Utah Death Certificates - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of state death certificates for the years 1904 to 1964, acquired from the Utah State Archives. The records are arranged by county, city/town, and year. Local Board of Health registrars sent certificates monthly to the state registrar of the Department of Vital Statistics, which is a division of the state Board of Health. All counties began reporting deaths to the state in 1905 when the Department of Health created the division of Vital Statistics. A death certificate was required for burial in Utah, so compliance was high. These were recorded to better serve public health needs. They were also used in connection with the probate of wills and the administration of estates.

 Utah State Archives
 * Department of Health. Center for Health Data and Informatics. Office of Vital Records and Statistics Death certificates. Series 81448
 * Utah Death Certificate Index, 1905-1967

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 3

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The name of a parent or date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to determine an approximate birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Utah.
 * Utah Guided Research
 * Utah Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1900-Present
 * How to Find Utah Death Records
 * How to Find United States Death Records
 * United States, How to Use Death Records
 * United States Death Records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.