In Utah, death records become public domain 50 years after the date the death occurred. They can be accessed by anyone and they are kept at the Division of Archives and Records Service. The state began to collect death registrations in 1905, so you should have no problem getting records that far back. Some counties also have additional records dating as old as 1848, though most are no older than 1898. The Archives website has a page (http://www.archives.state.ut.us/research/guides/death.htm) that outlines their document collection, with several indexes you can search through.
For more recent records, you have to contact the Vital Statistics office for Utah and they are restricted to immediate family only. In order to have your request granted, you need to be asking as the parent, child, sibling, spouse, grandparent or grandchild of the person who is on the Utah death record.
The form for making a request can be printed from their website (https://silver.health.utah.gov/applications/Death.pdf), and you'll need to fill in as many fields about the deceased as you can in order to properly identify the document you want. Knowing their Social Security number is very helpful. But otherwise provide the person's full name, date and city of death, where they were born and their parent's full names. If you don't know the exact death date, they will search a range of years.
Included with the completed form should be a clear photocopy of your own photo ID (such as a driver's license or passport). Also indicate your relationship to the deceased and why you are requesting this Utah death record.
The last item for your application is the $16 USD search fee, which is not refunded should your record not be found. You can also order extra copies at the same time, for $8 each. If you are applying in person you can pay in cash but mailed applications have to include a check or money order.
Though you can order birth records through their online ordering form, this service is not available for Utah death records. You will have to either mail in your completed application or take your paperwork to the Salt Lake City office yourself.
They have regular office hours from Monday to Thursday if you are in Salt Lake City and wish to get this processed while you wait. The address for counter service is 288 North 1460 West. Otherwise you will have to mail in your full application to the Office of Vital Records and Statistics, PO Box 141012, Salt Lake City UT, 84114-1012 USA. Sending it in by mail will mean a 3 to 4 week wait to get your Utah death records back to you.
For any further genealogical or records research, the renowned LDS Family History Library is located at 35 North West Temple Street, Room 344 in Salt Lake City. Their index has more than 600 million names, though that obviously goes beyond just Utah records. The research rooms are open to the public and free of charge to use.
To be able to request Utah death certificates by mail, follow these steps:
Step 1.
Print out a Utah Death Certificate request form and complete it in full.
Step 2.
You will need to include a copy of the front and back of your photo ID with your request. Make sure that the copy is clear and legible.
Step 3.
Return the application, identification, and a check or money order for $16 to the address listed below.
If you have further questions regarding how to access Utah death records, you can contact the office below:
Utah Department of Health
Office of Vital Records and Statistics
P.O. Box 141012
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1012
(801) 538-6105
Obtaining Utah Death Records
Utah death records are available through the Utah Department of Health. Since 1905, the Department of Health has maintained death and other vital records for the state.
Ways To Order Utah Death Records
To order Utah Death records, you have a few options. Records can be ordered online through an independent website. The same company also provides phone ordering services. To order Utah death records directly from the Department of Health, you can mail in an application, or you can visit the Department in person.
Limitations To Requesting Records
Utah death records are considered private, so the access to them is limited. In order to make a request, you need to be the deceased's surviving spouse, parent or grandparent, sibling or child. Otherwise, you must have proof of a legal need to access the document.
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