Pinal County Death Certificates

Death records for Pinal County are maintained by Pinal County Public Health. The office gives certified copies of death certificates for deaths that occurred anywhere in Arizona. You can get these at four in-person service locations across the county. Each office has trained staff who can help you with forms and answer questions about death records. The process is the same at all four Pinal County locations no matter which one you visit.

Pinal County Public Health Vital Records

Pinal County Public Health runs the vital records program for the whole county. The office can issue death certificates for deaths in Arizona going back many years, not just recent deaths. Four service locations let you visit the one that is closest to where you live or work in Pinal County. All four locations access the same statewide database. This means you can go to any office and get the death certificate you need.

Each office serves a different part of Pinal County. Casa Grande is in the center of the county and gets the most visitors. Maricopa serves the northwest section near the Maricopa County line. Oracle is in the north near the Pima County border. San Tan Valley helps people in the northeast part of Pinal County. If you are not sure which office to use, call the Central Appointment Desk at 866-960-0633 for help choosing a location in Pinal County.

The Pinal County Vital Records website has detailed information on what documents you need to bring with you. It is a good idea to review this page before your visit. You can also download forms ahead of time. Fill them out at home to save time at the office in Pinal County.

Arizona law states that only persons 18 years of age or older may obtain a death certificate. This applies at all Pinal County service locations. If you are under 18, you cannot get a certified copy even if you are related to the person who died. An adult family member must request the death record for you in Pinal County.

Four Service Locations in Pinal County

Pinal County gives you four choices for where to get death certificates. Each location has its own address and serves a specific part of the county. All of them follow the same rules and charge the same fees. Pick the one that is easiest for you to reach in Pinal County.

The Casa Grande office is at 1729 N Trekell Road, Suite 120. It is on the north side of town near the main highways. Parking is available in front of the building. The Maricopa office is at 41680 W Smith-Enke Road, Suite 110. This is the newest location and is convenient if you live in the northwest part of Pinal County. The Oracle office is at 1870 W. American Ave. This small town location serves the rural north. The San Tan Valley office is at 36235 N Gantzel Road. It is in the fast-growing northeast area near Queen Creek and Apache Junction.

All four offices offer the same services. You can request death certificates, birth certificates, and make corrections to vital records at any of them. Processing time is the same no matter which office you visit. If you are not able to go in person, you can send your request by mail to the Florence address listed above. Mail orders take more time to process than in-person visits in Pinal County.

Note: The Florence address is for mail only and does not have walk-in service.

Getting Death Records in Pinal County

To get a death certificate, visit one of the four service locations. Bring your government photo ID with you. Fill out a death certificate request form. You can print the form from the Pinal County Death Certificate Request page before your visit, or fill one out when you get to the office. The form asks for information about the person who died, including their full name, date of death, and place of death. Provide as much detail as you can. This helps the staff find the correct record in Pinal County.

You also need to show proof of your eligibility. This means showing how you are related to the person or why you have a legal right to the death certificate. Arizona Administrative Code sections R9-19-210, R9-19-314, and R9-19-315 specify who can get a certified copy. Most people who request death records in Pinal County are immediate family members. If you are a spouse, parent, adult child, or sibling, bring proof of the relationship. A birth certificate or marriage certificate works for this purpose.

For mail requests, send a completed application to P.O. Box 2945, Florence, AZ 85132. Include a copy of your photo ID. Add proof of your relationship to the person who died. Send a check or money order for $20 per copy. Do not send cash. The office will process your request and mail the death certificate to you. This process takes longer than going in person, sometimes several weeks depending on how busy they are in Pinal County.

If you prefer to request online, you can order through VitalChek instead. VitalChek is the official online partner for Arizona death records. They add extra fees for processing and shipping. But you can get the death certificate faster. VitalChek works with the state office, not the county. So this is a different path than going through Pinal County directly.

Who Qualifies for Death Certificates

Arizona is a closed record state. This means that vital records are not public records. You cannot just walk in and get any death certificate you want in Pinal County. Arizona law restricts who can access death records to protect the privacy of families. The rules are set out in Arizona Administrative Code R9-19-314 and R9-19-315.

Immediate family members can request death records. This includes the spouse, parents, adult children, and siblings of the person who died. You need to bring documentation that proves the relationship. If you are a spouse, bring your marriage certificate. If you are an adult child, bring your own birth certificate showing your parent's name. If you are a parent, bring the death record holder's birth certificate showing your name as mother or father. These are the most common types of requests the staff sees in Pinal County.

Other people can get death certificates if they have a legal interest. Attorneys who represent the estate can request copies. Funeral directors who handled the arrangements can get them. Banks and insurance companies can obtain death records if the person had an account or policy with them. They need to provide documentation proving the business relationship. Government agencies can request death certificates for official purposes. They must show proof of their agency status in Pinal County.

If you do not fit into any of these groups, you may still be able to get a death certificate. You need a signed authorization letter from an immediate family member. The letter must state that the family member gives you permission to get the death record. The family member who signs must be someone who qualifies under the law. This could be the spouse or an adult child of the person who died. You also need to bring a copy of your photo ID with the authorization letter in Pinal County.

