How to Get a Death Certificate in New Hampshire

Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in New Hampshire, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to New Hampshire.

Who issues death certificates in New Hampshire?

Certified copies come from the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration in Concord and the state’s 234 city and town clerks. 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 New Hampshire?

New Hampshire charges a $15 search fee, payable whether or not a record is found, which covers one certified copy if the record is located. Each additional copy of the same record issued at the same time costs $10. Credit card payments add a fee, which some town clerks list at 3.25 percent.

Who can order a copy in New Hampshire?

You must have a direct and tangible interest. New Hampshire’s town clerks list who qualifies: yourself, your mother, father, step-parent, foster parent, grandparent, child, step-child, spouse, brother, sister, aunt, or uncle. Positive photo identification is required, and the application asks whether you want the copy with or without the cause of death.

How do I order more copies in New Hampshire?

• At any city or town clerk: death records from 1965 on are available from any New Hampshire town clerk, wherever in the state the death occurred. Earlier records must come from the town or city where the death occurred or from the state.
• By mail to the state: New Hampshire Department of State, Division of Vital Records Administration, Concord, NH 03301-2455, with the application, a copy of your ID, and a check payable to “Treasurer-State of New Hampshire.”
• Online: many offices take requests through VitalChek or their own online request form.

What else should I know before I order?

Most vital records 50 years old or less are closed to the public, which is why identification and your relationship are checked.

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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Division of Vital Records or a town clerk before you send payment.