Find Death Records in Maricopa County

Death records in Maricopa County can be found at the Office of Vital Registration. This office gives you certified copies of death certificates for events in Arizona. You can go to any of the five locations across the Valley to request death records. Each office has staff on hand to help you fill out the forms and answer your questions about the process. The main Phoenix office is on East Roosevelt Street, but you can also visit Mesa, Peoria, Glendale, or Goodyear if one of those is closer to where you live in Maricopa County.

Office of Vital Registration in Maricopa County

The Maricopa County Public Health Office of Vital Registration provides official copies of birth and death certificates for events that took place in Arizona. This is not just for Maricopa County deaths. You can get a copy of any Arizona death record from this office as long as you meet the eligibility rules. The office taps into a statewide database that includes death records from all 15 counties in the state. Most requests can be filled the same day if you come in person and all your paperwork is in order.

Maricopa County runs five vital records offices across the Valley to make access easier for residents. The main office is at 1645 East Roosevelt Street in Phoenix, just west of downtown near the West Entrance. This is the largest office and usually has the shortest wait times during the week. For people in the East Valley, the Mesa office at 331 East Coury Avenue is a better choice. It serves residents in Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, and Queen Creek. The Northwest Valley office at 8088 West Whitney Drive in Peoria helps folks in Peoria, Surprise, and Glendale. There is also a Glendale office at 5141 West Lamar Road and a Goodyear office at 14130 West McDowell Road.

Each office has the same hours and fees. They are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 in the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon. On Wednesday, hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All offices are closed on weekends and county holidays. The fee for a certified death certificate is $20 per copy. If you need to correct or amend a death certificate, the cost is $30 for the first corrected copy. You can pay by cash, check, money order, debit card, or credit card at all locations in Maricopa County.

The Maricopa County Vital Records website has more details on each office location and what you need to bring when you apply. You can also mail your request to PO Box 2111, Phoenix, AZ 85001. The main county phone line is 602-506-6805 if you have questions before you go in Maricopa County.

Five Valley Locations for Death Certificates

Maricopa County gives you options on where to get your death records. Each office can access the same state database and issue the same certified copies. Pick the one that is closest to you or has the best parking and access for your needs.

• Phoenix Office: 1645 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85006 (use West Entrance)
• East Valley Office: 331 E. Coury Ave., Mesa, AZ 85210
• Northwest Valley Office: 8088 W. Whitney Dr., Suite 2A, Peoria, AZ 85345 (park in patient lot only)
• Glendale Office: 5141 W. Lamar Rd., Glendale, AZ 85301
• Goodyear Office: 14130 W. McDowell Rd., Goodyear, AZ 85395

The Phoenix office is the main hub, but all five locations can help you. Wait times can vary. If you want to avoid a long wait, try calling ahead to ask which office is less busy that day. You can also check the county website for any closures or special hours at each location in Maricopa County.

How to Request Death Records

You can request death records in person or by mail. For in-person requests, bring a valid photo ID that shows your name and date of birth. This can be a driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID. You also need proof of your relationship to the person who died. This might be a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or court documents that show you are a family member, attorney, or other authorized person under Arizona law.

Fill out the death certificate application form at the office. The staff can give you a blank form when you arrive. You need to know the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the place of death if possible. The more details you can give, the faster the office can find the record in the system. Once the staff locate the record and confirm you are eligible, you can pay the $20 fee and usually get your certified copy the same day in Maricopa County.

For mail requests, download the death certificate application from the Arizona Department of Health Services website. Fill it out completely. Include a clear copy of your government photo ID and any proof of relationship documents. Send a check or money order for $20 per copy made out to Maricopa County. Do not send cash by mail. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the office can mail the death certificate back to you. Send everything to PO Box 2111, Phoenix, AZ 85001. Mail requests can take up to four to six weeks to process, so plan ahead if you need the death record by a certain date in Maricopa County.

Note: Same day service is usually available for in-person requests, but some situations may require extra time to verify eligibility or locate older records.

