Order Massachusetts Death Records Online

Order Official Massachusetts Death Certificates (1931-2025)

Official death records are state-certified documents required for legal purposes such as life insurance claims, settling estates, or claiming benefits.

Massachusetts State Law: "Chapter 46: Return and Registry of Births, Marriages, and Deaths mandates death records are public records." Records are available for review, inspection, transcribing, or for purchasing certified copies.

Accessing Official Death Records in Massachusetts

All death records in Massachusetts are public records. Massachusetts does not restrict or impound death records.

• "All death certificates are public record, so any member of the public can obtain a copy at the city or town clerk's office where the death occurred."

When Do You Need an Official Death Certificate?

State-certified death certificates are typically required for official purposes, such as:

• Providing evidence of death for life insurance claims
• Filing a Massachusetts probate court petition
• Claiming social security death benefits
• Transferring assets
• Applying for pension, retirement, or military benefits

Remember, many state and government agencies only accept state-certified vital records, not city or town copies. A state-certified vital record is the most official copy one can obtain.

How to Order an Official Death Certificate Online

To order an official Massachusetts death certificate, follow these steps:

1. Click the "Order State-Certified Death Certificate" button below to access our secure, online order form
2. Fill out the application with all required information, including:
   • Full name on the death certificate (The person's legal name at time of death)
   • Date of death, if known
   • Place of death (city or town), if known
   • Parents' full names (including mother's maiden name), if known
3. Provide your contact and shipping information
4. Complete the credit card payment process (cost is $45 per certificate)
5. After a successful order placement, you'll receive a confirmation email with a transaction ID number
6. Your state-certified death certificate will be delivered within 10-14 business days
7. Expedited service is available for faster delivery at an additional cost of $30.

Your Options for Obtaining Death Certificates in MA

You have several options to obtain a Massachusetts death certificate:

1. State-Certified Copy: You can get a state-certified copy of a death certificate online through our service or directly from the State Registry of Vital Statistics. Both options provide identical certificates as they come from the same source.
2. City or Town Clerk's Office: You can request a copy from the city or town clerk's office where the death occurred. However, some agencies may not accept these for official purposes.

Enhanced Security of State-Certified Death Records

State-certified death records offer superior security features compared to many city or town vital records:

• Embossed with Official Raised Massachusetts State Seal
• Signed by the State Registrar of Vital Records and Statistics
• Contains the Original Date of Issue
• Stamped with Current Date of Issue
• Printed on Secure, Watermarked, Heavyweight Paper
• Embedded with a Scannable, Digital Bar-Code for Tracking

Find Massachusetts Genealogical Death Records (1931-2025)

For family history research, we offer transcribed death records that provide detailed information from Massachusetts historical death registrations.

Example of a Massachusetts Death Record Transcribed for Genealogy Research.

What Information is Included in Genealogical Death Records?

Information can vary based on the years in question, as collected and recorded information changed over time, but generally speaking, death records contain:

• First, middle (or initial), and last name of the deceased
• Place of death, including specific address and whether a residence or institution
• Month, day, and year of death
• The decedent's age - usually in years, sometimes in specific years, months, and days
• Specific birth date and place of birth (not always accurate or known)
• Marital status (single, divorced, widowed) and name of current or last spouse
• Name of the father (not always filled in)
• Name of the mother, including maiden name (not always filled in)
• Birthplace of parents (not always known)
• Causes of death, primary and secondary or contributing
• Date and place of burial or cremation
• Name of funeral home or director
• Name of physician or medical examiner
• Name of informant (usually states their relationship to the deceased)

For an example of a Massachusetts death certificate transcribed for genealogy, please visit our sample page.

How to Order a Genealogical Death Record

To order a transcribed Massachusetts death record for your family history project, follow these steps:

1. Click the "Order Genealogical Death Record" button below to access our secure, online order form
2. Complete the application, providing as much information as you know
3. Enter your credit card details and email address for a PDF delivery of the document
4. Upon successful order placement, you'll receive a confirmation email with a transaction ID number
5. Within 10-14 business days, you'll receive the PDF transcription of the record via email

Official vs. Genealogical Death Records: What's the Difference?

Choose the right type of death record for your specific needs by understanding the key differences between official certificates and genealogical copies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about Massachusetts death records and our retrieval services.