congress newspaper archive, searchable for digitized obituaries from 1770–1963.
• Newspapers.com — partially free (via public library partnerships) with extensive obituary archives.

Paid Resources Worth Considering

For serious genealogy research, a few paid subscriptions can dramatically expand what you can find:

• Ancestry.com — the most comprehensive single platform, with billions of records including indexed death certificates, obituaries, and newspaper archives. Subscriptions start around $25/month; many public libraries offer free access.
• MyHeritage — strong international coverage, particularly for European records. Also offers DNA testing with genealogy integration.
• Fold3 — primarily military records but includes death records for veterans and service-related documentation.

Before paying for a subscription, check if your public library or local genealogical society provides free access. Many do.

When to Search Offline

Not every death record has been digitized. For rural ancestors, ethnic communities with limited record survival, or very early dates, you may need to contact county courthouses, churches, funeral homes, or local historical societies directly. Many hold records that never made it online.

Local genealogical societies are an underrated resource — they often have indexed county records that aren't available anywhere online, and their members may have already researched surnames in your family tree.