Collier County Florida Obituary Records start with the Florida Department of Health office on East Tamiami Trail in Naples. The county seat is East Naples, and the population tops 416,000 people.
A large seasonal population drives a high number of death certificate requests each year. This page covers the full path to official death records, obituary text in local newspapers, statewide databases, funeral home listings, and state archives that store older Florida death notices from 1877 to the present.
Official Death Certificate Office in Naples
The Florida Department of Health runs the official records office for Collier County. The office processes requests when the death took place in any Florida county from 2009 to the present. Staff search for records, check your paperwork, and hand you certified copies during a walk-in visit. Mail requests add a few extra days of processing time.
Office Address and Phone Number
The Collier County Department of Health office sits at 3339 East Tamiami Trail, Suite 315, Naples, FL 34112. The phone number is (239) 252-8200. The office website is collier.floridahealth.gov. Before driving over, call the office to confirm hours and accepted payment methods for the day you plan to visit.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Office Name | Collier County Department of Health |
| Street Address | 3339 East Tamiami Trail, Suite 315 |
| City | Naples, FL 34112 |
| Phone | (239) 252-8200 |
| Website | collier.floridahealth.gov |
| Records Period | 2009 to present |
| First Copy Fee | $5 search plus one certified copy |
| Each Extra Copy | $4 |
Office Hours and Walk-In Service
The Naples office opens Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The office closes on state and federal holidays. Walk-in customers fill out the request form at the counter and receive certified copies the same day in most cases. For deaths older than 2009, the office redirects requests to the state bureau of vital statistics in Jacksonville.
Order Process for Death Certificates
Ordering a death certificate in Collier County follows a clear set of steps. Florida law sets the same process across all 67 counties. Knowing each step ahead of time prevents delays at the counter and keeps your paperwork from being returned by mail. The order process covers three main steps that apply to every applicant.
Form DH-727 Requirements
Form DH-727 is the statewide death certificate request form. A Spanish version called DH-727S is also available for Spanish-speaking applicants. You can pick up the form at the Naples office or print it from the Collier County Department of Health certificates page online. The form asks for the full legal name of the person who died, date of birth, date of death, sex, Social Security number, and the city or county where the death happened.
Photo ID and Eligibility Proof
The Naples office requires a government-issued photo ID. Accepted forms of ID include a driver license, state ID card, passport, or military ID. The office staff checks the ID against the name on the request form. Without a photo ID, the office cannot process your request and will return your paperwork without action. For confidential copies, you also bring a marriage certificate, birth certificate, court order, or insurance policy to prove your relationship.
Public Copy vs. Confidential Copy
Florida offers two types of death certificates. A public copy leaves out the cause of death and blacks out the first five digits of the Social Security number. Any adult 18 or older can request a public copy. A confidential copy lists the cause of death. Access to a confidential copy is restricted for 50 years from the date of death under Chapter 382, Florida Statutes. To request a confidential copy, you also fill out DH Form 1959, an affidavit that proves your legal standing.
Death Certificate Fees and Payment in 2026
Fees for death certificates in Collier County match the fees set across all Florida counties. The fee structure was last updated in 2026. Below is the full breakdown of costs and the payment methods accepted at the Naples office. The fees cover the search and the certified copies you receive.
Standard Fee Schedule
A standard death certificate search in Collier County costs $5 and includes one certified copy. Each additional copy of the same record costs $4. If you do not know the year of death, the state runs a name search at $2 per year, up to a maximum of $50. Deaths before 2009 may carry a $10 rush fee when processed through the state bureau in Jacksonville.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Search plus first certified copy | $5 |
| Each additional copy | $4 |
| Name search per year (no date known) | $2 |
| Maximum name search fee | $50 |
| Rush fee (pre-2009 deaths) | $10 |
| Mail shipping | $1 |
Accepted Payment Methods
The Naples office accepts cash, money order, and cashier’s check for in-person requests. Credit and debit cards are accepted at the counter through a card reader. Mail orders require a money order or cashier’s check made out to the Collier County Department of Health. Personal checks are not accepted for mail requests. Call the office at (239) 252-8200 ahead of time to confirm the latest accepted payment methods for your visit.
Online Ordering Through VitalChek
For customers who want to skip the trip to Naples, VitalChek offers online and phone ordering. The VitalChek fee is $15 for the first certificate plus a $7 processing charge. Extra copies cost $4 each. You can place an order at vitalchek.com or by calling 1-877-550-7330. VitalChek accepts major credit cards and debit cards and ships records to your home address.
Naples Daily News and Local Newspaper Obituaries
Obituary text in Collier County runs in local papers. The Naples Daily News is the main newspaper serving the county, and it has printed death notices and full obituaries for decades. The paper covers Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Immokalee, and other Collier County communities. Older obituary text sits in print and digital archives held by the newspaper and local libraries.
