Are Death Certificates Public Record in Massachusetts?

Yes. Death certificates are public record in Massachusetts, and any member of the public can request a certified copy regardless of their relationship to the deceased. There is no waiting period, no proof-of-kinship requirement, and no court order to obtain. Copies are available from the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics or from the clerk’s office in the city or town where the death occurred, with fees running from $20 to $62.50 depending on how you order.¹

Why Anyone Can Request One

Massachusetts restricts access to a short list of vital records, and death records are not on it. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46, Section 2A, the records that require a judicial order or proof of official duties to access are limited to birth records of children born out of wedlock, fetal death records, and certain marriage records filed with a physician’s certificate.² Section 13 goes further for death records, stating that death records corrected, amended, or supplemented after January 1, 1996 “shall not be restricted,” with narrow exceptions for attached medical records or items independently covered by a judicial order.³

The state’s own guidance confirms the practical result: “any member of the public can obtain a copy at the city or town clerk’s office where the death occurred.”⁴ Family members, executors, attorneys, genealogists, researchers, and the merely curious all request on the same terms.

What You Need Before You Order

Three pieces of information will get a search started: the decedent’s full legal name at the time of death, the date of death, and the Massachusetts city or town where the death occurred. Records are filed in the municipality where the death actually happened, not where the person lived, so that detail matters.

The decedent’s date of birth and the parents’ full names (including a mother’s maiden name) are not strictly required, but they help the clerk narrow things down when the name is common or when more than one record could match.

Where to Order and What It Costs

Massachusetts offers four ways to order through the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The clerk in the city or town where the death occurred also issues certified copies, and for recent deaths that route is often fastest, though municipal fees vary.

In Person at the Registry

You can walk into the RVRS office at 150 Mount Vernon Street, 1st Floor, Dorchester and request a copy for $20. Payment is accepted by cash, check, or money order. In most cases the certificate is handed to you the same day.¹

By Mail

A standard mail request costs $32 per copy and includes a 10-year record search. Send the completed vital records mail order form with a check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Processing takes 15 to 20 business days from the day the Registry receives the request. An expedited mail request costs $42 per copy and is processed and shipped within 10 business days.¹

Online or by Phone

The fastest route is VitalChek, the state’s authorized online and telephone vendor. A standard order costs $54 for the first copy, which includes a $12 VitalChek processing fee, and $42 for each additional copy; processing takes roughly 10 business days before shipping. An expedited order costs $62.50 for the first copy and $50.50 for each additional copy, with next-business-day processing. Both options accept major credit cards.¹

Older Records

The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics holds death records from 1936 to the present. For deaths between 1841 and 1935, contact the Massachusetts State Archives, which charges $3 per certificate.⁵ Pre-1936 records may also be available at the city or town clerk’s office where the death occurred.⁶

How Many Copies to Order

If you are settling an estate, order more copies than you think you’ll need. Most institutions that require a death certificate keep the copy you give them, so one certificate rarely covers two agencies. Life insurance companies, banks, brokerage firms, pension administrators, the probate court, and anyone holding property titled in the decedent’s name will each want their own certified copy.

For a simple estate with a few accounts, three to five copies is a reasonable starting point. Estates with multiple financial institutions, real property, and insurance policies can easily call for eight to ten. Ordering extras upfront is cheaper than coming back for more, especially through the mail or online options where every repeat trip adds fees and waiting.

Fixing Errors on the Certificate

When a certificate arrives with a misspelled name, wrong date of birth, or similar mistake, it can be corrected through an amendment. Start at the city or town clerk’s office where the death was recorded; the clerk will explain what supporting evidence is needed. In most cases, you have to show that the information was wrong at or near the time of death, since vital records reflect facts as they existed at the time of the event and are not updated for later changes.⁷

Handling an amendment in person at the state level requires an appointment, which you can request by emailing RVRSAmendments@mass.gov or calling (617) 740-2674. The amendment fee is $50, and most mailed requests are reviewed within three to four months. Once the record is corrected, a new certified copy costs $20 in person or $32 by mail.⁷

1
Mass.gov. Vital Records Service Fees
2
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title VII, Chapter 46, Section 2A
3
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title VII, Chapter 46, Section 13
4
Mass.gov. Death Certificates
5
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Researching Vital Records at the Massachusetts Archives
6
Mass.gov. Order a Birth, Marriage, or Death Certificate
7
Mass.gov. Amend or Correct a Birth, Death, or Marriage Record