Find Mesa Death Records

Death records for Mesa come from Maricopa County Public Health, not the Mesa City Clerk. The City of Mesa does not handle vital records under Arizona law. When you need a death certificate for someone who died in Mesa, contact the Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration or the state Bureau of Vital Records. Maricopa County has a vital records office right in Mesa at 331 East Coury Avenue, making it easy for East Valley residents to get certified death certificates in person without driving to downtown Phoenix.

Maricopa County Handles Mesa Death Records

Mesa does not issue death certificates. No city in Arizona issues vital records. State law puts this function under county public health offices and the state health agency. The Mesa City Clerk at 20 East Main Street handles city business like public records requests for city documents, council minutes, and business licenses. But for death certificates, birth certificates, and other vital records, you need to go to the county or state level.

Maricopa County runs the Office of Vital Registration with five locations across the Valley. The East Valley office is right in Mesa at 331 East Coury Avenue. This is one of the most convenient locations for Mesa residents because it serves the eastern part of the county. The office can issue certified death certificates for any death that occurred in Arizona. Staff at this location access the same statewide database used by all county vital records offices and the state office in Phoenix.

The Mesa office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 in the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon. On Wednesday the office opens at 9 instead of 8. Most requests are filled the same day if you bring all the required documents and the death certificate is in the system. The phone number is 602-506-6805, which connects to the main Maricopa County vital records line. You can call ahead to ask questions about what to bring or check if a recent death certificate is ready for pickup.

If the Mesa office is not convenient for you, Maricopa County has four other locations. The main Phoenix office at 1645 East Roosevelt Street is west of Mesa. There are also offices in Glendale, Peoria, and Goodyear serving the western and northwestern parts of the county. All five offices can help with the same vital records services, so you can pick whichever location is easiest to reach from your home or work.

Full details on all Maricopa County vital records offices are on the Maricopa County death records page. You can also visit the Maricopa County Vital Records website for current hours, fees, and application forms.

Mesa City Clerk Office

The Mesa City Clerk is at 20 East Main Street, Suite 150. This office handles city public records but not vital records. You can request copies of city council minutes, agendas, ordinances, resolutions, and other city documents. The City Clerk also processes business licenses and keeps the official records of the city. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 7 in the morning to 6 in the evening. The office is closed on Friday. The phone number is 480-644-2099.

When people contact the Mesa City Clerk asking about death certificates, staff refer them to the Arizona State Vital Records Office. The city does not have access to the state vital records database. City employees cannot print or issue death certificates. This is the same for all cities in Arizona. State law puts vital records under the control of the Arizona Department of Health Services and county health departments, not city clerks.

If you go to the Mesa City Clerk's office asking for a death certificate, the staff will tell you to visit the Maricopa County office on East Coury Avenue instead. That office is just a short drive from Mesa City Hall and can help you with death certificates, birth certificates, and other vital records.

Three Ways Mesa Residents Get Death Certificates

The first way is to visit the Maricopa County vital records office in Mesa. Go to 331 East Coury Avenue. Bring a government photo ID such as a driver's license or passport. You also need proof that you are related to the person who died or that you have a legal interest in the record. Arizona is a closed record state, so only certain people can get death certificates. Proof of relationship could be a birth certificate showing you are a child or parent of the deceased, a marriage certificate if you are the spouse, or court documents if you are the executor of the estate.

Fill out the death certificate application at the office. The staff can give you the form when you arrive. You can also download it ahead of time from the Arizona Department of Health Services website. The form is called VS-159. Pay the $20 fee per copy. Maricopa County accepts cash, checks, money orders, and credit cards. Most requests are filled the same day if the death certificate is in the state database and you meet all the eligibility rules.

The second way is to order by mail. Fill out form VS-159 with all the information you know about the death. Include a photocopy of your government photo ID and proof of your relationship to the deceased. Write a check or money order for $20 per copy made payable to Bureau of Vital Records. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail everything to PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. This is the mailing address for the state vital records office. Processing time for mail orders is 10 to 15 business days after they receive your complete application.

The third option is to order online through VitalChek. VitalChek is the official online partner for Arizona vital records. Go to their website and fill out the application form. Upload a photo of your government ID. Choose your shipping speed. Standard shipping takes 7 to 10 business days. Expedited shipping costs more but can get the death certificate to you in 3 to 5 days. VitalChek charges service fees in addition to the $20 state fee. But online ordering is faster than mailing your own request and more convenient if you cannot visit an office during business hours.

Only eligible people can get death certificates under Arizona law. You must be at least 18 years old. You must also fall into one of the eligible categories. Common eligible persons include the spouse, parents, adult children, brothers and sisters, attorneys, funeral directors, insurance companies, banks, hospitals, government agencies, and estate executors. If you are not in one of these groups, you may need written permission from an eligible family member before you can get a certified copy.

How Much Death Certificates Cost in Mesa

The fee is $20 per certified copy. This is set by state law under Arizona Revised Statutes § 36-341. Each copy costs $20, with no discount if you order more than one. If you need five copies, you pay $100. Corrections or amendments to a death certificate cost $30 for the first corrected copy, then $20 for each extra copy of the amended record.

Wait times depend on how you apply. Same-day service is usually available if you visit the Mesa office in person. The staff can print your death certificate while you wait as long as the record is in the state database and you have all the documents to prove you are eligible. But if the death was very recent, the certificate might not be in the system 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 once it is submitted. This means a death that happened a few days ago might not be ready for another week or more.

