Kentucky Research: Finding Death Information

United States Kentucky  Finding Death Information

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

Index and Online Records


 * 1852-1953 Kentucky, Death Records at Ancestry.com - ($), incomplete for some counties

Index Only


 * 1843-1970 at FamilySearch - free
 * 1911-1955 at FamilySearch - free
 * 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 - ($)
 * 1954-present at FamilySearch - free; nationwide death index

If you do not have access to Ancestry.com check with your local Family History Center which might have a subscription.

Microfilm Copy of Original Records These records are also available on microfilm and can be ordered into a Family History Center. 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
Many death records are little known and quite obscure. Be sure to look for mortuary records, burial permits, transportation records, funeral programs, obituaries, memorials and grave purchases in addition to death certificates or other formal records.

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

Wiki Articles

 * United States Record Selection Table
 * United States, How to Find Death Records
 * United States Vital Records
 * United States Death Records
 * Summary of Death Records in the United States by State
 * Deaths and Burials Vital Record Index Collections (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * United States Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Funeral Cards – A Little Used Resource
 * U.S. Vital Records Overview
 * Locating United States Vital Records
 * United States, How to Use Death Records