Who Can Get Death Certificates in Maricopa County

Arizona is a closed record state for vital records. This means not everyone can get a copy of a death certificate. You must be at least 18 years old and have a legal right to the record. The most common eligible persons are family members of the person who died. This includes the spouse, parents, adult children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and grandchildren. You must prove your family link by showing a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or other official document that connects you to the person in Maricopa County.

Other groups can also request death records. Attorneys can get copies if they represent the estate or have a legal interest in the case. Funeral directors need death certificates to complete their work and are authorized to get them. Banks, insurance companies, and other businesses can request copies if they show the person had an account or policy with them. Government agencies can get death records for official purposes. Private investigators may qualify if they have proper credentials and a valid reason under Arizona law.

If you do not fit into one of these categories, you may still be able to get a death certificate with written permission from an eligible family member. The family member must sign a letter saying it is okay for the county to release the death record to you. You will need to include this letter with your application along with a copy of the family member's ID in Maricopa County.

The Maricopa County Death Certificate FAQ page explains eligibility in more detail. It also covers special cases like genealogy research and what to do if you were the informant on the death certificate but are not a family member. Being listed as the informant does not automatically make you eligible for a certified copy under Arizona rules.

Fees and Processing Time

The fee for a certified death certificate in Maricopa County is $20 per copy. This is the standard fee set by Arizona law. Each copy you request costs $20. There is no discount for ordering more than one copy at the same time. If you need five copies, the total cost is $100.

For corrections or amendments to a death certificate, the fee is $30 for the first corrected copy. Additional corrected copies after that are $20 each. The correction fee covers the work needed to review your request and update the state database. You need to bring documents that prove the correct information, such as a birth certificate, Social Security card, or other official records. Not all changes can be made at the county level. Some older death records must be corrected by the state vital records office in Phoenix.

Payment can be made by cash, check, money order, debit card, or credit card. All forms of payment are accepted at the five Maricopa County offices. For mail requests, send a check or money order only. Do not send cash through the mail. Make checks payable to Maricopa County.

Same day service is the norm for in-person requests in Maricopa County. Most people who walk into one of the five offices can get their death certificate within an hour or less if the record is in the system and they meet all eligibility requirements. A few situations may take longer. If the death happened very recently, it might not be in the database yet. Funeral homes have up to seven days to file the death certificate under ARS 36-325, and the state has 72 hours after that to register it. So a death that took place three days ago might not be ready yet. Call the office to check if the record is available before you make the trip.

Mail requests take much longer. Current processing time for mail orders can run from four to six weeks. This is because Maricopa County is the largest county in Arizona and the vital records office handles a high volume of requests. If you need the death certificate sooner, go in person or use an online service like VitalChek for expedited processing at an extra cost.

Online Ordering Through VitalChek

VitalChek is the authorized online service for getting Arizona vital records. You can order a Maricopa County death certificate through the VitalChek website if you do not want to go in person or wait for a mail request. VitalChek charges extra fees for processing and shipping, but the service is faster than mailing your application yourself.

When you order through VitalChek, you fill out the application online and upload a photo of your ID. The system walks you through the steps and lets you choose your shipping speed. Standard mail takes one to two weeks. Expedited shipping can get the death certificate to you in a few days. VitalChek also handles the payment through a secure site. You pay with a credit or debit card.

VitalChek is run by an outside company, but it is the official partner approved by Arizona and Maricopa County. The death certificates you get from VitalChek are the same certified copies you would get in person. They have the official seal and signature and can be used for all legal purposes. The main trade-off is cost. You pay more for the convenience of online ordering and fast shipping.

Special Cases and FAQs

Some death certificate requests involve special situations. One common question is about free copies. A few people think they can get two free death certificates after someone dies. This is not true in most cases. The federal government used to give free copies with a special stamp for Social Security and Veterans Affairs claims. These were marked "For Government Use Only" and could not be used for anything else. The Social Security Administration now gets death notifications electronically and no longer needs these stamped copies in most cases. Veterans Affairs may still accept them for burial benefits. If you are filing a VA or SSA claim, ask the vital records staff about this option. The regular certified copies cost $20 each in Maricopa County.

