New Jersey Death Records

New Jersey death records are official files or documents containing details of deaths recorded in the state. Statewide registration of death started in 1848, although there were some earlier records kept by a few counties. With about 82,455 deaths recorded in New Jersey annually, the state's mortality rate stands at 707.9 per 100,000 residents, which is lower than the United States average of 793.7 deaths per 100,000 total population. About 3.1 million deaths are recorded in the nation each year.

The primary form of death records in New Jersey is the death certificate. It is considered the legal record of a person's death and identifies the decedent's name, place of death, date of death, and cause of death. The original copy of a New Jersey death certificate is typically signed by the physician certifying the death incident, the funeral director completing the death information, and the registrar authorized to receive and take custody of the death record. It is permanently maintained in the custody of the state's Office of Vital Statistics and Registry.

Once the original death certificate is filed with the New Jersey Department of Health through its Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, eligible persons may obtain certified copies of the record. A certified copy of a death certificate in the state generally has a raised seal of the issuing office and is printed on State of New Jersey safety paper. It can be used for various legal and administrative purposes.

How Do I Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate in New Jersey?

Any eligible person may get a certified copy of a death certificate in New Jersey through the state's Office of Vital Statistics and Registry by submitting a mail application. The following outlines the steps involved in submitting a mail request for a certified copy of a death record in the state:

• Complete the New Jersey Application for Non-Genealogical or Certified Death Certificate Form. While filling out the form, check the "Certified Copy" box under the "Type of certificate needed" field.

• A copy of a valid and acceptable ID. Acceptable IDs include any of the following:

  • A current, valid driver's license without a photo and any other alternate type of ID. Both IDs must have the requester's current address.
  • A current, valid driver's license with a photo or a photo non-driver's license with the current address.

  • Two alternate forms of the requester's ID, both of which must bear their current address. The following are acceptable alternate forms of ID:

    • Immigrant Visa
    • Vehicle insurance card
    • School ID
    • W-2 for the previous/current tax year
    • Voter registration
    • Utility bills not exceeding 90 days
    • Vehicle registration
    • Permanent Resident Card
    • County ID
    • Federal/State ID
    • U.S./Foreign Passport
• Pay the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry charges. One certified copy of a New Jersey death certificate and the initial search fee cost $25 and $2 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. Payment should be made by check or money order, payable to the Treasurer, State of New Jersey. If a requester is applying to the municipal office, payment should be made to the municipality.
• Prepare a document to prove or establish a relationship with the decedent or a court order

• Mail the completed application form, fees, and all other required documents in a prepaid express to the state's Office of Vital Statistics and Registry at:

  Vital Record Mail Services

  Attn: New Jersey Vital Records

  P.O. Box 222130

  El Paso, TX 79913

  The Office of Vital Statistics and Registry usually returns requests submitted with incomplete information or supporting documentation. Most requests are processed within 6 to 8 weeks, after which certified copies are mailed to the requesters. Interested persons may also obtain copies of New Jersey death records from the Local Vital Records Offices in the municipality where the death events occurred. Copy fees may vary by county.

Are New Jersey Death Records Public?

In New Jersey, death records are not considered public documents and are generally restricted from public disclosure by state law. Only eligible individuals may access them, per Section 8:2A-2.1 of the state's Administrative Code (NJAC).

Who Can Request an Original Death Certificate in New Jersey?

Original death certificates are not issued to the public in New Jersey. Once prepared and signed by the physicians who certified the deaths and the funeral directors, they are filed with the state's Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, where they are maintained permanently. While on the file of the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, only eligible persons or authorized agencies may request certified copies of New Jersey death certificates.

Under state law, individuals and agencies that meet the following requirements may request a certified copy of an original death certificate:

• Any person who can identify the record
• An individual who can provide documentation to establish that they are any of the following:
• The decedent's legal guardian or legal representative
• The decedent's parent
• A federal or state agency requesting the record for official purposes
• Someone with a court order
• The decedent's domestic partner or spouse
• The decedent's grandchild, sibling, or child, provided they are of legal age

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in New Jersey?

Unless the circumstances surrounding a death are unusual and warrant an autopsy, it takes between 6 to 8 weeks to process a death certificate request in New Jersey. Afterward, the state's Office of Vital Statistics and Registry will mail it to the requester. However, this timeline is usually longer for death events requiring investigation and autopsy due to the suspicious nature of the events leading to the deaths.

In New Jersey, a death certificate may take several weeks or months to be completed if the deceased died due to suspicious or unusual circumstances that warranted an autopsy. The delay is usually a result of several factors, including the shortage of pathologists, a delay of toxicology results (if toxicology is required), and the complexity of the case. Until the manner and cause of death are identified, the medical examiner will not be able to prepare the original death certificate.

Can I View New Jersey Death Records Online for Free?

New Jersey laws restrict the release of death records. As a result, they cannot be searched or viewed online. Interested persons may only request them online through vendors approved by the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry. Interested persons may also access historical death records in the state through the New Jersey State Archives. Records of deaths that occurred between June 1878 and December 1900 and some death records between May 1848 and May 1878 may be accessed through the State Archives.

Furthermore, historical death records in New Jersey may be available online through resources like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. While a small fee is usually required, death records in the state may also be accessed through third-party sites like NewJerseypublicrecords.us. If there are no official records of a death event in New Jersey, substitute records may prove useful for anyone looking for information. For instance, church records, obituaries, military records, bible records, newspapers, tax records, and cemetery records are all substitute records that may contain death information.

When Would You Require A Death Certificate in New Jersey?

An individual may require a certified copy of a death certificate in New Jersey for several reasons, typically for legal and administrative purposes. The common reasons people request copies of death certificates in the state include the following:

• Genealogy research
• Claiming Social Security benefits
• Notifying government agencies like the IRS, New Jersey Department of Treasury - Division of Taxation, Department of Veterans Affairs (if applicable), and SSA about a person's death
• Claiming life insurance benefits/proceeds
• Canceling decedents' utility service subscriptions
• Selling and transferring the title for the decedents' motor vehicles
• Closing decedents' bank accounts. Canceling their credit cards and settling their debts
• Settling decedents' estates

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in New Jersey?

While several factors determine how many certified copies of a death certificate a person needs in New Jersey, in many cases, requesting an average of 8 to 12 copies is recommended. Typically, the size of a decedent's estate and the number of agencies or transactions requiring copies of the certificate can help determine the actual numbers needed.

Some of the checklists to consider when deciding how many copies of a New Jersey death certificate to request are life insurance, credit cards, Register of Wills, personal loans, bank accounts, and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Others include pension and retirement, safe deposit, financial investments, and home mortgage.