West Virginia - How to obtain a Death Certificate

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Procedure

In Person

• Go to Vital Registration office located at 350 Capitol Street, on the corners of Washington and Capitol Street, with your required identification, proper fee, and proper information. The service counter is located to the right of the lobby.
• If no one is at the counter, ring the bell, and wait for someone to be with you.

By Mail

• The easiest and most convenient way to obtain a vital record is to request one through the mail.
• Simply fill out an application, and mail it with a check or money order for the fee. The fee is $12 per certificate. Cash is sent at sender's risk.
• Mail to:

Vital Registration

Room 165

350 Capitol Street

Charleston, WV 25301-3701

By phone/Fax/Online (VitalChek)

• By phone: 877-448-3953 (For orders and customer service)
• Fax: 866-870-8723 (For fax orders only)

Note

Before calling (by phone), it may be helpful for you to print out a copy of our Certificate Request form and be prepared to give all of the information, along with your credit card information, to the customer service representative.

Applying Online - VitalCheck

Go online and simply follow the steps to place an order. An additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service and all major credit cards are accepted.

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Required Documents

Any one of the following forms of Identification:

• State Issued Driver's license (can be expired)
• United States, or Foreign passports
• Military ID
• Photo-ID cards from a government sponsored program

Or any two following forms of Identification

• Major Credit Card
• Motor Vehicle Registration card
• State Social Services program card
• A recent utility bill in the name of the person who is requesting the certificate.

If you do not have any of these forms of ID, exceptions can be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Office Locations & Contacts

Health Statistics Center
350 Capitol Street, Room 165
Charleston, WV 25301-3701
Phone: (304) 558-2931
Website

VitalChek
Phone: 877-448-3953 (For orders and customer service)
Fax: 866-870-8723 (For fax orders only)
Website: http://www.vitalchek.com (For Online Ordering and general information)

Certificates may also be obtained from your local county. Use the contact information below to inquire.

Barbour County : 8 N Main Street Philippi, WV 26416
Phone: 304-457-2232

Berkeley County  : 126 West King Street Martinsburg, WV 25401-3209
Phone: 304-264-1929

Boone County  : 200 State Street Madison, WV 25130-1152
Phone: 304-369-7331

Braxton County  : 300 Main Street P O Box 486 Sutton, WV 26601
Phone: 304-765-2833 Website

Brooke County  : 632 Main Street Wellsburg, WV 26070
Phone: 304-737-3661 Website

Cabell County  : Cabell County Courthouse 8th St and 4th Avenue Huntington, WV 25701
Phone: 304-526-8625 Website

Calhoun County  : Main Street P O Box 230 Grantsville, WV 26147
Phone: 304-354-6725 Website

Clay County  : 207 Main Street Clay, WV 25043
Phone: 304-354-3661 Website

Doddridge County  : 118 East Court Street West Union, WV 26456
Phone: 304-873-2631

Fayette County  : 100 Church Street Fayette, WV 25840
Phone: 304-574-1200

Gilmer County  : 10 Howard Street Glenville, WV 26351
Phone: 304-462-7641 Website

Grant County  : 5 Highland Ave Petersburg, WV 26351
Phone: 304-257-4550 Website

Greenbrier County  : 200 North Court Street P O Box 506 Lewisburg, WV 24901-0506
Website

Hampshire County  : Main Street Romney, WV 26757-1696
Phone: 304-822-5112

Hancock County  : P O Box 367 New Cumberland, WV 26047
Phone: 304-564-3311 Website

Hardy County  : 204 Washington Street Moorefield, WV 26836
Phone: 304-538-2929

Harrison County  : 301 W Main Street Clarksburg, WV 26301-2909
Phone: 304-624-8611 Website

Jackson County  : P O Box 800 Ripley, WV 25271
Phone: 304-372-2011

Jefferson County  : P O Box 208 Charles Town, WV 25414
Phone: 304-728-3215

Kanawha County  : 409 Virginia StreetEast Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: 304-372-2011 Website

