Yavapai County Death Certificates

Death records for Yavapai County are handled through mail order only at the Yavapai County Community Health Services office in Prescott. The county vital records office can provide certified death certificates for all deaths that took place in Arizona. If you need a death certificate, you can send your request by mail or use one of the drop boxes in Prescott, Prescott Valley, or Cottonwood. The office processes requests within 7 to 10 days after they receive all the required forms and payment.

Yavapai County Vital Records Office

Yavapai County Community Health Services runs the vital records office for the county. The office is at 1090 Commerce Drive in Prescott. This is a mail order only facility, which means you cannot walk in and get same-day service. All death certificate requests must be sent by mail or placed in a drop box. The office will process your request and mail the certified death certificate back to you. This system helps staff handle requests in an orderly way while keeping wait times as short as they can.

The vital records office can issue death certificates for any death that took place in Arizona. You do not have to limit your request to deaths in Yavapai County. The office uses a statewide database to search for records from all counties. If you know the name of the person who died and a rough time frame, the staff can find the death record and print a certified copy. This is true for deaths from 2008 to the present year. For deaths before 2008, you will need to contact the state vital records office instead.

Processing time for mail orders is 7 to 10 days from when the office receives your complete application. A complete application includes a filled-out form, a copy of your ID, proof of your relationship to the person who died, and payment for the death certificate. Missing any of these items will slow down the process. Check your packet before you send it to make sure you have all the required parts.

The Yavapai County Vital Records website has forms and instructions for getting a death certificate. The site also lists the drop box locations so you can drop off your request without using the mail. Drop boxes are checked daily on business days, so your request will move faster than if you send it through the postal service.

Drop Box Locations in Yavapai County

Yavapai County has three drop box locations where you can leave your death certificate application. Drop boxes offer a faster option than mailing your request. Staff check the boxes each business day and process the requests in the order they arrive. You still need to include all the same items you would send by mail. Put your application, ID copy, proof of relationship, and payment in an envelope and drop it in the box.

The Prescott drop box is at the main Yavapai County Community Health Services building at 1090 Commerce Drive. This is the same location as the vital records office. The box is in a public area so you can drop off your request any time, even when the office is closed. The Prescott Valley drop box is at the health services office at 3212 N. Windsong Drive. The Cottonwood drop box is in the lobby of the County Administration Building at 10 S. Sixth Street.

Use the drop box if you live in or near these areas. It saves you the cost of postage and gets your request to the office faster. Just make sure your envelope has your return address on it so the office knows where to send the death certificate when it is ready.

• Prescott: Yavapai County Community Health Services, 1090 Commerce Drive
• Prescott Valley: Yavapai County Community Health Services, 3212 N. Windsong Drive
• Cottonwood: County Administration Building Lobby, 10 S. Sixth Street

Note: Drop boxes are for document drop-off only and staff cannot answer questions at these locations.

How to Request Death Records in Yavapai County

Getting a death certificate from Yavapai County starts with filling out the right form. Download the death certificate application from the county vital records website or call (928) 771-3125 to ask them to mail you a blank form. Fill in all the fields with the name of the person who died, the date of death if you know it, and other details that help identify the right record. Sign the form at the bottom.

Next, gather your supporting documents. You need a copy of your government-issued photo ID. This can be a driver's license, state ID card, or passport. The ID must show your face and your name clearly. You also need proof of your relationship to the person who died. If you are the spouse, send a copy of the marriage certificate. If you are a child, send your birth certificate that shows the deceased person as your parent. If you are a sibling, you need both your birth certificate and the death certificate applicant's birth certificate to prove you share a parent.

Include payment with your request. The fee is $20 per certified death certificate. You can pay by check or money order made out to Yavapai County Community Health Services. Do not send cash in the mail. If you need more than one copy of the same death certificate, add $20 for each extra copy. The office will send you all the copies in one envelope once they process your request.

Put everything in an envelope and mail it to Yavapai County Community Health Services, 1090 Commerce Dr., Prescott, AZ 86305. Or use one of the drop boxes if that is easier for you. The office will review your application and mail the death certificate to the return address you provide. Expect to wait 7 to 10 days from when the office receives your packet.

For online orders, you can use VitalChek to request Arizona death certificates. VitalChek charges extra fees for the service, but it can be faster than mail. VitalChek works directly with the state vital records office in Phoenix, not with the county office, so this is an alternative way to get the same death record.

Who Can Get a Death Certificate

Arizona law says that only certain people can get a death certificate. You must be 18 years old or older to request one. Being 18 is not enough by itself though. You also need to fit into one of the legal categories that allow access to these records. The most common category is family member.

Family member has a specific definition under ARS 36-301. It includes the spouse, parents, adult children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, and first or second cousins of the person who died. You must prove your relationship by sending copies of documents like birth certificates or marriage certificates. Just saying you are related is not enough. The vital records office will check your proof before they issue the death certificate.

Other people can get death certificates too. Attorneys who represent the estate can request copies by showing proof of their legal status. Funeral directors need death certificates to do their work and can get them with proof of their role. Government agencies can request death certificates for official purposes. Banks and insurance companies can get copies if they show the person who died had an account or a policy with them.

If you do not fit into one of these groups, you may still be able to get a death certificate. Ask an eligible family member to write a letter saying they give you permission to get the record on their behalf. The letter should include the family member's signature and a copy of their ID. This letter acts as proof that you have legal authority to request the death certificate. Without it, the vital records office will reject your application.

