North Dakota Free Death Records

• Download the Death Certificate Request Form from the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Complete the above application and mail it, along with any applicable fees and a copy of your government issued photo identification, to:
Division of Vital Records
600 E. Boulevard Ave. - Dept. 301
Bismarck, ND 58505-0200

Notes:

• Effective January 1, 2008, the Division of Vital Records will need proof of identity for all individuals requesting a birth or death certificate.
• Once a complete request is received in the office, it is usually processed in 5-7 business days.  This does not include return mail time.
• The North Dakota Department of Health breaks down the records into three categories:
• 1) A Certification of the Facts of Death. This certificate will be issued immediately after the funeral home registers the facts of death with our office. This copy will have limited demographic information about the deceased, but will include the social security number. The inclusion of the social security number on this type of copy is critical because immediate family members can use this type of certificate to close bank accounts, secure discounted airline travel, transfer title of land or property, etc. This copy should be used for all banking and financial needs where the cause of death is not required.
• 2) A Certification of Death. Once the medical portion of the record is completed by a physician or coroner, our office can issue to the immediate family a full and complete copy of the death record that includes the cause of death and a social security number. This type of copy is usually needed for life insurance matters and any other matter where the cause of death and the social security number are required. Family members who have a certification of the facts of death record will be able to exchange it for a certification of death record for up to 90 days after the date of death at no cost. (This copy is the one that most families received in the past).
• 3) An Informational Copy of a Death Record. Other individuals, such as genealogists, sometimes need a copy of a death record. These individuals will receive certified informational copies. These types of copies would be similar to a full death record and could be issued to anyone for any reason; however, these copies would not include the cause of death or social security numbers. This would allow anyone to obtain the information about a death, but would not allow them to use the copy for any official business.

Cost:

• $5.00
  
  

• North Dakota Department of Health