Kentucky Research: Finding Death Information

United States Kentucky  Finding Death Information

1852 to Present
County governments sporadically recorded deaths in Kentucky during from 1852 to 1910. The Kentucky state government began recording death certificates in 1911.

Index and Digital Images


 * 1852-1953 Kentucky, Death Records - ($), incomplete for some counties

Index Only


 * 1911-1986 Kentucky Death Index for 1911-1986 on the University of Kentucky website - free
 * 1911-2000 Kentucky Death Index, 1911-2000 at Ancestry.com - ($)

Microfilm copy of Original If you do not have access to Ancestry.com, these records are also available on microfilm through FamilySearch. They are cataloged as Vital records in the pertinent county in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search, for example, Kentucky, Butler - Vital records.

Ordering Certificates - 1911 to the Present You can order a copy of the death certificate from the Kentucky Department for Public Health for a fee of $6.00. Visit their website to obtain contact information.

1700s to 1851
No official death records were kept by Kentucky state or county governments during this period. To find death information on persons who died during these years, try these various alternative record types:

Other Resources
For more recent years (1954-present), check the Social Security Death Index (see below), or order a copy of the death certificate from the Kentucky Department for Public Health for a fee of $6.00.

Another valuable source for persons who died in Kentucky between the 1960s and the present is the, which is available on FamilySearch.org - free.

If you do not find the person you are looking for, try various alternative record types: