GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Québec Deaths

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find death information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the death section of the Québec Guided Research page.

Other Databases

 * 1846-1904:  Quebec City, Quebec, Mount Hermon Cemetery Index  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-2011:  Montréal, Québec, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery Index  at Ancestry ($)

Online Images (Browsable Only)
Some collections have not been indexed but are available to search image by image. To find more church records online, go to the FamilySearch Catalog and search for the smaller jurisdiction (parish, town, or city).
 * 1642-1902:  Quebec Index to Civil Copy of Church Records  at FamilySearch
 * 1763-1967:  Quebec, Non-Catholic Parish Registers  at FamilySearch

How to Request the Record When It's Not Online
Province-wide registration for deaths started in 1994. Before this, most vital records were copies of church records sent to government archives. To learn more about record limitations and restrictions, see the article Quebec Vital Records.

To order civil death records, contact:


 * Directeur de l'état civil 2535 Boulevard Laurier Québec G1V 5C5 Canada Phone: 1 418 644-0075 Email: [mailto:etatcivil@dec.gouv.qc.ca etatcivil@dec.gouv.qc.ca ]Website
 * To learn more about the process of ordering civil records, see Certificates.

NOTE: Death records are confidential after 1900. Only immediate family or a legal representative may order a death certificate during this restricted period (see Restrictions for more details).

Additional Records with Death Information
Substitute records can contain information about more than one event, and are used when records for an event are not available. Because the substitute records may not be created at the time of the event, it may contain incorrect information. Search for as many substitute records as possible to corroborate information found in substitute records to help improve accuracy.

Tips for finding deaths
Successfully finding death records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date of birth or death.
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
 * Search province. Search using the province name only instead of by smaller locality.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start
 * 1679-1993 Vital records were recorded in churches (copies were sent to government archives).
 * 1994 Civil registration began.