How to Get a Death Certificate in Colorado
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 15, 2026
This guide covers Colorado. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In Colorado, certified death certificates are issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Vital Records office and the county vital records offices. Colorado raised its fees on January 1, 2026. A certified copy now costs $25, and each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $20. Older guides that show lower prices are out of date.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Colorado, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Colorado.
Who issues death certificates in Colorado?
Certified copies come from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Vital Records office and the county vital records offices. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.
How much does a certified copy cost in Colorado?
Colorado raised its fees on January 1, 2026. A certified copy now costs $25, and each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $20. Older guides that show lower prices are out of date.
Who can order a copy in Colorado?
Colorado requires a direct and tangible interest under C.R.S. § 25-2-118, which in practice means the person’s immediate family, a legal representative, or someone with a demonstrable legal interest. A copy of current photo identification must accompany the request.
How do I order more copies in Colorado?
- At a county vital records office: Colorado death certificates can be requested at any vital records location regardless of the county where the death occurred, and the office in the county of death also has them.
- By email, mail, or form: many county offices accept a completed request form with a copy of identification.
- Online: through the approved vendors the state lists on its vital records page.
What else should I know before I order?
County offices may add a convenience charge for credit cards, so ask when you order.
What should I do next?
Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Colorado and our general guide to death certificates.
Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.
Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment or a county vital records office before you send payment.
Sources
- Moffat County Public Health - Birth and death certificates (notice of the January 1, 2026 state fee change: $25 first copy, $20 each additional copy)(Government)
- Kit Carson County - Colorado Death Certificate Request (statute basis for tangible interest, C.R.S. 25-2-118; any Colorado vital records office can issue copies)(Government)
About this review
Everendium Editorial Team · last reviewed October 15, 2026.
Fees, eligibility rules, and ordering options were checked on October 15, 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
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