Sources

Where every figure comes from

Each state’s fee, processing time, and ordering methods are read from that state’s official vital-records office. The copy-count guidance cites the relevant institution or regulator. Aggregators such as VitalChek were used only as a cross-check — never as a primary citation. Fees and timelines change; the date below is when we last confirmed each.

Federal & national

• US annual deaths — about 3 million

  3,090,964 deaths in 2023 (CDC NCHS, National Vital Statistics System).

  cdc.gov

Copy-count checklist

• Bank & financial accounts

  justia.com

• Life-insurance death-benefit claim

  official source
  content.naic.org

• Probate court estate filing

  justia.com

• Pension, retirement & brokerage accounts

  fidelity.com

• Vehicle title transfer

  official source
  dmv.virginia.gov

• Social Security notification

  official source
  ssa.gov

• IRS notice & final tax filing

  official source
  irs.gov

State vital-records offices

51 of 51 verified against an official source this cycle.

• Alabama

  Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026alabamapublichealth.gov

• Alaska

  Alaska Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026health.alaska.gov

• Arizona

  Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026azdhs.gov

• Arkansas

  Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026healthy.arkansas.gov

• California

  California Department of Public Health, Vital Records (CDPH-VR)

  verified June 16, 2026cdph.ca.gov

• Colorado

  Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026larimer.gov

• Connecticut

  Connecticut Department of Public Health, Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026portal.ct.gov

• Delaware

  Delaware Division of Public Health, Office of Vital Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026dhss.delaware.gov

• District of Columbia

  DC Health, Vital Records Division

  verified June 16, 2026dchealth.dc.gov

• Florida

  Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026floridahealth.gov

• Georgia

  Georgia Department of Public Health, State Office of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026dph.georgia.gov

• Hawaii

  Hawaii Department of Health, Vital Records Section

  verified June 16, 2026health.hawaii.gov

• Idaho

  Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026healthandwelfare.idaho.gov

• Illinois

  Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026dph.illinois.gov

• Indiana

  Indiana Department of Health, Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026in.gov

• Iowa

  Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026hhs.iowa.gov

• Kansas

  Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of Vital Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026kdhe.ks.gov

• Kentucky

  Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Vital Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026chfs.ky.gov

• Louisiana

  Louisiana Department of Health, Vital Records Registry

  verified June 16, 2026ldh.la.gov

• Maine

  Maine CDC, Division of Public Health Systems, Office of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026maine.gov

• Maryland

  Maryland Department of Health, Division of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026health.maryland.gov

• Massachusetts

  Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS)

  verified June 16, 2026mass.gov

• Michigan

  Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026michigan.gov

• Minnesota

  Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026health.state.mn.us

• Mississippi

  Mississippi State Department of Health, Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026msdh.ms.gov

• Missouri

  Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026health.mo.gov

• Montana

  Montana DPHHS, Office of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026dphhs.mt.gov

• Nebraska

  Nebraska DHHS, Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026dhhs.ne.gov

• Nevada

  Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Office of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026dpbh.nv.gov

• New Hampshire

  New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration (NH Secretary of State)

  verified June 16, 2026sos.nh.gov

• New Jersey

  New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry

  verified June 16, 2026nj.gov

• New Mexico

  New Mexico Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026nmhealth.org

• New York

  New York State Department of Health, Vital Records (covers all of NY State EXCEPT New York City)

  verified June 16, 2026health.ny.gov

• North Carolina

  NC DHHS, Division of Public Health, NC Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026vitalrecords.nc.gov

• North Dakota

  North Dakota Health and Human Services, Division of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026hhs.nd.gov

• Ohio

  Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026odh.ohio.gov

• Oklahoma

  Oklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service

  verified June 16, 2026oklahoma.gov

• Oregon

  Oregon Health Authority, Center for Health Statistics (Vital Records)

  verified June 16, 2026oregon.gov

• Pennsylvania

  Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026pa.gov

• Rhode Island

  Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026health.ri.gov

• South Carolina

  South Carolina DPH (formerly DHEC), Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026scdhec.gov

• South Dakota

  South Dakota Department of Health, Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026doh.sd.gov

• Tennessee

  Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026tn.gov

• Texas

  Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Vital Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026dshs.texas.gov

• Utah

  Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Vital Records and Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026vitalrecords.utah.gov

• Vermont

  Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records / Vermont State Archives

  verified June 16, 2026healthvermont.gov

• Virginia

  Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records

  verified June 16, 2026vdh.virginia.gov

• Washington

  Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics

  verified June 16, 2026doh.wa.gov

• West Virginia

  West Virginia Department of Health, Vital Registration Office

  verified June 16, 2026dhhr.wv.gov

• Wisconsin

  Wisconsin Department of Health Services, State Vital Records Office

  verified June 16, 2026dhs.wisconsin.gov

• Wyoming

  Wyoming Department of Health, Vital Statistics Services

  verified June 16, 2026health.wyo.gov