How to Get a Death Certificate in Maryland
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Maryland. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In Maryland, certified death certificates are issued by the Maryland Department of Health's Division of Vital Records in Baltimore and the local health departments. Maryland charges a non-refundable $10 for the first copy in a single transaction and $12 for each additional copy of the same certificate in that transaction, so extra copies cost more than the first. Local health departments set their own fees, within limits state law sets. Garrett County, for example, charges $18 for the first copy and $20 for each additional. There is no fee for an armed forces member's own copy.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Maryland, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Maryland.
Who issues death certificates in Maryland?
Certified copies come from the Maryland Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records in Baltimore and the local health departments. 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 Maryland?
Maryland charges a non-refundable $10 for the first copy in a single transaction and $12 for each additional copy of the same certificate in that transaction, so extra copies cost more than the first. Local health departments set their own fees, within limits state law sets. Garrett County, for example, charges $18 for the first copy and $20 for each additional. There is no fee for an armed forces member’s own copy.
Who can order a copy in Maryland?
Maryland issues a copy only to applicants with a direct and tangible interest in the record (COMAR 10.03.08), which includes immediate family, a legal representative, beneficiaries, and people with a business need or a court order.
How do I order more copies in Maryland?
- At a local health department: many county health departments can issue recent death certificates. Availability and fees vary, so call yours first.
- By mail: to the Division of Vital Records, P.O. Box 68760, Baltimore, MD 21215-0036, with the application, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order payable to “DIVISION OF VITAL RECORDS.”
- Online: through VitalChek, the only authorized online vendor.
What else should I know before I order?
For genealogical records, contact the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis at 410-260-6400.
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 Maryland 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 Maryland Division of Vital Records or a local health department before you send payment.
Sources
- Maryland Department of Health - Application for Certified Copy of Maryland Death Record ($10 first copy, $12 each additional; direct and tangible interest; mailing address)(Government)
- Maryland Health-General § 4-217 (fees: $10 first death certificate, $12 each additional; local health department fees)(Statute text)
- Garrett County Health Department - Vital Records (local health department fees for death certificates)(Government)
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics - Where to Write for Vital Records: Maryland ($10 and $12; State Archives for older records)(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
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