Onondaga County

Note: Only the spouse, child, parent, sibling, domestic partner, or designated agent in charge of the disposition of the deceased, the legal representative of one of these parties, or somebody with a documented legal need may request a copy of the death certificate. See step 6 for legal need instructions.

Proof of Relationship with the deceased is required for children and siblings of the deceased. Proof of relationship can be established by providing: a birth certificate with parents’ names or an obituary that lists the entitled party as surviving child or sibling. If the child is a minor, their parent or guardian is able to request a certificate on their behalf.

To Order a Death Certificate:

1. Complete, print and sign a request form. Please use blue or black ink. Electronic signatures are not accepted. Forms are also available at our office.
2. Review the form: Please be sure to complete the applicant and mailing address portions. We require the deceased’s name and date of death, but we may ask for more information to confirm which certificate you need. Please specify whether cause of death is required on the death certificate.
3. Payment: The fee is $30.00 for the first certified copy and $15.00 for each additional duplicate when ordered at the same time. We accept cash, checks and money orders made payable to Office of Vital Statistics, and credit/debit cards (Discover, Visa, and Mastercard only). If the cardholder or check writer is someone other than the applicant, the person making payment must also present ID.
4. Identification: Please present identification when you make your request. Examples of acceptable identification include:
   • Photo driver license with signature
   • Non-driver photo license with signature
   • Passport with signature
   • Military ID with signature
   • Employer’s photo ID with signature
   • Photo social services card with signature

5. Letter of legal need: If you are not an entitled party to order the death certificate, and have a legal need for the death certificate, you must submit a letter from the company, office or agency that needs the document. A letter of legal need must be:
   • On letterhead (of company, office, or agency)
   • Addressed to you
   • Specific. It must state that the company or agency requires a copy of the death certificate.
   • Included in addition to a completed application, ID, and payment.