Death Certificate Fees

The fee for a certified death certificate in Yavapai County is $20. This is the same fee charged by all Arizona counties and the state vital records office. The $20 includes a base fee of $19 plus a $1 surcharge that goes to a state fund as required by law. If you order multiple copies of the same death certificate at the same time, each copy costs $20. There is no volume discount.

If you need to correct or amend a death certificate, the fee is higher. Corrections cost $30 for the first corrected copy and $20 for each additional corrected copy. Corrections can include fixing a misspelled name, wrong date, or other error on the original record. You must provide proof of the correct information when you request a correction. This can be a birth certificate, court order, or other official record that shows the right facts.

Payment must be by check or money order. Make the check or money order payable to Yavapai County Community Health Services. Write the name of the person whose death certificate you need in the memo line. This helps the office match your payment to your application. Do not send cash. Cash sent through the mail can be lost or stolen, and the office will not replace it if that happens.

If you use VitalChek for online ordering, the fees are different. VitalChek adds a service fee on top of the $20 state fee. The total cost through VitalChek can be $30 to $50 or more depending on how fast you want the death certificate delivered. VitalChek accepts credit cards and debit cards, which the county mail order system does not take.

Arizona State Vital Records for Older Deaths

Yavapai County can issue death certificates for deaths from 2008 to now. If the death took place before 2008, you need to contact the state vital records office. The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records keeps records going back to 1903. Some older records from the late 1800s are also available through the state.

The state office is in Phoenix at 150 North 18th Ave., Suite 120. The mailing address is PO Box 6018, Phoenix, AZ 85005. You can call the state office at (602) 364-1300 for help with your request. The phone line is a recorded message that gives you basic information and instructions. For detailed questions, you may need to send an email or letter to the state office.

The state vital records office charges the same $20 fee as the county offices. Processing time is about the same too, usually 7 to 10 days for a mail order. The state office does not offer walk-in service. All requests must come by mail or through VitalChek. If you need a death certificate from before 2008 and you live in Yavapai County, your best option is to send your request to the state office in Phoenix or use VitalChek to order online.

For very old death records, you can search the state genealogy database. The Arizona Genealogy Record Search website has death records from 1870 to 1970 that are more than 50 years old. These records are free to view and do not require proof of relationship. The copies you get from this site are not certified, so you cannot use them for legal purposes, but they work fine for family history research.

Arizona Death Certificate Laws

Death certificates in Arizona are controlled by state law. ARS 36-325 requires that a funeral home or other responsible person file the death certificate within seven days after taking possession of the body. The person filing the death certificate must get information from the family about the deceased person's name, date of birth, social security number, and other facts. A doctor or medical examiner must sign the death certificate to state the cause of death.

Once the death certificate is filed, the county or state registrar has 72 hours to register it if the information is complete and correct. Registration means the death certificate gets an official state number and goes into the state database. After that, the vital records office can issue certified copies to people who are eligible to get them. The process from death to registered certificate usually takes one to two weeks in most cases.

ARS 36-342 is the law that makes Arizona a closed record state for vital records. This statute says that vital records staff cannot show death certificates or give out information from them except to people who meet the legal requirements. The law protects the privacy of the deceased person and their family. It also prevents identity theft and other misuse of death record information.

ARS 36-341 sets the fees for death certificates. The law allows the state and each county to charge for searches, copies, and corrections. The director of the health department decides the exact fee amount. The law also requires a $1 surcharge on all death certificates. This surcharge goes into a special state fund. Counties can keep the rest of the fee to cover their costs of running the vital records office.

Other Vital Records Services

The Yavapai County vital records office also handles birth certificates. If you need both a birth certificate and a death certificate, you can request them in the same envelope. Use separate application forms for each type of record. The fee is $20 per birth certificate, the same as for death certificates. Processing time is also 7 to 10 days for birth certificates ordered by mail.

Fetal death and stillbirth certificates are another type of record the office can issue. These records follow different rules from regular death certificates. If you need a fetal death or stillbirth certificate, call the vital records office at (928) 771-3125 to ask about the process. The staff can explain what forms you need and what proof of relationship is required.

For deaths that involve a medical examiner or coroner, the death certificate may take longer to file. The medical examiner must investigate the cause of death before signing the death certificate. This can add days or weeks to the process. Once the medical examiner signs and files the death certificate, it goes into the state database and you can order a certified copy from the vital records office. If you need information about a medical examiner case, contact the county coroner's office for help.

Cities and Towns in Yavapai County

Yavapai County includes several cities and towns. Prescott is the county seat and the largest city. Other towns include Prescott Valley, Cottonwood, Chino Valley, and Sedona. Smaller communities like Camp Verde, Clarkdale, and Jerome are also part of the county. None of these cities or towns issue death certificates. All death record requests for Yavapai County residents go through the county vital records office in Prescott or through the state office in Phoenix.

If you live in one of these communities and need a death certificate, use the mail order system or a drop box. The drop boxes in Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Cottonwood are convenient options if you live in or near those areas. For people in Sedona, Camp Verde, or other parts of the county, mailing your request is the best choice.

Nearby Counties

Yavapai County is surrounded by several other Arizona counties. If you need a death certificate for someone who lived near a county line, make sure you know which county the death took place in. The Yavapai County office can search the statewide database for deaths in any county, but having the right county name helps speed up the search.