Glendale Death Records

Death records for Glendale residents are handled by Maricopa County, not by the City of Glendale. The Glendale City Clerk does not maintain or issue vital records such as death certificates. Arizona law places all vital records under the jurisdiction of county public health departments and the state health agency. To obtain a death certificate for someone who died in Glendale, you must contact the Maricopa County Public Health Office of Vital Registration or the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records. Maricopa County operates a vital records office in Glendale at 5141 West Lamar Road, making it convenient for Glendale residents to request certified death certificates in person without traveling far.

Glendale Vital Records Office Location

Death certificates for Glendale residents come from Maricopa County Public Health. The City of Glendale does not issue death certificates or other vital records. Cities in Arizona have no authority over vital records under state law. This means the Glendale City Clerk at 5850 West Glendale Avenue handles city documents like council minutes and business licenses, but not death certificates or birth certificates.

For Glendale residents, the nearest vital records office is the Maricopa County location at 5141 West Lamar Road in Glendale. This office is part of the county public health system. It serves the northwest Valley and gives out certified copies of death certificates for deaths that occurred anywhere in Arizona. The Glendale office is just a short drive from most neighborhoods in the city. You can park in the lot and walk right in during business hours.

Maricopa County runs five vital records offices across the Valley. Besides the Glendale location, there are offices in Phoenix, Mesa, Peoria, and Goodyear. If the Glendale office is busy or you happen to be near one of the other locations, you can use any of the five. They all access the same statewide vital records database. Any office can print your death certificate on the spot if the record is in the system and you have proper ID and proof of eligibility.

The Maricopa County death records page has complete details on all five office locations, hours, fees, and application requirements. You can also check the Maricopa County Vital Records website to verify hours before you drive over.

Glendale City Clerk Office

The Glendale City Clerk is at 5850 West Glendale Avenue. This office processes public records requests for city documents. It does not handle vital records. You can request city council meeting minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and other city paperwork from the City Clerk. Staff also help with business licenses and maintain official city records. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon. Call 623-930-2252 if you have questions about city records.

When people contact the Glendale City Clerk asking about death certificates, they get referred to the county or state. The city has no access to the vital records database. City staff cannot print or issue death certificates. The City Clerk's public records request page on the city website makes this clear. It lists what types of city records are available, but vital records are not on that list.

If you show up at the Glendale City Clerk's office for a death certificate, staff will tell you to go to the Maricopa County office on West Lamar Road instead. That county office is only about two miles from the City Clerk building, so it is not a long drive. Knowing where to go ahead of time saves you the extra trip.

How Glendale Residents Get Death Certificates

Glendale residents have three main ways to request death certificates. You can apply in person at the Maricopa County vital records office in Glendale. You can order by mail from the state office in Phoenix. Or you can order online through VitalChek. Each method has different wait times and costs.

The fastest way is to go in person to the county office at 5141 West Lamar Road. Bring a valid photo ID. This could be a driver's license, passport, or state ID card. You also need proof of relationship to the person who died. If you are the spouse, bring a marriage certificate. If you are a child of the deceased, bring your birth certificate that shows the deceased as your parent. Adult siblings need to bring both their own birth certificate and the deceased's birth certificate to prove the relationship. Fill out the application form at the office. Pay the $20 fee with cash, check, money order, or credit card. The office usually prints the death certificate while you wait. This takes a few minutes if the record is in the system and you have all the right paperwork.

Mail requests take longer but let you apply from home. Download form VS-159 from the Arizona Department of Health Services website. Fill in all the information you have about the person who died. Make a copy of your photo ID. Include copies of any documents that prove your relationship. Write a check or money order for $20 made out to Bureau of Vital Records. Add a stamped envelope with your return address on it. Mail the whole packet to PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. The state office processes mail requests in 10 to 15 business days from when they receive your completed application.

Online ordering through VitalChek costs more but offers convenience. VitalChek is the authorized online partner for Arizona vital records. Fill out the application on their secure website. Upload a photo of your government ID. Choose your delivery speed. Standard mail takes 7 to 10 business days. Rush shipping costs extra and delivers in 3 to 5 days. VitalChek adds service fees on top of the $20 state fee. The total can run $40 to $60 or more depending on shipping speed and processing options. But you can order any time of day or night without leaving home.

All three methods require you to meet Arizona eligibility rules. You must be at least 18. You must be an immediate family member, legal representative, or person with a legal interest in the death certificate. Common eligible applicants include spouses, parents, adult children, siblings, lawyers, funeral directors, insurance companies, banks, and government agencies. If you fall outside these categories, you may need permission from an eligible family member to get the record.

Death Certificate Fees and Processing Times

A certified death certificate costs $20 in Arizona. This fee is set by state law under Arizona Revised Statutes § 36-341. Each copy costs $20. If you order three copies at once, you pay $60. There is no volume discount. Correcting or amending a death certificate costs $30 for the first amended copy, then $20 for each extra copy of the amended record.

How long you wait depends on your application method. In-person requests at the Glendale county office usually get same-day service. You walk in, apply, wait a few minutes, and walk out with your death certificate. But this only works if the death certificate is registered in the state system. Deaths that happened very recently may not be available yet. Under ARS § 36-325, funeral homes have up to seven days to file a death certificate. The state registrar then has 72 hours to register it. So a death that occurred last week might not be in the system for another 10 days total.

