How to Get a North Dakota Death Certificate (2026)

You get a North Dakota death certificate from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Vital Records. A complete certified copy costs $15 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy ordered at the same time, and North Dakota law names who may receive one, including relatives, authorized representatives, funeral directors, and people with a property interest that depends on the record.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in North Dakota?

You get a North Dakota death certificate from the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Vital Records, in Bismarck. This state office holds death records and issues certified copies. There are three main ways to request one.

The fastest option is the secure online portal at vrcerts.hhs.nd.gov. You create an account, complete the request, upload your identification, and pay the fee by card.

You can also order by mail. Complete the death record request application, enclose a check or money order payable to ND DHHS for all fees, and include a copy of your identification.

In-person pickup is available through the same online system. Choose the web order pickup option, then collect the certificate in person, usually in under two hours, by showing the ID you used to place the order.

State Mailing Address

Mail requests go to the Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records, 600 East Boulevard Ave. Dept. 325, Bismarck, ND 58505-0250. Questions can be directed to the office at (701) 328-2360 or vitalrec@nd.gov.

Who Is Eligible to Request a North Dakota Death Certificate?

A certified copy of a complete North Dakota death record may be issued to a relative, an authorized representative, the child fatality review board, a licensed physician, or a genetic sibling researching family medical history. It may also be issued to a funeral director, coroner, medical examiner, or state forensic examiner reporting the facts of death, to the commissioner of veterans' affairs for a decedent designated as having served in the United States armed forces, to a person with personal or real property interests that depend on information in the complete death record, or by the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

The state defines a relative more narrowly than everyday usage: the decedent's current or surviving spouse, a parent or legal guardian, a child, a grandparent, or a grandchild. A genetic sibling is not a relative under that definition, but is listed separately and may obtain a complete copy for the purpose of researching family medical history. The complete record includes the cause of death and the Social Security number.

If you do not fall into any of those categories, you can still obtain a certified informational copy. That version is available to the general public but omits the cause of death and the Social Security number.

You must provide valid identification that matches the name used to place the order. For in-person pickup, bring the same ID you used when you submitted the request.

North Dakota Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

A North Dakota death certificate costs $15 for the first certified copy and $10 for each additional copy when ordered at the same time. Ordering all copies together is cheaper than placing separate orders later.

Pay by credit or debit card for online orders, or by check or money order payable to ND DHHS for mail requests.

Once the office receives your request, certified copies are usually mailed within 3 to 5 business days. That window does not include return mail transit time.

First Class Mail is the no-cost default. Expedited return shipping costs extra: FedEx is $25 (add $5 for Alaska or Hawaii), UPS is $30, and FedEx or UPS international delivery is $100. There is no USPS Priority Mail expedite option. FedEx and UPS orders are processed the same day if the request is in the office by 10:00 a.m. Central Time, and the next business day if it arrives later, and neither carrier can deliver to a United States PO box. In-person web order pickups are often ready in under two hours.

Certified vs Informational Copy in North Dakota

North Dakota issues more than one kind of certified copy, and the difference is who may receive them and what they show. The two most common are described below; a third "facts of death" record (which includes the Social Security number but not the cause of death) is also available to eligible relatives and representatives, as well as to a licensed attorney who needs it for a bona fide legal determination.

A certified complete copy is the full death record. It includes the cause of death and the decedent's Social Security number, and it goes only to the requesters named in NDCC 23-02.1-27, such as relatives, authorized representatives, funeral directors, a genetic sibling researching family medical history, and people with a property interest that depends on the record, or by court order. This is the version banks, insurers, and courts usually require to settle an estate.

A certified informational copy is available to the general public. It confirms the death and includes demographic information, but it leaves out the cause of death and the Social Security number. It works for many genealogy and personal record needs but is generally not accepted for legal or financial transactions.

Choose the complete copy if you are settling an estate, claiming life insurance, or closing financial accounts. Choose the informational copy if you only need to confirm the death or are researching family history.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

Additional certified copies cost $10 each when you order them in the same request as your first copy. List the total number of copies you need on the application so they are all issued together at the lower per-copy rate.

If you need more copies later, place a new order through the online portal or by mail. The first copy in any new order is charged at the $15 rate, with additional copies in that order at $10 each.

Replacement copies follow the same process. There is no separate replacement procedure, so you simply submit a fresh request and the same eligibility and identification rules apply.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Fees, eligibility rules, and procedures change. Always verify current requirements with the North Dakota Division of Vital Records before submitting a request.

Sources

This page draws on the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services Division of Vital Records and North Dakota Century Code.

For the parent overview, see North Dakota Death Records. For all states, see Death Records by State.