How to Obtain a Death Certificate in North Carolina

To get a death certificate in North Carolina, submit an application, a copy of your photo ID, and the $24 fee to the state Vital Records office in Raleigh or to a county Register of Deeds. You can order in person, by mail, or online through VitalChek. The $24 state fee covers a search and one certified copy if the record is found; additional copies ordered at the same time are $15 each.¹

Who Can Get a Certified Copy

North Carolina restricts certified death certificates under General Statute 130A-93. You qualify if you are the deceased’s spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, stepparent, or stepchild. You also qualify if you need the record for a legal determination of personal or property rights, which covers executors settling an estate and beneficiaries filing insurance claims. Attorneys and authorized agents acting for a qualifying person can request a copy with documentation of that authority. Funeral directors involved in the case can obtain copies as well.²

If you don’t fall into one of those categories, you can still get an uncertified copy, which is available to any person on request. An uncertified copy won’t work for probate, insurance, or title transfers, but it’s fine for genealogy or personal records.

What You Need to Submit

The form is called the Application for Certified Copy of a Vital Record. You can download it from the North Carolina Vital Records website or pick one up at a county Register of Deeds office.³

For the deceased, be ready with:

Full legal name
Date of death
Approximate age at death
Race
Date of birth
City or county where the death occurred

For yourself, provide your full name, relationship to the deceased, mailing address, phone number, and the reason you need the certificate. Every request must include a legible photocopy of your valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. Depending on your relationship, you may also need to include a document proving the connection, like a birth or marriage certificate.

Ordering by Mail

Send the application, a photocopy of your ID, and payment to:

North Carolina Vital Records
1903 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1903

By mail, NC Vital Records accepts money orders, certified checks, and business checks payable to “NC Vital Records.” Personal checks and cash aren’t accepted through the mail.¹

Standard mail-in requests for records from 1930 to the present take an estimated 60 business days to process, which works out to roughly three months before mail delivery on either end.⁴

For faster mail handling, write “EXPEDITE” on the envelope and send it to the physical office at 225 N. McDowell St., Raleigh, NC 27603-1382, which also works for UPS or FedEx. Expedited requests carry an additional fee, and the search and expedite fees are nonrefundable whether or not the record is found.

Ordering Online Through VitalChek

The state’s authorized online vendor is VitalChek. You enter the deceased’s information, upload your ID, and pay with a credit or debit card. VitalChek adds a $13.95 processing fee to the $24 state search fee, so one certified copy runs about $38 before shipping. That processing fee is nonrefundable even if the record isn’t found.¹

Ordering in Person

In-person requests are the fastest option. The North Carolina Vital Records office is at 225 N. McDowell St. in Raleigh, open 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays. The office directs visitors to schedule an appointment online before arriving.⁵ Bring the completed application, your photo ID, and payment. Cash is accepted in person, along with money orders, certified checks, and business checks.

Ordering Through a County Register of Deeds

Your county Register of Deeds is often the most convenient option, especially if the death occurred in that county. The certified copy fee at the county level is typically $10 for a local record.⁶

Since September 2022, most counties can also pull death certificates from other North Carolina counties through a statewide network, though an additional $14 state search fee applies for out-of-county records, which brings the total to $24. Payment methods vary. Some counties accept cash, credit and debit cards, money orders, and cashier’s checks; personal checks are generally not accepted. Call ahead to confirm hours, accepted payments, and whether the office can retrieve the specific record you need.

How Many Copies to Order

Order more than you think you need. Most families end up using 8 to 12 certified copies, and buying extras upfront at $15 each is far cheaper than paying the full $24 search fee again later. Each of these usually wants its own certified copy:

Life insurance companies, one per policy
Banks and financial institutions, one for each account held solely in the deceased’s name
Retirement accounts, including pensions, 401(k)s, and IRAs
Real estate title transfers and mortgage payoffs
Probate court, for the estate filing
Social Security Administration, to report the death and claim benefits
Vehicle or boat title transfers

Some institutions return the copy after reviewing it, but many keep it. Having a couple of extras on hand avoids waiting months for a reorder.

When the Certificate May Be Delayed

If the death fell under medical examiner jurisdiction, such as an accident, suspected homicide, suicide, or an unattended death, the certificate can take weeks or months to finalize while an autopsy or toxicology work is completed. If you’re waiting on a certificate in one of these cases, contact the county medical examiner’s office for a timeline.⁷

Fixing Errors on a Certificate

Errors on death certificates are common, and a misspelled name, wrong date of birth, or incorrect Social Security number can stall probate or an insurance claim. You can submit an amendment through the county Register of Deeds where the death occurred or by mail to state Vital Records.⁸

For a mail amendment, complete the Death Certificate Amendment Application and include a $24 nonrefundable search fee plus a $15 amendment processing fee, for a total of $39. Amending the cause of death carries no fee.¹

The application must specify what needs to change and include supporting evidence proving the correct information. NC Vital Records publishes an identity verification and entitlement guide listing the proof required for each field. Once the office has a complete application with proper documentation and payment, it has 30 calendar days to process the amendment. That clock doesn’t start until everything is in order, so missing documents will push back your timeline.⁸

1
NCDHHS: DPH: NC Vital Records. Fees and Payment
2
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina General Statutes 130A-93 – Access to Vital Records; Copies
3
Johnston County Government. Application for a Certified Copy of a Vital Record
4
NCDHHS: DPH: NC Vital Records. General Issuance Certificates Processing Dates
5
NCDHHS: DPH: NC Vital Records. NC Vital Records Home
6
North Carolina Association of Registers of Deeds. Recording Fees
7
NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Frequently Asked Questions
8
NCDHHS: DPH: NC Vital Records. Change a Record