Scottsdale Death Certificate Access

Death records for Scottsdale residents are issued by Maricopa County Public Health, not the City of Scottsdale. The Scottsdale City Clerk does not handle vital records like death certificates. Arizona cities do not issue or maintain these records under state law. If you need a death certificate for someone who died in Scottsdale, 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 five offices across the Valley where you can get certified death certificates in person. The closest locations to Scottsdale are in Phoenix and Mesa.

Maricopa County Handles Death Records

The City of Scottsdale does not issue death certificates. This is true for all cities in Arizona. State law gives vital records authority to county public health departments and the state health agency. The Scottsdale City Clerk's office at 3939 North Drinkwater Boulevard handles city business like council minutes, public records requests for city documents, and business licenses. But when it comes to birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage records, you need to go to the county or state level.

For Scottsdale residents, that means Maricopa County Public Health. Maricopa County runs the Office of Vital Registration, which issues certified copies of death certificates for any death that occurred in Arizona. The county has five offices across the Valley. The Phoenix office is at 1645 East Roosevelt Street, about 15 miles from central Scottsdale. The Mesa office at 331 East Coury Avenue is about 20 miles southeast. Both locations can help you apply for a death record and answer questions about fees, eligibility, and what documents you need.

Other Maricopa County offices include Peoria, Glendale, and Goodyear. The Peoria office at 8088 West Whitney Drive is a convenient option if you are in north Scottsdale near the Loop 101 corridor. For south Scottsdale or Tempe border areas, the Mesa location may save you drive time. All five locations can access the same statewide database and issue the same certified death certificates. You do not need to visit a specific office based on where in Scottsdale you live or where the death occurred.

The Maricopa County death records page has full details on each office location, hours, fees, and what you need to apply. You can also visit the Maricopa County Vital Records website to check current wait times and confirm hours before you go.

Scottsdale City Clerk Office

The Scottsdale City Clerk is at 3939 North Drinkwater Boulevard. This office handles public records requests for city documents, but not vital records. You can get copies of city council agendas, meeting minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and other city paperwork. The City Clerk also keeps official city records and maintains the city's legislative history. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. The phone number is 480-312-2412.

When people contact the City Clerk asking about death certificates, staff provide a direct link to the Arizona Department of Health Services vital records portal. This state website has information on how to request birth certificates, death certificates, and other vital records. It also lists all the county offices where you can apply in person. Scottsdale's city website includes this link as a resource for residents who need vital records.

If you visit the Scottsdale City Clerk's office asking for a death certificate, the staff will direct you to the Maricopa County office instead. The city does not have access to the state vital records database and cannot print or issue death certificates. Knowing this in advance saves you time and a trip to the wrong office. The City Clerk does handle requests for city-specific records like building permits, business licenses, and city council actions. These are separate from vital records and follow different procedures.

How Scottsdale Residents Get Death Certificates

You have three main ways to get a death certificate as a Scottsdale resident. The first option is to visit a Maricopa County vital records office in person. The Phoenix and Mesa locations are the closest to Scottsdale. Bring your government photo ID like a driver's license or passport. You also need proof of your relationship to the person who died. This could be a birth certificate showing you are a child or parent of the deceased, a marriage certificate if you are the spouse, or other documents that prove you are an eligible family member under Arizona law. Fill out the application at the office. Pay the $20 fee. Most requests are filled the same day if the death certificate is in the system and you meet all eligibility requirements.

The second option is to order by mail. Download the death certificate application form from the Arizona Department of Health Services website. This is form VS-159. Fill it out with all the details you know about the person who died. Include a copy of your photo ID and any proof of relationship documents. Send a check or money order for $20 per copy made out to Bureau of Vital Records. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope so they can mail the certificate back to you. Mail everything to PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. This is the state vital records office, which handles mail requests for all Arizona deaths. Processing time for mail orders is 10 to 15 business days from the time they get your complete application.

The third way is to order online through VitalChek. VitalChek is the official online partner for Arizona vital records. You fill out the application on their website and upload a photo of your ID. The system lets you pick your shipping speed. Standard mail takes 7 to 10 business days. Expedited shipping costs extra but can get the death certificate to you in 3 to 5 days. VitalChek charges service fees on top of the $20 state fee. But it is faster than mailing your own request and more convenient if you cannot visit an office in person during business hours.

Arizona law sets strict rules on who can get death certificates. You must be at least 18 years old. You must also be a family member, legal representative, or person with a legal interest in the record. Common eligible persons include the spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, attorneys, funeral directors, insurance companies, banks, and government agencies. If you do not fit one of these categories, you may need written permission from an eligible family member to get a copy.

Note: Applications that are incomplete or missing required documents will delay processing time.

Death Certificate Costs and Wait Times

A certified death certificate costs $20 in Arizona. This is the standard fee set by state law under Arizona Revised Statutes § 36-341. Each copy you order costs $20, with no discount for multiple copies. If you need three copies, you pay $60. Corrections or amendments to a death certificate cost $30 for the first corrected copy, plus $20 for each additional copy of the amended record.