Naples Daily News Current Obituaries
The Naples Daily News publishes daily obituaries on its website at naplesnews.com. Each obituary lists the full name, age, city of residence, date of death, funeral home, service time, and a short biography. Recent obituaries are free to read. The paper also runs paid death notices that include thank-you messages and memorial donations from family members.
Naples Daily News Historical Archives
The Naples Daily News archive goes back to the 1920s. Access to the archive requires a subscription through newspapers.com or the Naples Daily News website. The Collier County Public Library system offers free access to newspaper archive databases from any library branch. Library staff help you pull older obituaries on microfilm or digital scan, and the archive dates back more than 100 years.
Coastal Breeze News and Marco Island Sun Times
Coastal Breeze News serves Marco Island and parts of southern Collier County. The paper publishes obituaries from local funeral homes each week. The Marco Island Sun Times also runs death notices for island residents. Both papers keep print archives at their offices and at the Marco Island Historical Society. The Marco Island Historical Society at 180 S. Heathwood Drive helps researchers pull older obituaries from the print runs.
Online Obituary Platforms
Several websites collect obituaries from funeral homes across Florida. These platforms let you search by name, date, city, and funeral home. Most platforms are free to read. Paid options unlock full obituaries, photo galleries, and guest book entries from friends and family members who leave messages of condolence.
Legacy.com Florida Listings
Legacy.com partners with newspapers and funeral homes across Florida. The site hosts obituaries from the Naples Daily News, Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Orlando Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, and many smaller papers. Search by last name, first name, date range, or state. Each listing links back to the original newspaper where the obituary first appeared.
Tributes.com Memorial Pages
Tributes.com runs memorial pages with full obituary text, photos, and guest books. The site pulls from funeral homes in Naples, Fort Myers, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and other cities. Search by name, state, and date of death. Tributes.com lets families light virtual candles, share memories, and post photos that celebrate the life of the person who died.
Ever Loved Memorial Network
Ever Loved is a newer memorial site that collects obituaries from funeral homes across Florida. The platform lets you build a free memorial page, collect donations for funeral costs, and share the obituary on social media. Search by name, city, or funeral home name. The site also lets you print sympathy cards and order flowers for the family.
National Obituary Databases
For deeper research, national databases index Florida death records and obituary scans. Some databases are free, and others require a paid subscription or library access. These platforms index records going back to the 1800s for some Florida counties and hold millions of obituary records each year.
Ancestry.com Florida Death Index
Ancestry.com hosts the Florida Death Index, 1877 to 1998. The index lists the full name, death year, county of death, certificate number, and age at death. Florida death certificates from 1917 to 1959 sit in the Ancestry card catalog. Search results link to scan images of the death certificate. Access requires an Ancestry subscription, which is free at many public libraries through a library card sign-in.
Find a Grave Florida Cemetery Records
Find a Grave lists cemetery records and memorial pages for Florida. The site has more than 4 million Florida records as of 2026. Each memorial page shows the birth date, death date, burial location, plot details, and photos of the gravestone. Volunteers add new records every day. Search by last name, first name, cemetery name, or city across the entire state of Florida.
Newspapers.com Florida Archive
Newspapers.com scans Florida newspapers from the 1800s to the present. The site holds obituaries from the Naples Daily News, Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Orlando Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, and Jacksonville newspapers. A subscription unlocks full-text search across all papers. Many Florida libraries offer free Newspapers.com access with a library card number and PIN.
FamilySearch Florida Death Records
FamilySearch.org is free to use and hosts Florida death records, probate records, and cemetery records. The Florida Death Records, 1877 to 1939 collection sits on FamilySearch. The site also indexes Florida county marriage and divorce records from the same time period. Create a free account to view scanned images and download records for your family tree.
Funeral Homes in Collier County
Funeral homes keep records of every death they handle. Each funeral home holds the death date, service date, burial location, next of kin, and obituary text. Most Naples funeral homes respond to records requests within five business days. The funeral home staff will only share records with immediate family members without a written release form.
Major Funeral Home Directory
Collier County has more than 30 licensed funeral homes. Major funeral homes include Naples Funeral Home, Fullerikany’s Bonita Funeral Home, and Hodges Funeral Home. Each funeral home lists current obituaries on its website. Many funeral homes archive obituaries back to the 1980s and let you search by last name.
| Funeral Home | City | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Naples Funeral Home | Naples | (239) 597-3101 |
| Fuller Funeral Home | Naples | (239) 417-5000 |
| Shikany’s Bonita Funeral Home | Bonita Springs | (239) 992-4982 |
| Hodges Funeral Home | Naples | (239) 261-1934 |
| Beach Memorial Chapel | Naples | (239) 261-1818 |
Requesting Records from Funeral Homes
Call the funeral home directly to request a copy of the obituary or service record. Most funeral homes charge a small fee for printed copies of the obituary text. Provide the full name, date of death, and your relationship to the deceased. Funeral home staff need written permission before sharing records with anyone other than immediate family members or legal representatives.
Cemetery Records in Collier County
Cemetery records list the burial date, plot number, and next of kin for each grave. Collier County has public cemeteries, private cemeteries, and church cemeteries. Many older cemeteries sit on private land and require landowner permission to visit. The county cemetery office maintains maps of public burial grounds.
Cemetery Lookup Service
Find a Grave and BillionGraves both run cemetery lookup tools for Florida. Enter the last name to see matching graves in Collier County. Each listing shows the cemetery name, plot location, and burial date. BillionGraves uses GPS-tagged photos of gravestones and lets you sort by distance from your current location.
Woodlawn Cemetery in Naples
Woodlawn Cemetery sits at 3501 Airport-Pulling Road, Naples, FL 34105. The cemetery office opens Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call (239) 455-2711 to request a burial record or plot map. Woodlawn holds graves from 1939 to the present and runs a searchable database of every burial on the property.
Historic Cemetery Surveys
The Collier County Historical Society runs a survey of historic cemeteries. The survey covers family plots, church cemeteries, and abandoned burial grounds. Survey data sits at the Collier County Museum in Naples at 3331 Tamiami Trail East. Museum staff help researchers locate older graves that are not on Find a Grave and that predate county record keeping.
Florida State Archives Resources
The State Library and Archives of Florida sits in Tallahassee. The library holds Florida newspapers on microfilm, state government records, and manuscript collections. Many older Florida death notices sit only in the Tallahassee archives. The reading room is open to the public and free to use for anyone with a photo ID.
Florida Memory Online Project
Florida Memory is the digital archive run by the State Library and Archives. The site hosts scanned newspapers, photographs, military records, and personal papers. Florida Memory has obituaries scanned from newspapers across the state going back to the 1800s. The site is free to use at floridamemory.com and does not require a login or subscription.
State Library and Archives Tallahassee
The State Library and Archives building sits at 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399. The reading room opens Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (850) 245-6700 to set up a research appointment. The reading room staff pull microfilm rolls and manuscript boxes for in-person use during your visit.
Probate Court Records for Death Verification
Probate court files often hold a copy of the death certificate. When a person dies and leaves property, the probate file sits at the county courthouse. Florida probate files are public under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the state’s public records law. Probate records often predate the official death certificate index.
Collier County Clerk of Circuit Court
The Collier County Clerk of Circuit Court runs the probate division. The clerk’s office sits at 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples, FL 34112. The phone number is (239) 252-2646. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Search probate files online at the Collier County Clerk records portal at collierclerk.com before visiting the office.
Estate Files and Death Certificates
Probate files list the date of death, the legal heirs, the value of the estate, and a copy of the death certificate. Request a copy of the estate file at the clerk’s office. The clerk charges $1 per page for regular copies and $2 per page for certified copies. Search the online records portal by name to see if a probate file exists before visiting in person and paying for copies.
Who Qualifies to Request Death Records
Florida law sets clear rules on who can request a death certificate. The rules apply to all Florida counties, including Collier County. The rules split records into public copies and confidential copies based on the date of death and the requester’s relationship to the deceased.
Public Access Without Cause of Death
Any adult 18 or older can request a public copy of a Florida death certificate. No proof of relationship is required. The public copy leaves out the cause of death and blacks out the first five digits of the Social Security number. Public copies are common for genealogy research, background checks, and estate settlement work for distant relatives or business associates.
Confidential Records Eligibility
Confidential copies list the cause of death. Access is restricted for 50 years from the date of death. Eligible applicants include the surviving spouse, parents, children 18 or older, grandchildren 18 or older, siblings 18 or older, persons named in the will, insurance beneficiaries, and people with a court order. Each applicant must fill out DH Form 1959 and show proof of relationship.
Free Obituary Search Methods
Several free sources let you search Florida obituaries without paying a subscription fee. Public libraries, historical societies, and state archives all offer free access to obituary records. FamilySearch.org and Find a Grave both provide free obituary and cemetery searches for Florida residents and researchers.
Collier County Public Library System
The Collier County Public Library system has 10 branches across the county. The main branch sits at 2385 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples, FL 34109. Library branches offer free access to Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, and Fold3 on the public computers. Library staff help you pull obituary scans from the databases. You need a library card to use the databases, and the card is free with a photo ID and proof of address.
Local Genealogical Societies
The Genealogical Society of Collier County meets monthly at the Naples Public Library. Society volunteers index old obituary records and help researchers find hard-to-locate obituaries. The society publishes a quarterly journal with death notices and cemetery surveys. Membership costs $25 per year and includes free lookups by the society’s research team for members who cannot visit the library in person.
