Search Hanover County Obituary and Death Records

Hanover County death records and obituaries are accessible through the Virginia Department of Health and local offices serving this Central Virginia county just north of Richmond. This page covers how to get death certificates, where historical records are kept, and how to search obituary sources for Hanover County families.

Hanover County Death Certificates

The Virginia Office of Vital Records holds all Hanover County death certificates from June 14, 1912 forward. Certified copies are $12 each. You can request them in person at the Richmond office, by mail, or through the state's online system. Code of Virginia Title 32.1, Chapter 7 gives the State Registrar authority to issue these copies.

Death records from the last 25 years are restricted to immediate family. That means parents, spouses, children, siblings, and grandparents with a valid ID. Once 25 years have passed, a death record is public and any person can request a copy. These rules apply to Hanover County the same as any other Virginia county.

Because Hanover County borders the City of Richmond, some families moved back and forth between the city and county. If you are not finding a death in Hanover County records, check Richmond city records as well. The state vital records office holds both sets in the same system.

The Virginia vital records portal walks you through the steps to order a Hanover County death certificate online, by mail, or in person.

All Hanover County deaths from 1912 forward are available through this system for $12 per certified copy.

Hanover County Historical Death Records

Hanover County death registers from 1853 to 1896 are on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. The county has records going back to 1720, and early court records, will books, and deed books are available at the LVA and the courthouse. Virginia required death registration starting in 1853, so Hanover has a relatively complete run of official registers from that year through the 1896 cutoff.

The gap period from 1897 through June 1912 left Hanover County without official death records. For that stretch, church records, cemetery surveys, and obituary notices in the Richmond-area papers are the main sources. The Library of Virginia has extensive Richmond newspaper holdings going back to the early 1800s. Hanover residents who died in Richmond during that period might appear in Richmond city records.

Death certificates on microfilm at the LVA cover 1912 through 1939. For Hanover County records from that era, they are filed by year and month. The Library of Virginia death records guide explains how to borrow these microfilms through ILL and what information each certificate contains.

Search Hanover County Obituaries Online

Virginia library cardholders can search Hanover County death records for free through Find It Virginia. This service gives free access to Ancestry.com's Virginia vital records index, including death records from 1912 to the present with digital images. You need a Virginia library card and a free Ancestry account.

The Henley Marriage and Obituary Index covers Virginia newspaper obituary notices from 1736 through 1982. Hanover County residents were often covered by Richmond-area papers, and those papers are well indexed in the Henley collection. This is the best tool for finding published obituary text before 1982.

The Richmond Enquirer and Virginia Visitor Marriage and Obituary Index covers 1804 through 1860, which means many Hanover County deaths from that period have published obituary notices indexed and searchable. The Library of Virginia maintains this index as part of its Virginia genealogy resources at lva.virginia.gov.

The Virginia Museum of History and Culture holds family papers and Bible records for many Hanover County families. Their collection includes obituary clippings, census records, and genealogical notes. In-person research at the VMHC in Richmond is available to the public.

The Henley Index covers Virginia newspaper obituaries from 1736 to 1982, drawing heavily from Richmond-area papers that served Hanover County.

Hanover County families who were covered by Richmond-area newspapers over two centuries are well represented in this index at the Library of Virginia.

Hanover County Circuit Court and Probate Records

The Hanover County Circuit Court Clerk holds will books, deed books, and estate records going back to 1720. When a Hanover County resident died, an estate or probate case was often filed here. Probate records from before modern vital records registration are often the only source that confirms an exact death date or names the heirs.

The Library of Virginia holds microfilm copies of the early Hanover County will books and court order books. In-person researchers at 800 East Broad Street in Richmond can access these. The LVA Collections and Research Index lists what Hanover County materials are held in Richmond.

Court records at the Hanover County courthouse and at the LVA are public records under Virginia FOIA, Section 2.2-3700. All public records are presumed open unless a specific exemption applies. Written FOIA requests go to the circuit court clerk or the relevant county office.

The Virginia Genealogy obituary resources page links to obituary databases and newspaper indexes covering Hanover County and Central Virginia.

Researchers can use these resources to find Hanover County obituary notices from multiple newspapers and funeral home records.

Cities Near Hanover County

Hanover County borders the City of Richmond. Many Hanover County residents use Richmond-area services and records from the city and county can overlap.

Ashland is the only incorporated town within Hanover County but does not have a qualifying city page. Deaths in Ashland are recorded as Hanover County events through the state vital records system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hanover County. Families that moved between counties may have records in more than one jurisdiction.