Wait times depend on how you apply. Same-day service is usually available at Maricopa County offices if you go in person. The office can print your death certificate while you wait as long as the record is in the state database and you have all the right documents to prove eligibility. But if the death happened very recently, it might not be in the system yet. Funeral homes have up to seven days to file a death certificate under ARS § 36-325. The state registrar then has 72 hours to register it. So a death that took place a few days ago may not be ready for another week.

Mail requests to the state office take 10 to 15 business days. This includes the time it takes for your application to arrive, get processed, and have the death certificate mailed back to you. VitalChek online orders arrive in 7 to 10 business days for standard shipping. You can pay extra for expedited shipping to cut that time down to 3 to 5 days. During busy times, all these time frames can stretch longer. Call ahead if you need the death certificate by a certain date.

The Maricopa County FAQ page explains that processing can take extra time in certain situations. If you are requesting a correction to the certificate, providing additional documents to prove eligibility, or paying with a form that is not accepted, you may not get same-day service. Most routine requests are filled while you wait, but some cases need more review.

Arizona State Vital Records Office

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, about 18 miles west of Scottsdale. The bureau keeps records for all Arizona deaths from 1909 to the present, plus some older records dating back to 1877 from county sources. You can call them at (602) 364-1300 or toll-free at (888) 816-5907 with questions about death certificates or to check if a record is available.

The state office used to offer walk-in service, but that ended during COVID-19. Now the only way to get death certificates from the state office is by mail or online through VitalChek. For in-person service, you need to go to a county vital records office instead. Maricopa County is the best choice for Scottsdale residents because the county has five locations and can usually print your certificate the same day.

The state office does handle certain requests that counties cannot process. If you need to correct a death certificate for a death that occurred before 2008, you must go through 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.

Arizona Death Certificate Laws

Arizona vital records are governed by state law, not city law. The main statutes are in Arizona Revised Statutes Title 36, Chapter 3. State law defines key terms like "certificate," "certified copy," and "vital record." It explains that a death certificate is a record that documents a death and becomes a vital record once it is registered by the state or a local registrar. ARS § 36-301 contains these definitions and applies to all Arizona cities including Scottsdale.

ARS § 36-325 sets the timeline for death certificate registration. A funeral home or responsible person must complete the death certificate within seven days of taking possession of human remains. They must get the medical facts from a physician or medical examiner, fill in the personal details, and submit the certificate to a local registrar or the state registrar. The registrar then has 72 hours to register the certificate if it is accurate and complete.

ARS § 36-342 is the confidentiality law. It says that vital records are not public records in Arizona. Local registrars, deputy registrars, the state registrar, and their employees cannot permit inspection of a vital record or disclose information from a vital record except as authorized by law. This makes Arizona a closed record state for vital records. You cannot just walk in and ask for a copy of any death certificate like 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 spell out the eligibility rules in more detail. These regulations list the categories of people who can get certified death certificates and what documents they need to prove their status. The rules apply statewide, so the same eligibility requirements apply whether you request a death certificate from Maricopa County, the state office, or any other county in Arizona. Scottsdale residents follow these same rules when applying for death records.

Genealogy Research for Old Scottsdale Deaths

If you need a death record for family history research 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 Scottsdale 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 will return 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 Scottsdale 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, you can contact the Bureau of Vital Records at 602-364-1300 or send an email to the address listed on the genealogy website. The state updates the database regularly as more old records are scanned and indexed. This resource is helpful for Scottsdale families researching ancestors who lived in the area before 1970.

Other Vital Records in Scottsdale

Just like death certificates, other vital records in Scottsdale come from the county or state level. Birth certificates are issued by Maricopa County Public Health and the Arizona Department of Health Services. Marriage licenses and marriage certificates come from the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court, not the city. Divorce records are court records kept by the Clerk of the Superior Court. You cannot get any of these records from the Scottsdale City Clerk.

Maricopa County Public Health handles both birth and death certificates at the same five Valley locations. So if you need a birth certificate and a death certificate, you can get both in one trip to the Phoenix or Mesa office. The eligibility rules and fees are similar for both types of vital records. Bring your ID and proof of relationship for each record you request.

For marriage and divorce 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. These are separate from vital records and have their own fees and procedures. The main court is at 201 West Jefferson Street in downtown Phoenix. Regional court facilities also handle some family law matters, but vital statistics requests typically go through the central courthouse.

Death Records in Nearby Cities

Other cities near Scottsdale also refer residents to Maricopa County for death certificates. Cities do not issue vital records anywhere in Arizona. If you live in a neighboring city, you can still use the same Maricopa County offices to get death records. The five Valley locations serve all Maricopa County residents no matter which city you live in.

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

• Phoenix - has a dedicated county office at 1645 E. Roosevelt St.
• Tempe - served by the Phoenix or Mesa offices
• Mesa - has the East Valley office at 331 E. Coury Ave.
• Glendale - has a county office at 5141 W. Lamar Rd.

Each of these cities follows the same system as Scottsdale. 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. The county's five office locations make it easy to find a convenient site no matter where in the Valley you live or work.