Death Certificates
A Certified Death Certificate is necessary before anything can be done. A death certificate can be obtained through a Funeral Director. It is a good idea to obtain multiple copies of a death certificate as most agencies require a certified certificate and not a photocopy.
Where To Obtain a Certified Copy of Death
- Local Registrar of Municipality Where Death Occurred
- State Registrar Where Death Occurred
NEW JERSEY
The State Registrar or a local registrar may only issue a certified copy of a death record to a person who satisfied the following requirements:
- The person is able to identify the record;
- The person provides, at a minimum, all of the information requested on the Vital Statistics and Registration form entitled "Application for a Certification or a Certified Copy of a Vital Record," available from the Department upon request by calling (609) 292-4087 and at http://nj.gov/health/vital/vital.shtml; and
- The person produces documentation verifying that he or she is:
- The parent of the subject of the death record
- The subject's legal guardian or legal representative
- The subject's spouse or domestic partner
- The subject's child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age
- A State or Federal agency requesting the record for official purposes
- A person requesting the record pursuant to a court order
- A person requesting the record under emergent circumstances, as determined on a case-by-case basis by the Commissioner.
