How to Fill Out and Submit the Oregon Death Certificate Order Form (45-13B)

To order a certified copy of an Oregon death certificate, complete the Oregon death certificate order form (Form 45-13B), attach a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and submit it with $25 per copy to the Center for Health Statistics by mail, drop box, online through VitalChek, by phone, or at an in-person appointment in Portland.¹ The state only issues records for deaths that occurred in Oregon.

Who Can Order a Copy

Oregon restricts certified death certificates to people with a defined relationship to the decedent or a legitimate interest in the record. Under ORS 432.380, you qualify if you are the spouse, registered domestic partner, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or next of kin. Legal guardians who served immediately before the death, legal representatives, estate executors, authorized representatives, government agencies acting officially, funeral home employees named on the record, and the person in charge of disposition can also order.²

If none of those fit, you can still qualify by showing the state registrar that you need the record to protect a personal or property right, such as a creditor pursuing an estate claim or someone named in the will.² Be ready to document that interest.

Filling Out Form 45-13B

Download Form 45-13B from the Oregon Health Authority website or pick one up at a county health department.³ The form is one page, but a mistake in any field can delay your order.

Information About the Deceased

Enter the decedent’s full legal name exactly as it appears on the death record. The form specifically warns against shortening names or substituting initials unless the record itself uses them.³ Enter the date of death in mm/dd/yyyy format and give the city and county where the death occurred. If a spouse applies, enter the spouse’s first name, middle name, and last name prior to first marriage. Leave the spouse line blank if it doesn’t apply or you don’t know.

The form does not ask for the decedent’s Social Security number. If you’re unsure about any detail, fill in what you know and note the uncertainty rather than guessing.

Information About You

Check the box describing your relationship to the deceased: child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, current spouse or registered domestic partner, legal representative, estate executor, government agency, title company, funeral home, or other. Checking “other” means you’ll need to specify your connection and may need extra eligibility documents.³

State your reason for needing the certificate. A short phrase like “settling estate,” “insurance claim,” or “property transfer” works. Give a daytime phone number and email so the office can reach you if there’s a problem, then your name and mailing address for delivery. A separate line lets you direct the certificates to someone else. Sign the form. Unsigned applications are not processed.

Identification You Must Include

Every application needs a legible copy of your current, valid, government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. The copy must clearly show your photo, printed name, signature, and expiration date.⁴ Blurry or cropped copies are a common cause of delay.

If you don’t have a government-issued photo ID, Oregon accepts any three of the following in its place, as long as at least one shows your current address:⁴

Identity documents: Selective Service card, original military discharge papers, U.S. immigration or naturalization papers, concealed weapon permit with photo, court papers showing date of birth, corrections or parole papers showing full name and date of birth, or a company ID card.
Financial documents: personalized check, savings account passbook, bank or mortgage statement no more than 30 days old, a recent paycheck stub no more than 30 days old, or a W-2.
Other documents: vehicle registration or title, state hunting or fishing license, voter registration card, auto insurance policy, food stamp or welfare ID, medical insurance card, union membership card, firearms permit, a utility bill no more than 30 days old, or a current rental agreement signed by the property manager.

Expired items don’t count. A tribal membership card or tribal ID without a photo counts as one of the three.

How to Submit the Form

You have five options, and the choice affects both cost and speed.

By Mail

Send the form, your ID copy, and a check or money order payable to “OHA/Vital Records” to:¹

Oregon Vital Records
PO Box 14050
Portland, OR 97293

Do not send cash. The $25 search fee is nonrefundable even if no matching record is found.⁵

Drop Box

The Portland State Office Building at 800 NE Oregon Street has a drop box for application packages.⁶ Include the same materials as a mail-in order. The fee is $25 per certificate and is also nonrefundable.⁵

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is Oregon’s contracted vendor for online orders.⁷ You enter the order on VitalChek’s website, upload your ID, and pay by credit or debit card. On top of the $25 state fee per copy, VitalChek charges a $15.50 vendor and security fee for identity verification.⁵ A single certificate ordered online runs $40.50.

By Phone

Call VitalChek at 1-888-896-4988, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.¹ The same $25 state fee and $15.50 vendor fee apply.⁵

In Person

You can schedule an appointment at the Portland office. The fee is $25 per certificate.⁵ Check the Oregon Health Authority website for availability, as walk-ins are not always accepted.

What It Costs

Every method charges $25 for the initial record search and first certified copy, plus $25 for each additional copy. There is no volume discount. Three certified copies cost $75 in state fees. VitalChek orders (online or phone) add a one-time $15.50 vendor fee to the total.⁵

Mail and drop-box orders are paid by check or money order to “OHA/Vital Records,” and the search fee is nonrefundable if no matching record is found. Online and phone orders are paid by credit or debit card through VitalChek.

How Long It Takes

Oregon does not publish a guaranteed turnaround for standard orders. Mail applications generally take several weeks, with volume as the main variable. The date your check or money order is cashed confirms the office received it and gives you a rough starting point.⁸ VitalChek orders tend to move faster because identity verification happens digitally at submission. If you’re racing a probate or insurance deadline, VitalChek is usually the fastest route despite the extra fee. Ordering through a local county health department can also sometimes be quicker than going through the state office.¹

If There’s an Error on the Certificate

Misspelled names, wrong dates, and other factual errors are handled through an amendment request by mail, email, or phone, not in person.⁹ Personal death record amendments currently take about three weeks to process.⁸

If you catch the error within one year of the certificate’s issuance date, you can exchange the original for a corrected version for $5. After one year, the standard amendment process and fees apply.⁹ Many institutions won’t accept a certificate with a discrepancy, so don’t let a known error sit.

1
Oregon Health Authority. Order a Death Certificate
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Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code Chapter 432 – Vital Statistics
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Oregon Health Authority. Oregon Death Certificate Order Form
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Oregon Health Authority. Eligibility to Order Vital Records
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Oregon Health Authority. Vital Records Fees
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Oregon Health Authority. Oregon Vital Records and Certificates
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Oregon Health Authority. Contact Us – Vital Records and Certificates
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Oregon Health Authority. Amendment Order Processing Times
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Oregon Health Authority. Change a Death Record