How to Get a Virginia Death Certificate (2026)

Virginia death certificates are issued by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Vital Records. You can order online, by mail, or in person at a health district or DMV. Each copy costs $15, and certified copies are limited to close relatives, their guardians, and legal representatives, each with valid ID.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in Virginia?

You get a Virginia death certificate from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Vital Records, which holds death records for everyone who died in the Commonwealth. You do not work through the funeral home or the court for the official copy. There are four standard ways to request one.

Online. You can start an application through the official VDH online vital records portal. The system issues an Application (Tracking) ID so you can follow your order's status, and the certificate is mailed to you once it is processed.

By mail. Complete the death certificate application (Form VS6D), include a legible copy of your ID and the $15 fee, and mail it to VDH, Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, Virginia 23218-1000.

In person. Certified copies are available the same day in most cases at any local health district office and at all Virginia DMV customer service centers. Bring valid ID and the fee. Local health districts charge the standard $15, but the DMV applies a $17 records search fee for in-person requests (a $15 search fee plus a $2.00 administration fee), which is charged whether or not the record is located.

Expedited. For rush service, Virginia directs applicants to its authorized expedite vendor by phone or website. Standard government rules and fees still apply, plus the vendor's service charges.

Who Is Eligible to Request a Virginia Death Certificate?

Only immediate family members are entitled to a full certified copy of a Virginia death certificate. Virginia defines immediate family for this purpose as the decedent's mother, father, current spouse, child, brother, sister, and grandparents. Each applicant must present a legible copy of valid government-issued identification.

Legal guardians and legal representatives can also obtain certified copies when they provide proof of their role, such as certified custody papers, court documents naming them as guardian, or documentation of legal representation for the estate.

The Code of Virginia separately entitles the decedent's grandchild or great-grandchild to a certified copy of the death certificate, issued in accordance with procedures the Board of Health prescribes by regulation, even though they sit outside the immediate-family list above.

If you are not an immediate family member, you are not shut out entirely. Under the Board of Health's vital records regulation (12VAC5-550-470), the State Registrar may release records to an applicant who shows a direct and tangible interest in the content of the record. For death records, that interest may be evidenced by a request from a surviving relative or their legal representative. People who do not qualify for a certified copy can instead request a Verification of Death.

Virginia Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

A Virginia death certificate costs $15 per copy. This fee is set by the Code of Virginia, which caps the charge at $15 for a certified copy or for a search of the files when no copy is found. The same $15 applies to each additional copy you order at the same time, and there is no refund if the record cannot be located.

The Code writes in one exception: no charge may be imposed on a veteran or a veteran's survivor for a copy related to obtaining service-connected benefits. At the surviving spouse's request, the funeral director or funeral service licensee handling the veteran's services may obtain one certified copy of the death certificate for those benefits.

Accepted payment varies by location but generally includes check or money order made payable to the State Health Department, plus cash and credit or debit cards at many offices. At the DMV, the in-person records search fee is $17 ($15 plus a $2.00 administration fee), and it is charged whether or not the record is found; DMV requests submitted by mail are $15.

Processing time depends on how you apply. In-person requests at a health district or DMV are usually completed the same day. Mailed applications typically take about two to four weeks, and peak demand months can add time. Building in a few extra weeks is wise if you need the certificate for a deadline.

Certified vs Informational Copy in Virginia

A certified copy is the official, legally valid death certificate. It carries the registrar's seal and is the version accepted for settling estates, claiming life insurance, closing bank and retirement accounts, transferring property, and most government filings. Certified copies are restricted to immediate family, guardians, and legal representatives.

Virginia's informational alternative is the Verification of Death. It is available to applicants who have a direct and tangible interest but are not immediate family. A Verification of Death confirms the facts of death without serving as a full certificate. It shows the decedent's name, date of death, place of death, date of birth, and the last four digits of the Social Security number.

A Verification of Death is useful for confirming that a death occurred, but it is not a substitute for a certified copy when an institution specifically requires the certified document. When in doubt, ask the agency or company what they will accept before you order.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

To get additional or replacement copies of a Virginia death certificate, you submit the same request as the original and pay $15 for each copy. There is no separate replacement process and no discount for ordering extras. Settling an estate often takes several certified copies, so families frequently order multiple copies at once to avoid repeat trips and mailing delays.

If you ordered through the online portal, you can place a new order the same way and track it with a fresh Application (Tracking) ID. If a copy is lost or damaged later, simply submit a new application with your ID and the $15 fee; the Office of Vital Records treats it as a new request rather than a reprint.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information, not legal advice. Fees, eligibility rules, and processing times can change, and individual situations vary. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records before submitting a request.

Sources

This page is based on the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records and the Code of Virginia; see the citations below for the official .gov pages.

Related: Virginia Death Records and Death Records by State.