Genealogists can access old death records through the state's genealogy database. Arizona allows access to death records that are 50 years or older. These records go back to 1870 and run through 1970. You can search for free at the Arizona Genealogy Record Search website. The copies you get from this system are not certified and cannot be used for legal purposes. But they are useful for family history research.

Pinal County Death Certificate Fees

A certified death certificate costs $20 in Pinal County. This is the standard fee set by state law. If you need multiple copies of the same death certificate, each copy is $20. There is no reduced price for ordering more than one at the same time.

If you need to correct information on a death certificate, the fee is $30 for the first amended copy. Each additional amended copy costs $20. Changes might include fixing a name spelling, correcting a date, or updating other facts on the death record. You must provide proof of the correct information when you ask for a correction in Pinal County.

Payment methods vary by location and by how you submit your request. For in-person visits, you can usually pay by credit card, debit card, check, or money order. Call ahead to the specific office to confirm what forms of payment they take. For mail orders, send a check or money order made payable to Pinal County Public Health. Do not send cash through the mail. The office will not process requests without payment in Pinal County.

Online orders through VitalChek have different fees. VitalChek charges the $20 base fee for the death certificate. Then they add a processing fee and shipping charges. These extra fees can add up. But the service is faster than mail. Use VitalChek if you need the death certificate quickly and are willing to pay more.

Arizona Department of Health Services

The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records keeps all vital records for the state. This includes death records going back to 1903 and some older records before that. The state office is in Phoenix at 150 North 18th Ave., Suite 120. You can reach them at 602-364-1300 or toll-free at 888-816-5907.

Pinal County can issue death certificates for any death that happened in Arizona, not just deaths in Pinal County. The county offices use the same statewide database that the state office uses. So you can go to a Pinal County location and get a death certificate for a death that took place in Maricopa County, Pima County, or anywhere else in the state. This is very convenient if you live in Pinal County but need a death record from another part of Arizona.

If you want to order from the state office directly, you can send a mail request to P.O. Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. Use the state's form VS-159, which you can download from their website. Include a copy of your photo ID, proof of your relationship, and payment of $20 per copy. The state office does not offer walk-in service anymore. All requests must be by mail or through VitalChek for online orders.

For very old deaths, the state office may be your only option. Some records from before the statewide database was created might not be available at the county level. If you cannot find a death record through Pinal County, try the state office. They have archival records that go back further than what is in the electronic system.

Arizona Death Certificate Laws

Arizona statutes control how death certificates are created and issued. ARS 36-325 requires that a funeral establishment or responsible person file the death certificate within seven calendar days. The registrar then has 72 hours to register it if all the information is correct. Once registered, the death record becomes part of the state database and can be issued by Pinal County Public Health.

The fee structure comes from ARS 36-341. This law gives the state and counties the authority to charge for certified copies, searches, and amendments. It also sets an additional one dollar surcharge on all death certificates. That dollar goes to a special state fund. The $20 fee in Pinal County includes this surcharge.

ARS 36-342 makes vital records confidential. Vital records staff cannot give out death certificates except as allowed by law. This statute is why Arizona is a closed record state. It protects the privacy of families and prevents unauthorized people from getting death records in Pinal County.

ARS 36-301 contains definitions for the vital records chapter. It explains what terms like certificate, certified copy, and vital record mean under Arizona law. The statute also covers fetal death records, which are handled differently from regular death certificates. If you need a fetal death or stillbirth certificate, ask the Pinal County staff about the process when you visit.

Other Vital Records Services

Pinal County Public Health handles birth certificates in addition to death certificates. The fee for a birth certificate is $20, the same as a death certificate. You can request both types of records at the same visit if you need them. The eligibility rules are different for birth and death records, so make sure you have the right documentation for each type of request in Pinal County.

Corrections and amendments are available for vital records. The fee is $30 for the first copy of a corrected death certificate. You need to provide evidence that supports the change you are requesting. This might be another official document, a sworn statement, or other proof. The vital records staff will review your request and decide if the correction can be made. Some changes require approval from the state office. This can add time to the process in Pinal County.

Pinal County works with the Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office for cases that involve unclear or suspicious deaths. If the cause of death is not obvious, the medical examiner must investigate before the death certificate can be completed. Once the medical examiner signs off, the death certificate gets filed and you can request a copy from Pinal County Public Health. These cases may take longer because of the extra investigation required.

Cities in Pinal County

Pinal County includes several cities and towns. Casa Grande is the largest city and home to one of the vital records service locations. The town of Maricopa has grown quickly in recent years and now has its own service office. Other communities include Apache Junction, Coolidge, Eloy, and Florence. Many residents live in the unincorporated community of San Tan Valley.

No matter which city or town you live in, you can visit any of the four Pinal County Public Health service locations to get a death certificate. Pick the one that is closest to you or most convenient to reach. All four offices provide the same services and access the same statewide database for death records.

Nearby Counties

Pinal County borders several other counties in Arizona. If you need a death certificate for someone who lived near a county border, make sure you know where the death actually occurred. Pinal County can search the statewide database for any Arizona death, but knowing the correct county helps the staff find the record faster.