Mail requests take 10 to 15 business days. This includes the time for your application to arrive by mail, get processed, and have the death certificate mailed back to you. Online orders through VitalChek arrive in 7 to 10 business days with standard shipping. Expedited shipping cuts that down to 3 to 5 days but costs extra. During busy times these time frames can stretch longer. Call ahead if you need the certificate by a specific date.

Arizona Laws That Govern Death Records

Arizona vital records are controlled by state law, not city or county ordinances. The main statutes are in Arizona Revised Statutes Title 36, Chapter 3. State law defines terms like "certificate," "vital record," and "certified copy." It says that a death certificate is a record that documents a death and becomes a vital record once the state or a local registrar registers it.

ARS § 36-325 sets deadlines for filing death certificates. A funeral home or responsible person must complete the death certificate within seven days of taking possession of human remains. They must get medical facts from a physician or medical examiner, fill in personal details about the deceased, and submit the certificate to a local registrar or the state registrar. The registrar has 72 hours to register the certificate if it is accurate and complete. This law keeps the process moving so families can get copies when they need them for insurance, estate matters, and other legal purposes.

ARS § 36-342 is the confidentiality law. It says vital records are not public records in Arizona. Local registrars, deputy registrars, the state registrar, and their staff cannot let anyone inspect a vital record or share information from a vital record unless the law allows it. This makes Arizona a closed record state for vital records. You cannot just walk in and ask for a death certificate the way you might request a court record or property deed. You must prove you are eligible under the law and have a legal right to the record.

Arizona Administrative Code R9-19-314 and R9-19-315 list the eligibility rules in detail. These regulations say who can get certified death certificates and what documents they must provide to prove their status. The rules apply statewide. The same eligibility requirements apply whether you request a death certificate from the Mesa office, the state office in Phoenix, or any other county in Arizona.

State Vital Records Office in Phoenix

The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records is the main state agency for death certificates. This office is at 150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 120, in Phoenix. The bureau keeps records for all Arizona deaths from 1909 to the present, plus some older records dating back to 1877 from county sources. Call them at (602) 364-1300 or toll-free at (888) 816-5907 if you have questions about death certificates or want to check if a record is available.

The state office no longer offers walk-in service. That ended during COVID-19. Now you can only get death certificates from the state office by mail or online through VitalChek. For in-person service, go to a county vital records office instead. The Mesa office at 331 East Coury Avenue is the best choice for East Valley residents because it is close and can usually print your certificate the same day.

The state office handles certain requests that counties cannot process. If you need to correct a death certificate for a death that occurred before 2008, you must use the state office. County offices can only amend records from 2008 forward. The state also handles special requests for genealogy research, delayed death certificates, and presumptive death certificates ordered by a court. Mail these requests to PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005.

Old Mesa Death Records for Genealogy

If you are researching family history and the death occurred more than 50 years ago, you can use the Arizona Genealogy Record Search. This is a free online database run by the state. It covers deaths from 1870 through 1970. You can search by name, date, and location to find old Mesa death records without proving a family relationship.

The search tool is at genealogyapp.azdhs.gov. Enter the name of the person who died and any other details you know. The system returns a list of matching records. Click on a result to view an image of the original death certificate. These images are not certified copies. They do not have the official seal and cannot be used for legal purposes. But they work fine for building family trees and tracing your Mesa ancestors.

Under ARS § 36-351, the state makes these old records available to the public for genealogy purposes. If you find an error in the data or have a confidentiality concern, contact the Bureau of Vital Records at 602-364-1300 or send an email to the address listed on the genealogy website.

Birth and Marriage Records in Mesa

Just like death certificates, other vital records in Mesa come from the county or state level. Birth certificates are issued by Maricopa County Public Health and the Arizona Department of Health Services. You can get birth certificates at the same Mesa office that handles death certificates. The address is 331 East Coury Avenue. The eligibility rules and fees are similar for both types of vital records.

Marriage licenses and marriage certificates come from the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court, not the city. Divorce records are also court records kept by the Clerk of the Superior Court. You cannot get marriage or divorce records from the Mesa City Clerk. For these records you need to contact the Maricopa County Superior Court. The court has a records department that handles requests for marriage licenses, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, and other family court records.

The court is at 201 West Jefferson Street in downtown Phoenix. This is separate from the vital records office. Marriage and divorce records have their own fees and procedures. If you need both a death certificate and a marriage or divorce record, you will have to visit two different offices or submit separate requests.

Death Records for Cities Near Mesa

Other cities in the East Valley also refer residents to Maricopa County for death certificates. Cities do not issue vital records anywhere in Arizona. If you live in a nearby city, you can use the same Mesa office at 331 East Coury Avenue to get death records. This location serves all Maricopa County residents no matter which city you live in.

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

• Chandler - just south of Mesa, served by the East Valley office
• Tempe - west of Mesa, close to the East Valley office
• Gilbert - southeast of Mesa, served by the East Valley office
• Scottsdale - north of Mesa, served by all five Maricopa County offices
• Phoenix - west of Mesa, has its own county office at 1645 E. Roosevelt St.

Each of these cities follows the same system as Mesa. City clerks do not handle vital records. Residents must go to Maricopa County Public Health or the state vital records office to get certified death certificates.

Note: The Mesa office is the most convenient location for all East Valley residents.