Obituary Lookup by Name Tips
Searching obituaries by name works better with a few simple tips. Spelling variations, name changes, and date ranges affect the results. These tips come from professional genealogists who work with Florida records every day. Following these tips can cut your search time in half and help you locate records that would otherwise be missed.
Spelling Variations and Maiden Names
Florida death records often list a woman’s name under her married name, her maiden name, or both. Older records may spell names the way the funeral director heard them on the phone. Search for the spouse’s name, the parents’ names, and the cemetery name as alternate search terms. A woman listed as Mrs. John Smith on a death notice may sit in the index under her own first name.
Using Date Ranges for Faster Results
Death records in Florida sit in statewide indexes by date of death. Narrow the date range to one year for common names. Expand the date range to ten years for unusual last names. Use newspaper archive date filters to scan only the papers printed on the days after the death. Florida newspapers often printed obituaries within three days of the death date, with longer obituaries in the Sunday edition.
Nearby Florida Counties for Cross-Reference
Collier County shares borders with Lee County, Hendry County, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Monroe County. If you are not sure where a death took place, search the neighboring counties. Each county runs its own Department of Health office with the same records process. Neighboring counties also have their own obituary collections in local newspapers.
| County | Border With Collier | Records Office Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Lee County | North | (239) 332-9572 |
| Hendry County | East | (863) 983-1570 |
| Broward County | Southeast | (954) 467-4412 |
| Miami-Dade County | South | (305) 470-5600 |
| Monroe County | South | (305) 292-6880 |
Office Location and Contact Details
The Collier County Department of Health office sits at 3339 East Tamiami Trail, Suite 315, Naples, FL 34112. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The phone number is (239) 252-8200. The website is collier.floridahealth.gov. Mail requests go to the same address with a money order or cashier’s check and a completed Form DH-727. The map below shows the exact location for in-person visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions below cover the most common requests for Collier County Florida obituary records. Each answer gives clear steps, fees, and contact details based on the latest rules from the Florida Department of Health. If your question is not answered here, call the Naples office at (239) 252-8200 during regular business hours for direct help from the records staff.
How long does it take to get a death certificate?
Walk-in requests at the Naples office are processed the same day in most cases. Mail requests take 7 to 14 business days, with mail shipping adding $1 to the total fee. Online orders through VitalChek take 5 to 10 business days for delivery. Deaths that occurred before 2009 go through the state bureau in Jacksonville and take 4 to 6 weeks for standard processing. Rush processing cuts the wait time to about 2 weeks for an extra $10 fee on older records.
Can I get an obituary from the health department?
The Florida Department of Health office issues only death certificates. Death certificates list the date of death, place of death, and cause of death. Full obituary text sits with the funeral home and the newspaper that printed it. Request the obituary from the funeral home that handled the service, or search newspaper archives on Legacy.com, newspapers.com, or the Naples Daily News website for the full text and any photos that ran with the notice.
What does a Florida death certificate cost in 2026?
The base fee is $5 for a search plus one certified copy of the record. Each extra certified copy of the same record costs $4. If you do not know the year of death, the state runs a name search at $2 per year, up to a maximum of $50 in search fees. VitalChek charges $15 for the first certificate plus a $7 processing charge for online ordering. Rush fees of $10 apply to deaths that occurred before 2009 in Florida.
Where can I search Collier County obituaries for free?
Free obituary searches run through the Collier County Public Library system, FamilySearch.org, and Find a Grave. Library branches offer free access to Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com on the public computers with a library card. FamilySearch indexes Florida death records from 1877 to 1939 in a free searchable collection. Find a Grave lists cemetery records with photos of gravestones from across Florida and lets you build a free family tree.
Can anyone get a Florida death certificate?
Any adult 18 or older can request a public copy of a Florida death certificate. Public copies leave out the cause of death and black out part of the Social Security number for privacy. Confidential copies that include the cause of death are restricted for 50 years from the date of death. Eligible applicants for confidential copies include the spouse, parents, adult children, adult grandchildren, adult siblings, persons named in the will, insurance beneficiaries, and people with a court order.
What records does the Collier County clerk of court hold?
The Collier County Clerk of Court holds probate files, marriage licenses, and civil court records. Probate files often include a copy of the death certificate and a list of heirs. Search the clerk’s online records portal at collierclerk.com before visiting the office in person. The clerk’s office sits at 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples, FL 34112, and the phone number is (239) 252-2646 for questions about specific probate files.
Are Florida death records public under state law?
Florida death records are public under Chapter 382, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the state’s public records law. Public access applies 50 years after the date of death for the cause of death and Social Security number. Confidential records cover the 50-year window from the date of death. Public copies are open to any adult with valid photo ID. Confidential copies require proof of relationship to the deceased and a completed DH Form 1959 affidavit.