How to Correct an Error on a Death Certificate

A death certificate is used for nearly everything that comes after a death: closing accounts, claiming benefits, transferring property, and opening an estate. A wrong name, birth date, or cause of death can stall any of those. The good news is that errors are fixable. The process just depends on what kind of error it is and where the death was registered, so the first step is to check the certificate carefully.

What should I check first?

Look for: the spelling of the full name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, parents’ names, marital status and spouse’s name, residence, occupation, the informant’s information, date, time, and place of death, the funeral home’s name, and the cause and manner of death. Do this before you order many copies, since copies you already hold will still show the mistake. See how many copies you may need and why death certificates matter.

What are the two kinds of error?

Almost every state treats these differently:

• Personal information is what the family gave the funeral director: name, birth details, parents, Social Security number, and similar items. The person who supplied it (the “informant”) and the funeral director are usually the ones who can request a change, backed by documents
• Medical information is what the certifier attests to: the cause and manner of death, and in many states the date, time, and place of death. Only the certifier can amend it (the physician, medical examiner, coroner, or in some Texas counties the justice of the peace). A family member can’t change it on their own

For more on who the certifier is, see coroner vs. medical examiner.

Who can request a correction?

States limit this to protect against fraud, so it’s narrower than who can order a certificate. Examples:

• Texas. DSHS says only these people can request a change to a death record: the funeral director named on the certificate, the informant named on it, the surviving spouse named on it, or the surviving parent named on it
• D.C. DC Health asks whether you’re the legal next of kin, the informant, or the funeral director, and says it allows only certain people to amend vital records
• California. The state’s affidavit lists who may sign it, and its FAQ says the funeral home or mortuary that provided services can assist with amending the record

The funeral home that filed the certificate is usually the best place to start. It knows what information the family gave and has filed amendments before.

How do I correct personal information?

1. Contact the funeral director who filed the certificate. Ask what they’ll submit and whether the informant needs to sign
2. Gather proof. Agencies usually require documents showing the correct information (a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or similar), and the documents needed depend on the item. Texas’s form lists specific supporting documents by correction, and for some items no documents are needed if the informant or funeral director applies
3. Submit the application to the state vital records office. Where it goes depends on the state; see the examples below
4. Pay the fees. Amendment and copy fees are separate in some states
5. Order new certified copies once the amendment is registered, and replace the old copies with the corrected ones

Texas

DSHS accepts amendments by mail. You must be a person qualified to request the change, complete the amendment form with no cross-outs, white-out, or correction tape, sign it in front of a notary, include a photocopy of acceptable ID, supporting documents, and payment. An application that isn’t completed properly is rejected, and a rejected application is considered closed: you can resubmit with corrections, but the processing time starts over. DSHS’s fee schedule lists $15 for a correction to a death certificate, $20 for the first certified copy of the corrected record, and $3 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Texas’s State Law Library notes that Health and Safety Code § 191.028 allows a death certificate to be changed if it’s proved by satisfactory evidence to be inaccurate.

California

California uses the VS 24 Affidavit to Amend a Death Record for personal information. CDPH’s pamphlet says there is no fee to register the amendment if it’s made within one year of the date of death, but you pay for each certified copy of the amended record, and a filing fee applies after one year. A photocopy of the current certificate goes with the application. Because CDPH’s pamphlet versions list different copy fees, check the current amount on its fee page. Acting within the first year avoids the filing fee.

D.C.

DC Health requires you to meet its identification requirements, provide specific supporting documents, complete an application, and mail the packet with payment to the Vital Records Division. It notes that you must pay both the amendment fee and the certificate fee if you want a copy of the amended certificate. DC Health also has a “return of fees” policy aimed at people who find an error soon after ordering; ask about it. See how to get a death certificate in D.C..

How do I correct the cause or manner of death?

This goes through the certifier, not the family.

• Texas. DSHS’s Death Registration Handbook says that when the cause can’t be determined at first, the certificate is filed as “Pending Investigation,” and once the cause is known the certifier files an Amendment to Medical Certification. It says there is no fee for that filing and that it can be filed at any time after the original certificate is filed
• California. Date, time, and cause of death (and certain coroner-only fields) can be amended only by the certifying physician or coroner who originally attested to the certificate, on the VS 24A. CDPH says there is no processing fee for a physician or coroner’s amendment, and the fee applies only to copies of the amended record. If the coroner certified it, the county coroner can submit it electronically. The attending physician’s name is in box 115

If the cause on your certificate is “pending,” you don’t have to do anything to start the correction; the office will update it when its investigation is complete, and you then order new copies. A pending certificate can generally be used as proof of death, according to several medical examiner offices. See how long it takes to get a death certificate.

What if I disagree with the cause or manner of death?

This is hard, and it often comes up after an unexpected death. The first step is to ask the certifier what information the determination rested on, and to give new information in writing. In Texas, a justice of the peace may reopen an inquest if credible information suggests a different cause or circumstances, and a 2009 Texas Attorney General opinion declined to say that a justice of the peace can never be required to amend a cause of death. How far a court can go depends on the facts and the state. An attorney can advise you, especially if insurance or a legal matter depends on the finding. See what families face after a suicide.

What if the vital records office rejects the request?

In D.C., the Superior Court handles a Petition to Amend a Death Certificate only if you have received a Vital Records Division rejection letter requiring a court order. The Civil Actions Branch handles petitions for people age 21 or over, and the Family Court Central Intake Center handles those under 21. The petition must state the specific information to be corrected and attach supporting documentation. Other states have their own court procedures, so ask the vital records office what it will accept and consider an attorney.

What should I do next?

1. Compare the certificate with the person’s documents today
2. Ask the funeral director whether the error is personal or medical, and who should file the correction
3. Don’t order a large batch of copies until the error is fixed
4. Keep a record of what you sent and when; see keeping the estate’s records
5. After the correction, order new copies and tell each institution holding an old one

If the cause of death is pending an autopsy, see Autopsy explained: when it’s done, who pays, and how long results take.

Rules, forms, and fees differ by state and change. This is general information, not legal advice; the vital records office that registered the death, the funeral director, or an attorney can tell you exactly what applies.