Find Tempe Death Records

Death records for Tempe residents are handled by Maricopa County, not the City of Tempe. The Tempe City Clerk at 31 East Fifth Street does not issue or maintain vital records like death certificates. Under Arizona law, cities do not handle vital records. If you need a death certificate for someone who died in Tempe, 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 Valley locations where Tempe residents can get certified death certificates in person. The closest offices are in Mesa and Phoenix.

Maricopa County Handles Death Certificates for Tempe

The City of Tempe does not issue death certificates. This applies to all cities across Arizona. State law places vital records under county public health departments and the state health agency. The Tempe City Clerk's office handles city business such as council minutes, public records for city documents, and business permits. When it comes to death certificates, birth certificates, and other vital records, residents must contact the county or state.

For Tempe residents, Maricopa County Public Health is the place to go. The county runs the Office of Vital Registration, which issues certified copies of death certificates for any death that occurred in Arizona. Maricopa County has five offices across the Valley. The closest office to Tempe is the East Valley location at 331 East Coury Avenue in Mesa. This office is just a short drive from downtown Tempe and serves residents throughout the East Valley. Another convenient option is the Phoenix office at 1645 East Roosevelt Street, which is also accessible from Tempe via major highways.

These county offices can access the statewide vital records database and print certified death certificates on site. The same fees apply at every location. Other Maricopa County offices include Peoria, Glendale, and Goodyear. While farther from Tempe, they can also help if you happen to be in those areas.

The Maricopa County death records page has complete details on all five office locations, hours, fees, and what documents you need to bring. You can also visit the Maricopa County Vital Records website to check current wait times and confirm office hours before making the trip.

Tempe City Clerk Office

The Tempe City Clerk is at 31 East Fifth Street in downtown Tempe. This office handles public records requests for city documents but does not handle vital records. You can get copies of city council agendas, meeting minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and other city paperwork here. The City Clerk also processes business licenses and maintains official city records. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. The phone number is 480-350-4311.

When residents call the City Clerk asking for death certificates, staff refer them to the state health department. The city directs people to the Arizona Department of Health Services vital records portal. This state website explains how to request birth certificates, death certificates, and other vital records. It also lists county offices where you can apply in person.

If you go to the Tempe City Clerk's office asking for a death certificate, the staff will tell you to visit the Maricopa County office in Mesa or Phoenix 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 wasted trip.

How Tempe Residents Get Death Certificates

Tempe residents have three main options for getting death certificates. The first is to visit a Maricopa County vital records office in person. The Mesa office at 331 East Coury Avenue is the closest to Tempe. Bring your government photo ID such as 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 proving you are an eligible family member under Arizona law. Fill out the application at the office. Pay the $20 fee. Most requests are processed 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 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. 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 receive 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 deliver the death certificate 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 during business hours.

Arizona law sets strict rules on who can obtain 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.

Death Certificate Costs and Processing 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 costs $20. No discount for multiple copies. If you need two copies, you pay $40. If you need five, you pay $100. 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 your method. Same-day service is usually available at Maricopa County offices in Mesa and Phoenix 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 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. A death that occurred 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 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 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.

Note: Processing delays can occur if your application is missing required documents or if the fee amount is incorrect.

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. 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 no longer offers walk-in service. 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. Maricopa County is the best choice for Tempe 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 § 36-325 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. This law keeps the process moving so families can get copies when they need them for funeral arrangements, insurance claims, and estate matters.

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.

Genealogy Research for Old Tempe 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 Tempe 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 Tempe 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.

Other Vital Records in Tempe

Just like death certificates, other vital records in Tempe 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 Tempe 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 Mesa office. The eligibility rules and fees are similar for both types of vital records.

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 court is at 201 West Jefferson Street in downtown Phoenix.

Death Records in Nearby Cities

Other cities in the Phoenix metro area 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 Tempe with death records available through Maricopa County include:

• Mesa - home to the East Valley office at 331 E. Coury Ave.
• Chandler - served by the Mesa office
• Phoenix - has a county office at 1645 E. Roosevelt St.
• Scottsdale - served by all five Maricopa County offices
• Gilbert - served by the Mesa office

Each of these cities follows the same system as Tempe. 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.