Another common issue is timing. If the death just happened, you might not be able to get the death certificate right away. Funeral homes have up to seven days to file the paperwork with the county or state. After the funeral home files it, the registrar has 72 hours to register it in the system. So if your family member died yesterday, the death certificate probably will not be ready for at least a few days. Call the vital records office or check with the funeral home to find out when the death certificate will be available in the state database.

For old deaths that took place before 2008, you may need to contact the state vital records office instead of Maricopa County. Some counties only keep recent death records in their local systems. Maricopa County can access the full state database, so they can usually help you even for older deaths. But if you run into any problems, the state office is the backup. The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records is at 150 North 18th Ave., Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85007. You can call them at (602) 364-1300 or mail requests to PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005.

Genealogy research is another special case. If you need an old death record for family history purposes and the person died more than 50 years ago, you may be able to get a non-certified copy for free. Arizona makes death records from 1870 to 1970 available online at the Arizona Genealogy Record Search website. These are image files of the original death certificates. You can view and print them at no charge. They do not have the official seal, so you cannot use them for legal matters, but they work fine for family trees and historical research.

Arizona Death Certificate Laws

Arizona statutes set the rules for death certificates. ARS 36-301 defines what a death certificate is and what terms like certified copy and vital record mean. A certified copy is a written reproduction of the registered certificate that has been authenticated by the state or county registrar as a true and exact copy. The law also defines human remains, fetal death, and other terms that come up in death records work.

ARS 36-325 covers the registration process for death certificates. It says that a funeral home or responsible person must file the death certificate within seven days after taking possession of the human remains. The local or state registrar then has 72 hours to register the death certificate if it is accurate and complete. This statute also covers special situations like when a murder victim's body is not found. A murder conviction can serve as proof of death, and the court sends a record to the state registrar, who creates and registers the death certificate based on information from the court and family in Maricopa County.

ARS 36-341 is the fee statute. It gives the director of the health department the power to set fees for searches, copies, and amendments. The law also allows each county to set its own fees. Maricopa County charges $20 for a certified death certificate, which is the same as the state fee. The statute adds an extra one-dollar surcharge on all certified death certificates. This money goes to a special state fund. The total you pay in Maricopa County is $20, which includes this surcharge.

ARS 36-342 is the confidentiality law. It says that vital records staff cannot show or disclose information from a vital record except as authorized by law. This is why Arizona is a closed record state. Only certain people can get certified copies. The law makes an exception for statistical and research purposes, but those requests go through a different process and do not result in certified copies that can be used for legal matters in Maricopa County.

Birth Certificates and Other Services

The Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration also handles birth certificates. If you need both a birth and death certificate, you can request them at the same visit. The fee is $20 for each type of record. You need to fill out a separate application for each one. The same eligibility rules apply. For birth certificates, you must be the person named on the certificate, a parent, a legal guardian, or another authorized person under Arizona law.

The office also offers non-certified genealogy records if you meet the criteria. These are copies of old vital records that do not have the official seal. They cost less than certified copies and are fine for family history research, but they cannot be used to claim benefits or settle estates. Ask the vital records staff about this option if you only need the record for genealogy purposes in Maricopa County.

For home birth registrations and other special vital records services, call the main county line at 602-506-6805. The staff can explain what documents you need and how long the process takes. Some services may require an appointment or take more than one visit to complete.

Major Cities in Maricopa County

Maricopa County is home to over 4.5 million people and includes the Phoenix metro area. Several major cities are in this county. All residents of these cities should use the Maricopa County vital records offices to get death certificates. Cities do not issue vital records.

Each of these cities has its own city clerk, but city clerks do not handle vital records. For death certificates, you need to go to one of the five Maricopa County vital records offices listed above. Pick the office closest to where you live for the easiest access.

Nearby Counties

Maricopa County shares borders with several other Arizona counties. If the death you are researching happened near a county line, make sure you know which county it took place in. The Maricopa County offices can search the statewide database for any Arizona death, but it helps to know the county if you have that information.