How to Get a Death Certificate in Mississippi
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Mississippi. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In Mississippi, certified death certificates are issued by the Mississippi State Department of Health's Vital Records office, which has death records back to November 1912. A certified copy costs $17, which is a non-refundable search fee (a five-year search is made if the date is uncertain). Each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6, and those fees are refunded if no record is found. Phone and online orders go through a private service that adds a fee.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Mississippi, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Mississippi.
Who issues death certificates in Mississippi?
Certified copies come from the Mississippi State Department of Health’s Vital Records office, which has death records back to November 1912. 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 Mississippi?
A certified copy costs $17, which is a non-refundable search fee (a five-year search is made if the date is uncertain). Each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6, and those fees are refunded if no record is found. Phone and online orders go through a private service that adds a fee.
Who can order a copy in Mississippi?
Mississippi issues a certified copy only to a person with a legitimate and tangible interest, as defined in the state’s vital records rules, and requires valid photo identification.
How do I order more copies in Mississippi?
- In person: at the Vital Records office in Ridgeland (222 Marketridge Drive), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- By mail: with the state’s application (Form 523), a copy of your photo ID, and a personal check, money order, or cashier’s check payable to Mississippi Vital Records, sent to Mississippi Vital Records, Jackson, MS 39215-1700.
- By phone or online: through a private records service that charges an additional fee. Call 601-206-8200 or email VRInfo@msdh.ms.gov with questions.
What else should I know before I order?
If something on the certificate is wrong and the death was less than a year ago, tell the funeral director who filed it. After a year a court order may be required.
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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi State Department of Health before you send payment.
Sources
- Mississippi State Department of Health - Death Certificate Application Instructions ($17 first copy, $6 each additional, photo ID)(Government)
- Mississippi State Department of Health - Form 523, Application for Certified Death Certificate (revised February 2026; legitimate and tangible interest)(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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