Lewis County  : 110 Center Avenue Weston, WV 26452
Phone: 304-269-8215 Website

Lincoln County  : 8000 Court Avenue Hamlin, WV 25523
Phone: 304-824-3336

Logan County  : 300 Stratton Street Logan, WV 25601
Phone: 304-792-8550 Fax 304-792-8600

Marion County  : 217 Adams Street Fairmont, WV 26554
Phone: 304-367-5440 Website

Marshall County  : 7th Street P O Box 459 Moundsville, WV 26041
Phone: 304-845-1220 Website

Mason County  : 200 6th Street Point Pleasant, WV 25550
Phone: 304-675-1997

McDowell County  : 90 Wyoming Street #109 Welch, WV 24801
Phone: 304-436-8344

Mercer County  : P O Box 1716, Princeton, WV 24740
Phone: 304-487-8311

Mineral County  : 150 Armstrong Stree Keyser, WV 26726-3505
Phone: 304-788-3924 Website

Mingo County  : P O Box 1197 Williamson, WV 25661-1197
Phone: 304-235-0330 Website

Monongalia County  : 243 High Street #123 Morgantown, WV 26505
Phone: 304-291-7230 [http://www.co.monongalia.wv.us/inde

Eligibility

• The Parents and Grandparents of Person on the Certificate
• The Wife or Husband of the Person on the Certificate
• The Children and Grandchildren of the Person on the Certificate
• The Brothers or Sisters
• Funeral Director
• Anyone who has Legal interest in the Certificate

Fees

By mail/in person

Certified copy: $12.00 each

The fee includes a non-refundable search fee. If the computerized search doesn't find the record, the office will search using the year specified, the year before and the year after. Additional searches may be paid for at a rate of $12 per three year period.

Payments accepted: cash, check and money orders.

Note: There's an ATM machine located next to the office and West Virginia United Federal Credit Union.

By Phone, Internet or Fax (Credit Card/Debit Card Only)

Fees Charged by VitalChek

• Non-Rush: $30.50 + shipping
• Rush: $35.50 + shipping

Note: Shipping cost varies depending upon shipping method

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Certificate Request Forms

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Processing Time

In person

Ordering in person is the fastest way to obtain a certificate. Allow for at least fifteen minutes, even though most requests are completed much quicker. 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM is a busy time, so keep this in mind if you are coming in during lunch break.

By mail

• Ordering by mail is the slowest method to obtain a certificate. Total time consists of processing time and transit time. Processing time is the time it takes the Vital Registration office to enter your order into their computer system, make and mail the certificate to you. Transit time is the time it takes the Post Office to deliver the mail.
• It usually takes about 5 days for your request to be processed, but can this can change depending upon staffing and order volume.
• Transit time can vary greatly. If the certificate is to be mailed within the State of West Virginia, the mail usually takes one to two days to arrive. It may be better if you allow the Post Office five to seven days for delivery.
• Total time is the time it takes from when you mail the request until you receive the certificate. Total time can be as short as five business days, to 19 business days or longer.

By phone/fax/online

From two days to ten days, depending upon what options you choose when ordering the certificate.

Instructions

• The West Virginia Division of Vital Records (West Virginia Vital Records) issues certified copies of West Virginia death certificates for events that occurred in the State of West Virginia.
• Death Certificates are available for events that occurred within the State of West Virginia from 1917 to present.
• In terms of obtaining vital records, West Virginia is not an "open record" state.
• You may order the copies of certificate by mail, in person, online, by phone or fax (credit card and debit card only)
• By Phone, Internet or Fax (Credit Card/Debit Card Only): The Vital Registration Office is in contract with a company named VitalChek to take expedited credit card orders. This Service requires additional fees charged by them.

Required Information

• Name of the person on the certificate
• Date of death
• Gender
• Place where death occurred (city or county and state)
• Decedent's father's name and mother's name
• Reason for request
• Relationship to deceased
• Applicant's full name and mailing address
• Phone number including area code

Need for the Document

A Death Certificate is a document issued by a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death.

A copy of the death certificate is often necessary when you apply for administrative procedures, such as execution of the will or making funeral arrangements.

Following are procedures on how you can obtain a death certificate in West Virginia.