Mail applications to the state office in Phoenix take 10 to 15 business days. This includes mailing time both ways plus processing time. VitalChek online orders arrive in 7 to 10 business days with standard shipping. Expedited VitalChek orders arrive in 3 to 5 days if you pay the extra rush fee. All these time frames can stretch longer during peak periods or if your application has missing information.

Call ahead to check if a recent death certificate is ready before you drive to the office. This saves you a wasted trip if the record is not yet in the database. The Maricopa County vital records phone number is 602-506-6805.

Note: Incomplete applications or incorrect fees will delay your request and may require resubmission.

Arizona State Vital Records Office

The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records is the central state agency for all Arizona death certificates. This office is at 150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 120, in Phoenix. It holds records for every Arizona death from 1909 to now, plus some older records from county sources dating back to 1877. You can reach the state office at (602) 364-1300 or toll-free at (888) 816-5907.

The state office no longer offers walk-in service. This changed during COVID-19 and has not gone back. Now you must apply by mail or online through VitalChek if you want to use the state office. For in-person service, go to a county vital records office instead. The Maricopa County office in Glendale is your best choice if you live in Glendale. It offers same-day service that the state office does not provide.

The state office handles certain special requests that counties cannot do. Corrections to death certificates from before 2008 must go through the state office. County offices can only amend records from 2008 forward. The state also processes delayed death certificates, presumptive death certificates ordered by a court, and genealogy research requests. Mail these requests to PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005, or call to ask what documents you need to send.

Death Record Laws in Arizona

Arizona death records are governed by state law found in Arizona Revised Statutes Title 36, Chapter 3. These laws define terms like "certificate," "certified copy," and "vital record." A death certificate is a record that documents a death. It becomes a vital record once the state registrar or a local registrar assigns it an official state number and incorporates it into the state's official records.

ARS § 36-325 controls the death certificate registration process. When someone dies, the funeral home or responsible person takes possession of the body. That person has seven calendar days to complete the death certificate. This includes getting medical cause of death from a physician or medical examiner, filling in personal information about the deceased, and submitting the certificate to a registrar. The registrar then has 72 hours to register the certificate if all the information is accurate and complete. This timeline ensures death certificates are available fairly quickly for families who need them for funeral arrangements, insurance claims, bank accounts, and estate proceedings.

ARS § 36-342 is the confidentiality statute. It states that vital records are not public records in Arizona. Registrars and their staff cannot permit inspection of a vital record or disclose information from a vital record except as allowed by law. This makes Arizona a closed record state for vital records. You cannot request a death certificate for just anyone. You must prove eligibility and show a legal right to the record.

Arizona Administrative Code R9-19-314 and R9-19-315 provide detailed eligibility rules. These regulations list who can apply for death certificates and what proof they need to provide. The same rules apply whether you request a death certificate from Maricopa County, the state office, or any other county in Arizona. The law does not change based on where you live or which office you visit.

Historical Death Records for Genealogy

If you need an old Glendale death record for family history research, you can use the Arizona Genealogy Record Search if the death happened more than 50 years ago. This free database covers deaths from 1870 through 1970. You do not need to prove a family relationship to search these old records. The database is run by the state and available to anyone.

Access the search tool at genealogyapp.azdhs.gov. Type in the name of the person who died. Add any other information you know like date of death or mother's maiden name. The system searches the database and returns matching records. Click on a result to see a scanned image of the original death certificate. These images are not certified copies and cannot be used for legal purposes. But they work great for building family trees and researching your Glendale ancestors.

ARS § 36-351 authorizes the state to release these old records for genealogy purposes. If you find an error in the database or have a privacy concern about a record, contact the Bureau of Vital Records at 602-364-1300. The state adds more records to the database as old certificates get scanned and indexed.

Other Vital Records for Glendale Residents

Glendale residents get all vital records from the county or state, not the city. Birth certificates come from Maricopa County Public Health or the Arizona Department of Health Services. You can request birth certificates at the same county offices that issue death certificates. The fees and eligibility rules are similar. Marriage licenses and marriage certificates are issued by the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court. Divorce records are also court records kept by the Clerk of the Superior Court.

Maricopa County Public Health handles both birth and death certificates at all five Valley locations. The Glendale office at 5141 West Lamar Road can help you with either type of vital record. If you need a birth certificate and a death certificate, you can get both in one visit. Bring ID and proof of relationship for both requests. Pay the fees for each record you order.

For marriage and divorce records, contact the Maricopa County Superior Court. The court records department is in downtown Phoenix at 201 West Jefferson Street. These records have different fees and procedures from vital records. Call the court to ask about requirements before you visit or mail a request.

Death Records in Nearby Cities

Cities near Glendale follow the same system. No city in Arizona issues vital records. Residents of neighboring cities use the same Maricopa County offices to get death certificates. The five Valley locations serve all Maricopa County residents regardless of which city you live in. If you live on the border between Glendale and another city, you can use whichever county office is most convenient for you.

Cities near Glendale with death records available through Maricopa County include:

• Phoenix - served by the Roosevelt Street office in Phoenix or the Glendale office
• Peoria - served by the Peoria county office at 8088 W. Whitney Dr.
• Surprise - served by the Peoria or Glendale county offices

Each city clerk refers residents to Maricopa County for death certificates. You will not find vital records at any city government office in the Phoenix metro area. All death certificates come from the county public health system or the state Bureau of Vital Records.