How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in Massachusetts?
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Massachusetts. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
Massachusetts sets no required number of death certificates; the right count depends on how many banks, insurers, and agencies each need an original certified copy. What Massachusetts does set is the price: In person at the state Registry, a certified copy costs $20. By standard mail it is $32 per copy (expedited mail $42), and online or by phone through VitalChek it is $54 for the first copy and $42 for each additional (expedited $62.50 and $50.50). City and town clerks set their own fees: Springfield and Belmont charge $20 per copy, while Sudbury charges $15 for the first copy and $10 for each additional.
This is one of the most common practical questions after a death. Massachusetts sets no required number, but it does set the price, which makes the count worth deciding before you order.
Is there a set number required by Massachusetts?
No. The right number depends on how many banks, insurance companies, and government agencies in your situation each need their own certified copy, not on Massachusetts law.
What will the copies cost in Massachusetts?
In person at the state Registry, a certified copy costs $20. By standard mail it is $32 per copy (expedited mail $42), and online or by phone through VitalChek it is $54 for the first copy and $42 for each additional (expedited $62.50 and $50.50). City and town clerks set their own fees: Springfield and Belmont charge $20 per copy, while Sudbury charges $15 for the first copy and $10 for each additional. At those rates, ten certified copies would cost $200 in state or agency fees, before any online-vendor or shipping charges.
Does it matter when I order in Massachusetts?
At the state Registry every copy costs the same by each method, so there is no price break for ordering together, except that VitalChek’s $12 fee is charged per order, not per copy.
Which institutions typically require one?
Banks and credit unions, life insurers, retirement account administrators, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (if applicable) are common examples, though your own list depends on your accounts and assets. See our general guide on getting death certificates.
Can I use photocopies instead?
Generally no. Most institutions require an original certified copy, though it’s worth asking each one, since policies occasionally vary.
Where can I order more in Massachusetts?
Your city or town clerk can issue copies at its own fee. At $20 each, ten would cost $200 at the Registry counter, while Sudbury’s $15 and $10 would make ten cost $105. Details on each option are in our guide to getting a death certificate in Massachusetts.
Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Massachusetts Registry or your city or town clerk before you send payment.
Sources
- Mass.gov - Vital Records Service Fees ($20 in person, $32 mail, $54 and $42 online)(Government)
- Mass.gov - Order a birth, marriage, or death certificate (Registry counter hours; mail order form; certified copies only)(Government)
- City of Springfield Clerk - Vital Records ($20 per copy; which deaths the clerk holds)(Government)
- Town of Sudbury Clerk - Death Certificate ($15 first copy, $10 additional)(Government)
About this review
Everendium Editorial Team · last reviewed October 17, 2026.
Fees, eligibility rules, and ordering options were checked on October 17, 2026 against the state's own published fee information, application forms, and county government pages listed in the sources. Death certificate fees change often, and some official pages were read only as search extracts, so the current fee should be confirmed on the agency's page before paying. Recommended for periodic re-verification. This is general information, not legal advice
Related reading
Make this easier for your family.
Record what you've just read in your Final Day Plan, then download it as a PDF. Nothing is stored online.