Death Certificates

For Family Members:

The Allegany County Health Department can issue certified copies of death certificates to immediate family members for deaths occurring from January 1, 2015 to the present. The cost of a death certificate is $18.00 for the first copy and $20.00 for each additional copy. Death certificates for deaths occurring before January 1, 2015, must be requested from the Maryland Division of Vital Records via mail, phone, or online.

Who Can Apply?

The surviving relative or authorized representative of the deceased:

For same-day service, the family member or authorized representative must apply in person at the health department and present
- A valid, U.S. government-issued photo ID (driver's license, U.S. passport, MVA photo ID card, or military photo ID). The photo ID must have an issue and expiration date.
- Entitlement documentation.
A surviving relative of the deceased must prove relationship to the deceased with documentation such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or obituary.
If making an insurance claim or for any other type of business need, supporting documentation must be provided verifying the reason for requesting the death certificate (such as a letter from an insurance company, deed, vehicle title, etc).

The funeral director who oversaw the final disposition of the body of the deceased.

For Funeral Directors:
The health department can issue certified death certificates to funeral directors for deaths that occurred from January 1, 2015, to the present. Applications can be emailed to achd.vitalrecords@maryland.gov.

Deaths Occurring Prior to January 1, 2015
For deaths that occurred before January 1, 2015, death certificates must be obtained through the Maryland Division of Vital Records.

Order Online
To order online, visit www.vitalchek.com. Certificates are processed in Baltimore and mailed to the applicant's address.

Order by Mail
To order by mail, applications can be obtained at the health department or can be downloaded from the maryland.gov website at https://health.maryland.gov/vsa/Pages/birth.aspx (This application must be sent to Baltimore to be processed).

Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For more information call 301-759-5119 or email achd.vitalrecords@maryland.gov.