King and Queen County Death Records

King and Queen County obituary and death records are maintained by the Virginia Department of Health and the King and Queen County Circuit Court in King and Queen Court House. This rural Middle Peninsula county has death records available from 1912 through the state vital records system, with older historical registers on file at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.

Death Certificates and Vital Records

Death certificates for King and Queen County are issued through the Virginia Department of Health. You can request them from the local health district or from the state Office of Vital Records in Richmond. Each certified copy costs $12. Records less than 25 years old are restricted to immediate family members only.

The state Office of Vital Records is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227. Phone: (804) 662-6200. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can also submit requests by mail with a signed application, a legible copy of your photo ID, and payment by check or money order made out to the State Health Department.

Virginia's online vital records portal lets you start a request, pay, and track progress without visiting in person. This is useful for King and Queen County residents since the county is rural and may not have a full-service local health office nearby.

The VDH vital records page explains the online request system, fee information, and who qualifies for access to restricted records.

King and Queen County Circuit Court

The Circuit Court in King and Queen Court House holds probate records, will books, deed books, and marriage records. The county was formed in 1691, and its court records go back more than three centuries. Probate records are valuable for death research because they list the deceased by name, often include a date of death, and name heirs and executors.

Marriage records from King and Queen County go back to 1864. Some earlier records were lost when the courthouse burned in 1864 during the Civil War. That fire destroyed many of the county's pre-war records, which is a common problem in Virginia's older counties. The Library of Virginia holds whatever court records survived and were later transferred or copied.

The Circuit Court clerk can search available records and provide copies. For records that have been transferred to the Library of Virginia, the clerk can direct you to the appropriate finding aids. Staff can also help with probate research for recent deaths that need estate records filed.

Historical Death Records

The Library of Virginia holds death registers for King and Queen County from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm. These are available through Interlibrary Loan or in person at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond. The registers record each person's name, race, sex, date and place of death, cause of death, age, birthplace, occupation, and parents' names. For a small county like King and Queen, the registers may be short, but coverage of each death is often detailed.

From 1897 to 1911, there was no statewide death registration in Virginia. Some King and Queen County deaths from those years are not on record. After June 14, 1912, records are complete through the state system. The Library of Virginia holds microfilm copies of death certificates from 1912 to 1939.

The Henley Marriage and Obituary Index at the Library of Virginia includes notices from Virginia papers spanning 1736 to 1982. Search by surname at lva-virginia.libguides.com/henley. Coverage of King and Queen County may be limited due to the county's small size, but notices from nearby regional papers often included Middle Peninsula communities.

Virginia Genealogy Society obituary databases include funeral home records, newspaper indexes, and other local sources useful for King and Queen County research.

Online Resources for Death Research

Virginia library cardholders can search death records for free at FindItVA.com. The service covers Virginia death records from 1912 to present using the Ancestry.com database. You need a valid library card and a free Ancestry account. Download digital copies of death certificates without charge. This is the easiest way to search from home.

The Library of Virginia at lva.virginia.gov holds extensive collections for King and Queen County. Use the CRI database at lva.virginia.gov/collections/cri to see what materials the Library holds. Despite the courthouse fire of 1864, the Library has microfilm and other copies of many surviving records.

The Virginia Museum of History and Culture at virginiahistory.org holds family papers, Bible records, and genealogical notes that may fill in gaps when official records are missing. For general FOIA requests, visit virginiaresources.gov or call (804) 698-1810.

Access Rules and Privacy Law

Under Code of Virginia Title 32.1, Chapter 7, death records become public 25 years after the date of death. Before that, only immediate family members can get certified copies. You must show valid photo ID. Immediate family includes a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent.

Each certified copy costs $12. Certified copies are legal documents accepted by courts, insurance companies, and government agencies as proof of death. Plain copies are not accepted for legal purposes but can be used for genealogy. The same rules and fees apply whether you request records in person, by mail, or online.

Communities in King and Queen County

King and Queen County has no independent qualifying cities. All death records for county residents are handled through the Virginia Department of Health and the Circuit Court in King and Queen Court House.

Communities in King and Queen County include Shacklefords, Saint Stephens Church, and Newtown. These unincorporated areas all use the county's Health Department and Circuit Court.

Nearby Counties

These counties border King and Queen County. Each has its own Health Department and Circuit Court for death records.