How to Get a Death Certificate in North Carolina
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 15, 2026
This guide covers North Carolina. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In North Carolina, certified death certificates are issued by North Carolina Vital Records (part of the state Department of Health and Human Services) and the Register of Deeds office in each county. At the state office, a certified copy costs $24, which is also the search fee, and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $15. But the Register of Deeds in the county where the death occurred charges only $10 per certified copy, and an out-of-county copy of a recent death costs $24.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in North Carolina, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to North Carolina.
Who issues death certificates in North Carolina?
Certified copies come from North Carolina Vital Records (part of the state Department of Health and Human Services) and the Register of Deeds office in each county. 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 North Carolina?
At the state office, a certified copy costs $24, which is also the search fee, and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $15. But the Register of Deeds in the county where the death occurred charges only $10 per certified copy, and an out-of-county copy of a recent death costs $24.
Who can order a copy in North Carolina?
Copies are restricted. Applications ask your relationship to the person (for example spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandchild, or an authorized agent or legal representative) or whether you need it for a legal determination of rights.
How do I order more copies in North Carolina?
- At the county Register of Deeds: in the county where the death occurred, in person, online, or by mail, for $10 per certified copy.
- At another county’s Register of Deeds: for deaths since August 2020, any county’s office can issue a copy through the statewide system, at the $24 state price.
- At the state office: North Carolina Vital Records in Raleigh, by mail or in person, with extra fees for expedited or same-day service.
What else should I know before I order?
Most families don’t know about the county option. Ordering all your copies from the Register of Deeds in the county where the death occurred is usually the cheapest route.
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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina Vital Records or a county Register of Deeds before you send payment.
Sources
- Franklin County Register of Deeds - Vital Statistics ($10 per certified copy in county; $24 out of county; how local registrars and Registers of Deeds work)(Government)
- Wake County Register of Deeds - Birth, death, and marriage certificates ($24 and $15 for each additional; in-person and online ordering)(Government)
- Durham County Register of Deeds - Death certificates (NCDAVE statewide system for deaths from August 2020 on)(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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