How to Get a Death Certificate in Pennsylvania
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Pennsylvania. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In Pennsylvania, certified death certificates are issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Division of Vital Records in New Castle, which has death records since 1906. Pennsylvania charges $20 for each death certificate regardless of how many you order, so extras cost the same. Online orders add a $10 processing fee. The fee is waived when the deceased was a member of the U.S. armed forces (the funeral home provides the documentation), though not the online service fee.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Pennsylvania, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Pennsylvania.
Who issues death certificates in Pennsylvania?
Certified copies come from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records in New Castle, which has death records since 1906. 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania charges $20 for each death certificate regardless of how many you order, so extras cost the same. Online orders add a $10 processing fee. The fee is waived when the deceased was a member of the U.S. armed forces (the funeral home provides the documentation), though not the online service fee.
Who can order a copy in Pennsylvania?
Applicants must be 18 or older (or an emancipated minor) and an eligible applicant: the person’s spouse, parent or step-parent, child or step-child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild, or someone with legal authority such as a power of attorney or legal representative. Step-relatives must provide the connecting marriage certificate.
How do I order more copies in Pennsylvania?
- Online: through mycertificates.health.pa.gov or VitalChek, Pennsylvania’s only approved vendor ($20 per certificate plus a $10 service fee).
- In person: at one of the Vital Records branch offices, including the New Castle office at 105 Nesbitt Road, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the application and acceptable ID.
- By mail: to the Division of Vital Records, Death Certificate Processing Unit, New Castle, PA 16103 (the application lists the full address), with acceptable ID and a check or money order payable to “VITAL RECORDS.”
What else should I know before I order?
The department processes every order, including those placed online.
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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records before you send payment.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Department of Health - Death Certificates ($20 each regardless of quantity; $10 online fee; veteran fee waiver)(Government)
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - Request a Death Certificate (who can order; VitalChek; mail and in-person steps)(Government)
- Pennsylvania 211 - Department of Health Vital Records Division (eligibility; hours; New Castle office)(Government-backed directory)
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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