Yuma Death Records Lookup

Death records for Yuma residents come from Yuma County, not the City of Yuma. The Yuma City Clerk at One City Plaza does not issue vital records like death certificates. Arizona cities lack authority to maintain or distribute vital records under state law. If you need a death certificate for someone who died in Yuma, you must contact the Yuma County Office of Vital Statistics or the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records. Yuma County runs a vital records office at 2200 West 28th Street in Room 256, which handles certified death certificates for all Arizona deaths and processes requests in person or by mail.

Yuma County Handles Death Certificates

The City of Yuma does not issue death certificates. This is true for all cities in Arizona. State law puts vital records under the control of county public health departments and the state health agency. The Yuma City Clerk's office at One City Plaza handles city business like council minutes, public records requests for city documents, and permits. But when it comes to birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage records, you need to go to the county or state level.

For Yuma residents, that means Yuma County Vital Statistics. Yuma County runs the Office of Vital Statistics, which gives out certified copies of death certificates for any death that occurred in Arizona. The county office is at 2200 West 28th Street in Room 256. This location serves all Yuma residents and has parking available on site. Staff there can help you apply for a death record and answer questions about fees, eligibility, and what documents you need to bring. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon.

Yuma County processes death certificate requests in person or by mail. In-person requests take seven business days after they are requested. Mail requests take 10 to 15 business days from the time the county receives your complete application and payment. This processing time is longer than some other Arizona counties that offer same-day service, so plan ahead if you need the death certificate by a certain date.

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

Yuma City Clerk Office

The Yuma City Clerk is at One City Plaza in downtown Yuma. The physical address is One City Plaza, Yuma, AZ 85364-1436. 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 processes business licenses and keeps official city records.

The office is closed daily for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. When people call the City Clerk asking about death certificates, staff refer them to the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Vital Records. The phone number for the state vital records office is (602) 364-1300. The state office 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.

If you show up at the Yuma City Clerk's office asking for a death certificate, the staff will tell you to go to the Yuma County Vital Statistics office at 2200 West 28th Street instead. The city does not have access to the state vital records database and cannot print or issue death certificates. This saves you time if you know in advance where to go for death records in Yuma. The city clerk phone number is (928) 373-5035 if you have questions about city records or need to confirm the referral.

How Yuma Residents Get Certificates

You have three main ways to get a death certificate as a Yuma resident. The first option is to visit the Yuma County vital statistics office at 2200 West 28th Street, Room 256. 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.

Unlike some other Arizona counties, Yuma County does not offer same-day death certificate service. In-person requests are processed seven business days after they are requested. You submit your application and documents at the counter, pay the fee, and return to pick up your certified death certificate one week later. If you cannot come back to the office in person, you can include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your application and the county will mail the certificate to you when it is ready.

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. Yuma County accepts cash in person only, money orders, and cashier's checks. For debit cards, there is a flat $3.95 fee. For credit cards, there is a 2.49% per transaction fee with a $2.00 minimum.

Add a self-addressed stamped envelope so they can mail the certificate back to you. Mail everything to Yuma County Vital Statistics, 2200 W 28th Street, Room 256, Yuma, AZ 85364. Processing time for mail orders is 10 to 15 business days from the time they get your complete application. This includes the time it takes for your application to arrive, get processed, and have the death certificate mailed back to you.

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 the county office during business hours or wait a week to pick up your certificate.

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.

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. Yuma County can only amend records from 2008 to the present. For deaths that occurred before 2008, corrections or amendments must be done by the Arizona Bureau of Vital Records in Phoenix.

Wait times in Yuma County are longer than in some other Arizona counties. In-person service takes seven business days. You cannot get a death certificate while you wait at the counter. The county must process your request and print the certificate over the next week. Come back to the office after seven business days to pick up your certified copy, or include a stamped envelope with your application so they can mail it to you.

Mail requests 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 at (928) 317-4530 if you need the death certificate by a certain date.

Yuma County also offers expedited service for an extra $10 fee on top of the $20 certificate fee. This can speed up processing times if you need the death certificate urgently. Ask the staff at the counter about expedited service when you submit your application, or note it on your mail request.

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, about 185 miles northeast of Yuma. 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. Yuma County Vital Statistics is the best choice for Yuma residents because it is local and serves all county residents.

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 Yuma County, the state office, or any other county in Arizona.

Genealogy Research for Old Yuma 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 Yuma 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 Yuma 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.

Other Vital Records in Yuma

Just like death certificates, other vital records in Yuma come from the county or state level. Birth certificates are issued by Yuma County Vital Statistics and the Arizona Department of Health Services. Marriage licenses and marriage certificates come from the Yuma 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 Yuma City Clerk.

Yuma County Vital Statistics handles both birth and death certificates at the same office on West 28th Street. So if you need a birth certificate and a death certificate, you can get both in one trip to the county office. The eligibility rules and fees are similar for both types of vital records. The processing time is the same seven business days for in-person requests and 10 to 15 business days for mail requests.

For marriage and divorce records, you need to contact the Yuma 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 250 West 2nd Street in Yuma, which is in the Yuma County Courthouse building.