Virginia Obituary Records
Virginia obituary records and death certificates are held by state and local agencies across the Commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Health maintains death records from 1912 to the present, while the Library of Virginia holds death registers going back to 1853. Whether you are searching for a recent death notice or tracing a family member from generations past, Virginia has several official resources that can help. This guide covers where to find obituary records, how to request death certificates, what historical archives exist, and how to access online search tools for Virginia obituary research.
Virginia Obituary Records Overview
Virginia Department of Health - Vital Records
The main place to get a Virginia death certificate is the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records. The office is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227. It is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can call the Customer Care Center at (804) 662-6200 on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Each certified copy of a death certificate costs $12. The office accepts check, money order, payment card, mobile pay, or cash.
Virginia death records are not open to the public right away. Under Code of Virginia Title 32.1, Chapter 7, death records become public information 25 years after the date of the event. Before that point, only immediate family members can get certified copies. That means a mother, father, husband, wife, child, brother, sister, or grandparent with valid ID. The office also accepts requests from legal guardians with proof of custody. Death certificates can be filed at and certified copies obtained from any local health department in Virginia, no matter where the death took place.
The VDH now offers a fully online system for vital records requests. You can apply, pay, and track your request without visiting in person. For drop-off requests, bring a completed application with your signature, a legible photocopy of your ID, and the fee. Requests dropped off after 2:00 PM count as received the next business day.
The VDH Office of Vital Records handles death certificate requests for all of Virginia, including certified copies for deaths from 1912 to the present.
Virginia Code Section 32.1-272 gives the State Registrar authority to issue certified copies of any vital record in state custody. The Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles can also issue certified copies. Each copy shows the date of registration. Copies from records marked "delayed" or "amended" will show those notes along with the effective date. Certified copies are considered prima facie evidence of the facts stated in them.
Library of Virginia Death Records and Obituaries
The Library of Virginia is a key resource for historical death records and obituary research. The library holds death registers from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm. These can be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan. There is no statewide index for the 1853 to 1896 period, but some county clerks did prepare indexes. The death registers list name, race, sex, date and place of death, cause of death, age at death, place of birth, occupation, marital status, and names of parents.
Between 1897 and 1911, most counties and cities in Virginia stopped recording deaths. A few metropolitan areas kept going during this gap: the City of Lynchburg, City of Newport News, City of Norfolk, City of Petersburg, City of Portsmouth, City of Richmond, City of Roanoke, and County of Elizabeth City. If you are searching for someone who died in this window, start with those larger city records. The Library holds microfilm copies of death certificates from 1912 to 1939, arranged by year and then by month. Before 1932, cities were filed with their surrounding counties. Starting in 1932, cities and counties were filed separately.
The Library of Virginia death records research guide covers what records exist, what periods they cover, and how to access them.
The Library of Virginia is located at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond. It is the principal center for genealogical research in Virginia. The library holds county records, military service records, church records, Land Office patents, tax records, census records, and genealogical notes. It also serves as a FamilySearch affiliate library, giving onsite users access to 400 million digitized records. Virginia residents can also register for an online library account through Finditva.com to search Ancestry.com death, marriage, birth, and divorce records for free using a local library card number.
The Library of Virginia Collections Research Index offers finding aids for locating specific collections, including obituary indexes and historical newspapers.
Virginia Obituary Search Databases
Several databases make it easier to search Virginia obituary records online. Find It Virginia provides free access to Virginia birth and death records from 1912 to the present through Ancestry.com. Virginia marriage records go back to 1936 and divorce records to 1918 in this database. All you need is a public library card number from any Virginia library to search and download records at no cost. You will also need a free Ancestry.com user ID and password to open files.
Visit Finditva.com to access Virginia vital records including death records from 1912 to the present through your local library card.
The Virginia Genealogical Society maintains an obituary resources page with links to several specialized databases. The J.F. Bell Funeral Home Database covers central Virginia deaths going back to 1917. The Hopewell News digitized collection spans 1916 to 2004. The Winchester Star Obituary Index covers 1896 to 1915. The Petersburg Public Library Newspaper Index covers more than 40 newspaper titles published in Petersburg from 1797 to 1877. The Richmond Enquirer and Visitor Marriage and Obituary Index spans 1804 to 1860. These sources can fill gaps when state records are not available.
