North Carolina Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
These collections are indexes to deaths recorded in North Carolina for the years 1906–1930 and 1931–1994. The State of North Carolina began recording deaths in March 1913. North Carolina death certificates are recorded on a printed form which was filled in by hand or typed. Death records, along with birth and marriage records, were recorded in churches throughout the United States colonial period. However, as early as the 1600s laws were enacted, but not enforced for a civil registry. In the 1900s the idea of a central system began to take hold, and many states began to record vital statistics. All states had birth and death records for their state by 1919 and had complied with the model registration law using a standard certificate. Overtime the content of birth and death records expanded to include details other than name and date of the event. Death certificates now include information on the parents, marital status, occupation, military service, cause of death (direct and contributing factors), citizenship, and the location of death. The information is gathered from attending medical professionals and family members then indexed, processed, and filed by state or local registrar. Information pertaining to death is reliable; including death, name of the attending physician or attending medical professional, name and address of the funeral home used, and the exact date and place of burial. Other information is dependent upon the reliability of the informant.

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


 * Name and gender of deceased
 * Date, place and time of death
 * City and county in which death occurred
 * Age of deceased in years, months, days
 * Race, marital status and occupation of deceased
 * Name of spouse
 * Birthplace of deceased
 * Father's name and birthplace
 * Mother's maiden name and birthplace
 * Name of informant, often a family member
 * Burial information

How Do I Search These Collections?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of person
 * The approximate date of death
 * The place where the death occurred

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.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s death record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * Use the information on the death record to locate funeral home and cemetery records
 * Use the information on the death record to locate an obituary
 * Use the information on the death record to search for the family in census records
 * Use the information on the death record to search additional state and county records

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

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of North Carolina.
 * North Carolina Guided Research
 * North Carolina Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

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.