You order a death certificate from the vital records office in the state or county where the person died, and most families need 8 to 12 certified copies to settle everything. The funeral home usually files the first order for you within a few days of the service. After that, you can request more directly from the state, by mail, online, or in person.

That first decision, how many copies to order, trips up almost everyone. Order too few and you wait weeks for more while accounts sit frozen. Order way too many and you have paid for paper you will never use. This guide walks through where certificates come from, how many you actually need, what they cost, and how to request extras without starting over.

Certified copy vs. informational copy: order the right one

Vital records offices issue two versions, and the difference matters.

A certified copy has a raised or embossed seal, the registrar's signature, and security paper. This is the one banks, insurers, and courts accept as legal proof of death. It is what you need for almost every task on your list.

An informational copy carries the same information but is stamped "informational, not a valid document to establish identity." It costs less, but no financial institution will accept it. Unless you have a specific reason to want one, skip it and order certified copies only.

A few states also restrict who can order a certified copy. You generally have to be a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or the appointed executor, and you may need to show your own ID and your relationship to the person who died. The vital records office will tell you what proof they want.

How many death certificates do I need?

Here is the question everyone asks. The honest answer is that it depends on the size of the estate, but most families land between 8 and 12 certified copies. Each of these typically wants its own original:

• Each bank or credit union where the person held an account
• Each life insurance policy you file a claim on
• Each investment or brokerage account
• Each retirement account (401(k), IRA, pension)
• The probate court, if the estate goes through probate
• Social Security (often the funeral home reports the death, but keep one ready)
• The DMV, for transferring or retitling a vehicle
• The county recorder, for real estate or a transfer on death deed
• Pensions or the VA, if the person was a retiree or veteran
• Employers, for final pay, group life insurance, or benefits

Some organizations will accept a photocopy or a scanned upload, and others insist on an original with a raised seal that they keep. You will not know which is which until you ask, so it is safer to have a small surplus than to run short.

A reasonable rule: count the financial accounts and insurance policies you already know about, add the court and a couple of government agencies, then add two or three spares. For a simple estate with one bank and one insurer, 5 or 6 copies may be plenty. For a larger estate with several accounts and real estate in more than one place, lean toward 12 to 15.

One caution worth its own line: do not assume you have found every account yet. Families routinely discover a forgotten policy or an old brokerage account months later. If you are still mapping out what the person owned, our guide on how to find a deceased person's bank accounts and the broader hidden assets families miss after a death can help you build a complete list before you decide on a number.

Where to order a death certificate

You have four common paths, and the right one depends on how fast you need the copies.

Through the funeral home

The funeral director almost always orders the first batch of certified copies as part of their service. When you arrange the funeral or cremation, tell them how many you want up front. This is usually the fastest route for the initial order because they file directly with the registrar while the record is being created.

From the state or county vital records office

Every state has a vital records office, and many records are also held at the county level where the death occurred. Ordering direct is the standard way to get more copies later. You can typically order:

• Online, through the state's vital records site or an authorized third-party service
• By mail, with a signed application, a copy of your ID, and a check
• In person, at the county or state office, sometimes with same-day pickup

Through an authorized online service

Many states route online orders through a verification vendor. These add a service fee on top of the state charge but can be faster than mailing a paper application. Make sure you are using the official link from the state's own website so you are not overpaying a lookalike site.

What you will need to apply

Have these ready before you start, whichever path you choose:

• The full legal name of the person who died, including maiden name if relevant
• Date and place of death (city and county)
• Their date of birth and, often, Social Security number
• Your relationship to them and a copy of your government ID
• Payment, and for mail orders, a self-addressed return envelope

How much does a death certificate cost?

Prices are set by each state, so there is no single national figure. As a rough guide, a first certified copy commonly runs $10 to $25, and additional copies ordered at the same time are usually cheaper, often $4 to $15 each. A few states charge more, and online orders add a processing fee on top.

Because the per-copy price drops when you order several at once, it is genuinely cheaper to order what you need in one batch than to come back later for one more. That is the practical argument for a small surplus: the marginal cost of a couple of extra copies is low, and a second separate order costs you the base fee again plus shipping time.

How long does it take to get a death certificate?

Timing varies by state and by how you order:

• Through the funeral home: often within a week to 10 days of the death being registered
• In person: sometimes same day, sometimes a short wait
• Online: a few days to two weeks, plus shipping
• By mail: two to four weeks is common, and longer during busy periods

If you have a hard deadline, like a life insurance filing window or a court date, order in person or online and pay for expedited shipping if it is offered.

What to do with the certificates once you have them

A death certificate is the key that unlocks most of the early tasks after a loss. You will hand one to the bank to release or transfer funds, to the insurer to start a claim, and to the court if the estate goes through probate. Keep a running list of who has which copy so you know when you are running low.

If you are at the very start, our list of who to notify when someone dies puts the agencies and companies in order of urgency, and many of them will ask for a certified copy. When it comes time to file an insurance claim, how to claim life insurance after a death covers what the insurer wants alongside the certificate. And if you are opening an estate account or filing taxes for the estate, you will likely need an EIN for the estate too.

Frequently asked questions

How many death certificates do I need?

Most families need 8 to 12 certified copies. Plan on one for each bank, insurer, investment account, and retirement account, plus copies for the probate court, the DMV, real estate transfers, and a few government agencies. Add two or three spares, since extras ordered together are cheap and a second order costs the base fee again.

How much does a death certificate cost?

It depends on the state. A first certified copy commonly costs $10 to $25, and additional copies ordered at the same time are usually cheaper, often $4 to $15 each. Online orders add a processing fee.

Can I order a death certificate online?

Yes, in most states. You can order through the state vital records website or an authorized verification service. Use the official link from the state's own site to avoid overpaying a third-party lookalike, and have the person's details and your ID ready.

What is the difference between a certified and an informational copy?

A certified copy has a raised seal and is accepted as legal proof of death by banks, insurers, and courts. An informational copy carries the same details but is marked as not valid for identity or legal purposes. For settling an estate, order certified copies.

Who can request a death certificate?

Rules vary by state, but a certified copy can usually be ordered by the spouse, a parent, a child, a sibling, or the appointed executor. You may need to show your own ID and prove your relationship to the person who died.

What if I run out of copies?

You can order more at any time from the state or county vital records office. Just know that a second separate order costs the base fee again plus shipping time, which is why a small surplus on the first batch saves money and waiting.

You do not have to track all of this on a legal pad

Figuring out how many certificates to order is really a question of knowing what the estate holds, and that is exactly where families get stuck. Sunset helps you find the accounts, policies, and property the person left behind, handle the probate paperwork, open an FDIC-insured estate account, and move money where it needs to go. More than 10,000 families have used Sunset to settle an estate, and it is free for families.

If you are early in the process and not sure what you are dealing with yet, Sunset can help you map the whole estate so you order the right number of certificates the first time, and handle everything that comes after.