How to Get a Delaware Death Certificate (2026)

You get a Delaware death certificate from the Office of Vital Statistics, part of the Division of Public Health. State law caps the copy fee at $25.00 and adds a $2.00 Distressed Cemetery Fund charge to each death certificate copy, so confirm the current total with the office before you pay. Deaths within the last 40 years are not public records, but close family can request a copy as of right and other people can qualify by showing why they need it. You can request by mail, in person, or online.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in Delaware?

You get a Delaware death certificate from the Office of Vital Statistics, which is part of the Division of Public Health under the Department of Health and Social Services. This office holds death records for the most recent 40 years. There are three main ways to request a copy.

The first option is mail. You send a completed application, a copy of your valid photo ID, and the required fee to the Office of Vital Statistics at the Jesse S. Cooper Building in Dover. The office encourages mail requests for routine orders.

The second option is in person at any of the three service locations around the state. Counter service is generally available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays.

The third option is online through the state-authorized vendors GoCertificates or VitalChek. Delaware does not take credit-card orders directly over the internet, so online requests go through these processors, which add a separate handling fee on top of the state charge.

Office Locations

You can submit applications or pick up service at any of these Office of Vital Statistics locations:

• Jesse S. Cooper Building, 417 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901
• Chopin Building, 258 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19702
• Thurman Adams State Service Center, 546 S. Bedford Street, Georgetown, DE 19947

Who Is Eligible to Request a Delaware Death Certificate?

Eligibility depends on how long ago the death occurred. Under 16 Del. C. section 3110(f), a death record stays closed to the public for 40 years after the date of death. During that window, access is governed by section 3110(b), which creates two routes rather than one closed list.

The first route is an entitlement. The State Registrar must issue a certified copy on application to the registrant's spouse, children, parents, or guardian, or to their authorized representative. Those applicants do not have to explain why they want the record.

The second route is open to everyone else. The statute provides that others may be authorized to obtain certified copies when they demonstrate that the record is needed for the determination or protection of their personal or property rights or for genealogical purposes. That route covers a sibling, a grandchild, the informant named on the certificate, an estate or legal representative, and also a creditor, insurer, title company, attorney, or genealogist who can explain the need. The Department is directed to adopt regulations that further define who may obtain copies, so ask the office what documentation it expects from you.

Delaware does not use the "direct and tangible interest" test that some other states apply. The statutory standard is the personal or property right or genealogical purpose described above, and it applies only to applicants outside the family list in section 3110(b).

Once 40 years have passed since the date of death, the record becomes public. At that point, anyone may obtain a copy, and the older records are held by the Delaware Public Archives rather than the Office of Vital Statistics.

A copy of your valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver license, state ID, or work ID, is required with every request.

Delaware Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

16 Del. C. section 3132(a) sets a ceiling rather than a price. The State Registrar receives a fee not to exceed $25 for each certified or noncertified copy, and the State Board sets the actual amount to reflect the cost of the work. Separately, 29 Del. C. section 7907A(a) funds the Distressed Cemetery Fund by adding $2.00 to the fee established in section 3132 for each copy of a death certificate.

That cemetery money is an addition to the copy fee, not a slice taken out of it. Because the statute sets a cap and a surcharge rather than a single published total, confirm the current amount with the Office of Vital Statistics before you send payment.

The fee also covers the search. If the office searches but cannot locate the record, the payment is retained as a search fee and is not refunded.

There is one statutory exception worth knowing. Under section 3132(d), the State Registrar must furnish free of charge to the relative of a veteran, one time, a certified copy of the veteran's death certificate, provided that copy is essential to the settlement of a claim involving the veteran's affairs. All other copies are issued at the statutory fee. Tell the office up front if you are a veteran's relative settling benefits or an estate.

Additional copies ordered at the same time are charged at the same rate. There is no reduced rate for extra copies, so ordering several at once mainly saves you a second round of shipping and processing.

Processing usually takes about 2 to 3 weeks for mail and in-person requests submitted to the Office of Vital Statistics. Online orders placed through GoCertificates or VitalChek may offer faster shipping options for an added fee, but the underlying state record search still applies.

Certified vs Informational Copy in Delaware

A certified copy is the official, legally recognized version of the death certificate. It is printed on security paper and is what you need to settle an estate, claim life insurance or pension benefits, close financial accounts, or transfer property. This is the copy the Office of Vital Statistics issues at the statutory fee.

Delaware's vital records system is built around issuing certified copies to eligible applicants rather than selling open informational copies of recent deaths. Because access is restricted for 40 years, the state does not provide a general informational copy of a recent death certificate to the public the way some states do.

If you only need the genealogical or historical information from a death that occurred more than 40 years ago, you can use the public records held by the Delaware Public Archives. The Archives lists copies at $0.50 per page and certified copies for legal purposes at $25.00 each.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

You get additional or replacement copies the same way you obtain the first one: through the Office of Vital Statistics by mail, in person, or online. Each copy is charged at the same fee, whether you order it now or come back later.

To replace a lost certificate, submit a new application with your photo ID and the fee. If you are eligible under section 3110(b), the office will issue a fresh certified copy from the record on file.

If you expect to need several certificates, for example one each for the bank, the insurer, and the probate court, order them together. You pay for each copy, but you complete a single application and avoid repeat processing time.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information about obtaining a Delaware death certificate and is not legal advice. Fees, eligibility rules, and procedures can change. Always confirm the current requirements with the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics before you submit a request.

Sources

This page draws on the Delaware Code (16 Del. C. sections 3110 and 3132, and 29 Del. C. section 7907A), the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics, the State of Delaware certificates guide, and the Delaware Public Archives vital records guide.

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Related: Delaware Death Records and Death Records by State.