The Virginia Genealogical Society obituary page links to funeral home databases, newspaper indexes, and other local obituary collections across the state.
Note: Free access to some of these databases may require creating an account with the hosting organization or visiting a library branch in person.
Historical Virginia Obituary Indexes
The Henley Marriage and Obituary Index is one of the most useful tools for Virginia obituary research. It covers marriage and obituary notices from more than 150 Richmond-area and Virginia newspapers, with major emphasis on the years 1780 to 1910. The full index runs from 1736 through 1982. Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette from 1736 to 1780 are available through the Colonial Williamsburg website. The index is available through the Library of Virginia and is linked from the Library of Virginia's Henley guide page.
The Henley Marriage and Obituary Index at the Library of Virginia covers death and marriage notices from over 150 Virginia newspapers spanning nearly 250 years.
Other historical newspaper collections hold obituary content from across the state. The Library of Virginia maintains the Virginia Chronicle digital newspaper project, which includes historical Virginia papers going back to the colonial period. The Virginia Museum of History and Culture, located near the Library of Virginia, also holds family papers, Bible records, portraits, and manuscript collections that can support obituary research. Its website at virginiahistory.org explains how to access these resources for family history work.
The Virginia Museum of History and Culture maintains genealogical collections including obituary records, family papers, and manuscript materials for Virginia research.
Virginia Public Records and FOIA
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act, found at Section 2.2-3700 et seq. of the Code of Virginia, guarantees that Virginia residents and members of the media have access to records held by public bodies. A public record covers any writing or recording, whether paper, electronic file, audio, video, or any other format, that is prepared or held by a public body in the transaction of public business. All public records are presumed open. Some may be withheld if a specific statutory exemption applies. The FOIA Advisory Council can be reached at (804) 698-1810 or toll-free at 1-866-448-4100.
The Virginia FOIA portal explains your rights to access public records and how to submit a records request to any Virginia public body.
Death records fall under the vital records privacy rules in Code of Virginia Title 32.1, Chapter 7 rather than FOIA in most cases. The 25-year rule means recent deaths are restricted to family members. Older records become fully public and can be accessed by anyone. Newspaper obituaries and funeral home notices are generally public from the moment they are published. These have no waiting period and can often be found through library newspaper databases or genealogy archives without any formal request.
The Code of Virginia Title 32.1, Chapter 7 sets the rules for vital records access, including the 25-year public access timeline for death records.
How to Get Virginia Death Records and Obituary Copies
There are a few ways to request death records in Virginia. The fastest option for most people is the VDH online system, which lets you apply and pay without visiting the office. You will need to verify your identity and relationship to the deceased. The office also accepts mail requests with a completed form, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order for $12 per copy made out to the State Health Department.
You can also visit any local health department in Virginia to request death certificates in person. Death certificates can be requested from any local department in the state, not just the one in the county where the death occurred. That said, local departments can only certify deaths from June 14, 1912 to the present. For deaths prior to that date, you must contact the Library of Virginia or search their microfilm holdings. Between 1896 and June 14, 1912, there was no law requiring death registration in Virginia, though some metro areas continued on their own.
For newspaper obituaries, the easiest path is your local public library. Most Virginia libraries offer free access to newspaper databases like GenealogyBank and ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Some branches also maintain local obituary binders and clipping files going back decades. Call ahead to ask what your library has for your area of interest.
- VDH Office of Vital Records: online, in person, or by mail; $12 per copy
- Local health departments: in person for deaths since 1912
- Library of Virginia: historical death registers and microfilm, 1853 to 1939
- Find It Virginia: free online access with a Virginia library card
- Virginia Genealogical Society: links to funeral home and newspaper indexes
- Local public libraries: newspaper databases and clipping files
Browse Virginia Obituary Records by County
Each of Virginia's counties has its own Circuit Court Clerk and health department handling death records. Select a county below for local office details, resources, and obituary search help.
Obituary Records in Major Virginia Cities
Virginia's independent cities each maintain their own Circuit Court and health department for death records. Select a city below to find local obituary resources and death record access information.