Most people don’t give much thought to death certificates until they have a death in the family. A death certificate is the permanent legal record needed to prove that a person has actually died.
In 1902, when the U.S. Bureau of the Census was made a permanent agency of the federal government, the legislation authorized the director of the Bureau to obtain, annually, copies of records filed in the vital statistics offices of those states and cities that have death registration systems. A standard death certificate format was developed around 1910 and by 1915, the national registration was established. In 1933, all states were required to record births and deaths and provide data to the federal Census Bureau.
In Pennsylvania, a physician (or other qualified medical professional) must sign a death certificate within 96 hours of the death occurring. The death certificate provides important information about the decedent, such as age, sex, race, date of death, his or her parents, and, if married, the name of the spouse; information on circumstances and cause of death; and final disposition. The filing of the death certificate is the responsibility of the funeral director. The registrar signs the last section of the death certificate and submits it to the PA Vital Records.
Buch Funeral Home will submit an electronic death certificate, which will notify Social Security. In addition, if the person qualifies for Veteran’s death benefits, Buch will notify the Veteran’s Administration of the death. You will need to provide certified copies of the death certificate, which the funeral home will supply to you, when you are managing a pension, claiming life insurance, closing accounts and transferring ownership of any vehicles, real estate, or other property. The checklist below will help you determine how many copies of the death certificate you may need.
- Register of Wills
- Pension & Retirement
- Life Insurance*
- Health Insurance
- Credit Cards*
- Personal Loans
- Home Mortgage
- Bank Accounts*
- Safe Deposit
- Financial Investments
- Department of Motor Vehicles
- Real Estate Deeds
- State Revenue Department
- Internal Revenue Service
* one copy needed for each company, financial institution, policy and/or account
If you find that you need additional copies of the death certificate, you can contact Buch Funeral Home to obtain additional copies within 90 days of the date of death. Copies requested after 90 days must be processed by Vital Records in New Castle, PA. You can also order copies of the death certificate online at https://www.health.pa.gov or https://mycertificates.health.pa.gov.
All fees for death certificates are established by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and paid directly to them. Currently, the standard death certificate fee is $20, along with a processing fee. This fee may be waived for records of individuals who served in the Armed Forces and their dependents.
In Pennsylvania, applicants must be 18 years of age or older to request a death certificate and include the following: a spouse or ex-spouse, parent or step-parent, child or step-child, sibling or half-sibling, grandparent or great-grandparent, grandchild or great-grandchild, or legal representative. To request a certificate, you’ll need to have proof that you’re related to the deceased. You may also be required to provide additional information, like their last known address, race, birthplace, or marital status.
To request the certificate, you’ll likely need the following information about the deceased:
- Full legal name
- Sex
- Social Security Number
- Date of birth
- Date of death
- Place of death
- Father’s legal name
- Mother’s maiden name
