Utah Death Records

Utah has witnessed a rising trend of death rates over the last few years, with an average of 20,608 deaths recorded annually across the state. However, the state's age-adjusted mortality rate of 750.9 deaths per 100,000 residents is still below the United States' average of 793.7 deaths per 100,000 total population.

Until 1898, no government agencies in Utah were required by law to keep records of death events. However, a few cities in the state registered death records before 1898, when county clerks were given the responsibility to register all death events within their jurisdictions. In 1905, it became the responsibility of the Department of Health to register statewide death records and create death certificates for all death events in the state.

Utah death records primarily exist as death certificates, which are permanent legal records of individuals' deaths in the state. A typical death certificate contains the name of the deceased person, the place of death, the date of death, and the cause of death. Those already archived have a lot more information, including birthplaces, burial locations, parents' names, and information about the decedent's spouse.

Per Section 26B-8-120 of the Utah Code, a deceased person's family member can file the death record (original death certificate) of the deceased without using the services of a funeral director. However, they must abide by the state's rules regarding human remains dispositions. When someone dies, either a family member or a funeral service director must obtain statistical and personal information about the deceased from the most qualified persons with such information.

Afterward, the funeral service director or family member is required to present the death certificate to the attending healthcare professional or a medical examiner to fill out other necessary information on the document and certify the cause of death. Once the cause of death is certified, the funeral service director or family member must file the original death certificate with the local or state registrar. The original death certificate remains in the file of the local or state registrar, but any eligible person may request certified copies. A certified copy of a Utah death certificate, which is a verified copy of the original death certificate, is issued by the state's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

How Do I Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate in Utah?

The Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics, a division of the state's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), has death certificates for deaths that took place in the state from 1905 to the present. It issues certified copies of death certificates to eligible persons online, by mail, and through walk-in services.

• Order a Certified Copy of a Utah Death Certificate By Mail - To obtain a certified copy of a death certificate by mail in Utah, take the following steps:

  • Complete the Death Certificate Application Form with all required information. Requesters who are unable to print the application form are permitted to write a request letter. The letter must contain the type of record needed, the person named on the death certificate, the place of the event, the date of the event, the reason for the request, their relationship to the decedent, and their signature.
  • Provide a photocopy of a valid identification.
  • Pay a non-refundable $30 search fee, which includes one certified copy and a $10 fee for each additional certified copy in the same order. Payment can be by check or money order payable to "Vital Records".

  • Mail the completed application form (or written request), a copy of a valid ID, and the correct fees to the DHHS at:

    Utah Department of Health and Human Services

    Vital Records

    P.O. Box 141012

    Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1012

• Order a Certified Copy of a Utah Death Certificate in Person - The following steps are required to get a certified copy of a death certificate in the state:

  • Download and fill out the Death Certificate Application Form or pick up a copy from a local health department if unable to print one.
  • Pay the correct fees ($30 for a first copy and $10 for each additional copy).
  • Have valid identification.
  • Submit the completed application form and other required items in person at any Utah Local Health Department.

• Order a Certified Copy of a Utah Death Certificate Online - Anyone looking to obtain a certified copy of a death certificate in the state online may use UtahID, a central portal that provides access to multiple systems. A user must create an account first, after which they return to the appropriate system that allows them to request certified copies of a death certificate. Ordering a death certificate through Utahid is more convenient and typically takes a few minutes to complete the process.

  Anyone requesting certified copies of a death certificate by mail in Utah should allow about 3 weeks for processing and mailing of the requested copies. In-person requests are usually processed the same day unless they are submitted after 4:00 p.m. Such requests are processed the following working day.

Are Utah Death Records Public?

Per Section 26B-8-125 of the state's Code, Utah death records are considered private records for 50 years from the date of death. They become public records after 50 years or more have passed since the death event. Access to death records under 50 years in the state is generally limited to certain persons with a direct, tangible, and legitimate interest.

Who Can Request an Original Death Certificate in Utah?

In Utah, original death certificates are not available for issuance, as they are permanently kept by the DHHS's Office of Vital Records and Statistics. Hence, no person may request or obtain them. However, when a copy of a death certificate is needed, any eligible individual may request a certified copy of the original death certificate on the file of the Office of Vital Records and Statistics.

According to Section 26B-8-125(3)(a) of the Utah Code, only persons with a direct, tangible, and legitimate interest in a death certificate may request certified copies of the document. Such persons include the decedent's immediate family members, guardian, and designated representative. Immediate family members include the deceased person's surviving spouse, children, siblings, parents, grandchildren, and grandparents. However, death certificates for death events over 50 years are public documents, and the general public may request non-certified copies.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in Utah?

How long it takes to obtain a death certificate in Utah generally depends on the nature of the death and the adopted method of request. If someone dies a natural death and the original death certificate has been filed with the Office of Vital Records and Statistics, it takes approximately 3 weeks for a requester to receive a copy of the certificate by mail if a mail request was submitted. In-person requesters at the local health departments may get a copy of the requested death certificate the same day if submitted before 4:00 p.m. or the following business day for requests submitted after 4:00 p.m.

An autopsy is often required to determine the cause and manner of death for deaths that occur under unusual circumstances in Utah. In a typical situation, the Office of the Medical Examiner can determine the cause and manner of death within 5 days of taking charge of the case and update the death certificate with their findings about their cause and manner of death.

However, the process may take longer in complex cases in which additional investigations and toxicology testing are required. Toxicology tests alone take about 3 to 4 weeks before the results are out, and it may take another 8 to 12 weeks or even longer to prepare the completed autopsy report. This generally stalls completion of the original death certificates and causes a delay in getting a death certificate in Utah.

Can I View Utah Death Records Online for Free?

Some historic death records in Utah may be accessed online for free through the state's Division of Archives and Records Services. For instance, death records for select counties and cities before 1898 and from 1898 to 1975 are available online as digitized copies in varying series in the State Archives. Interested persons may also view old Utah death records online through resources such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. Furthermore, some credible third-party online resources like Utahpublicrecords.us provide access to death records in the state that are already public, although at a fee.

Other places to look to find information about death events or records free of charge in Utah are substitute records like burial records, cemetery records, obituaries, and census records. Others include church records, private family records, newspapers, tax records, and probate records. Substitute records are generally excellent sources for important information about death events that are not officially registered in the state.

When Would You Require A Death Certificate in Utah?

A person may need to get copies of a death certificate in Utah for many reasons, but most often, they are required for the following administrative and legal purposes:

• Claiming life insurance benefits.
• Arranging for a funeral.
• Notifying government bodies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about the death of a person in the state to have certain accounts closed.
• Settling a decedent's outstanding debts with their creditors (if any) and closing their credit accounts.
• Canceling a decedent's subscription to utility services.
• Canceling a deceased person's credit cards.
• Claiming benefits such as veterans' benefits, pension benefits, and other retirement benefits from a decedent's employer.
• Transferring a decedent's property titles and sharing their assets to new beneficiaries.
• Handling legal disputes, probate process, and estate planning.
• Closing a decedent's bank accounts and accounts with other financial institutions and transferring the balance in such accounts so the decedent's estate can be liquidated by the estate executor.

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in Utah?

The actual number of copies of a Utah death certificate needed by anyone in the state varies by individuals' specific needs. However, obtaining 8 to 12 certified copies of the certificate will go a long way in addressing several legal and administrative matters. Some of the major factors determining how many copies of a death certificate an individual will need in the state are the number of agencies requiring them and the scope of the deceased person's estate.