Glades County Florida Obituary Records cover death notices filed in this small south-central Florida county. The county sits on the western shore of Lake Okeechobee.
Moore Haven serves as the county seat. County-level records start at 2009. Older records sit at the state office in Jacksonville. Funeral homes, libraries, and online genealogy sites add more results. This page covers every place to search these records, plus fees, laws, and tips for free lookups across the state of Florida.
What Are Glades County Obituary Records
Glades County obituary records are written death notices published in local newspapers, funeral home websites, and county databases. Each notice lists the full name of the person who died. It shows the date of death. It shows the place of death. It often lists family members and funeral details. These records help families track genealogy. They help lawyers settle estates. They help journalists check facts. Many records sit in scanned form on state-run websites at no charge.
Who Files Obituary Notices in Glades County
Funeral directors file most obituary notices for Glades County residents. Local newspapers print paid notices. Some families write their own notices. The Florida Department of Health in Glades County files the matching death certificate. The Moore Haven office handles every death registered in the county. Hospital staff and hospice nurses also help file death paperwork. County recorders store the original documents at the courthouse. Online obituary sites pull data from family submissions and funeral home postings.
How Obituary Records Differ from Death Certificates
Obituary records come from families and funeral homes. Death certificates come from doctors and the state. Obituaries list personal details like hobbies and survivors. Death certificates list medical causes and ID numbers. Florida law treats these two record types differently. Death certificates follow Chapter 382 rules. Obituaries have no single filing law. Florida courts accept death certificates as legal proof. Florida newspapers print obituaries as a public service for the community.
Where to Find Glades County Obituaries
Glades County obituaries exist in four main places. The Florida Department of Health office in Moore Haven holds county records from 2009 forward. The state Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville holds records from 1877 to 2008. Local funeral homes keep files going back decades. The Glades County Public Library holds old newspaper clippings on microfilm. Each source covers a different set of records. A solid search uses all four at once.
Florida Department of Health in Glades County
The Moore Haven office on Health Park Drive handles every death certificate for the county. Walk-in service runs Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. The office charges $5 for the first certified copy. Each extra copy costs $4. Bring a photo ID. Fill out the DH727 form. Most visits end in under one hour. The office sits near the public library. Free parking sits in front of the building. Same-day service covers requests filed before 3 PM.
State Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville
The state office at 1217 N Pearl St in Jacksonville holds Florida death records from 1877 to 2008. Call (904) 359-6900 before ordering. The fee is $5 for one search and one copy. Unknown death years add $2 per year, capped at $50. Mail orders take 2 to 3 weeks for delivery. The state office also takes fax orders with a credit card payment. Walk-in service runs Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM.
Local Funeral Homes in Moore Haven
Three funeral homes serve the Glades County area. Each keeps obituary files for past clients. Akin-Davis Funeral Home sits in LaBelle. Shaws Funeral Home sits in Clewiston. Both towns sit less than 30 miles from Moore Haven. Call each home to ask about old records. Staff often help with name searches at no charge. Some funeral homes keep records from the 1950s. Photos and service details sit in the files. Family members can ask for copies for a small fee.
Glades County Public Library Archives
The library at 201 Craggs Ave in Moore Haven keeps back issues of the Lake Okeechobee News on microfilm. The paper ran for over 80 years. Microfilm readers sit on the second floor. Library staff pull reels on request. Copies cost 50 cents per page. The library has free Wi-Fi for guests. Old county records sit on shelves in the back room. Library staff can help guests start a search. The Moore Haven library partners with the state library for hard-to-search records.
How to Search Florida Obituary Records Free
Free obituary searches in Florida work through state archives, church records, and public genealogy sites. No single website holds every record. A solid search uses three or four sites at once. Start with the state-run Florida Memory Project. Add FamilySearch. Add Find A Grave. Add Newspapers.com free previews. Each site covers different parts of the state. The list below covers the top four free sites for Florida obituaries.
Using the Florida Memory Project
The Florida Memory Project at floridamemory.com holds scanned newspapers from 1821 to 2009. Search by last name and county. Results show full newspaper pages with obituary text. All scans sit in the public domain. No login or fee required. The site adds new papers each month. The search tool reads old handwritten text with high accuracy. The project runs through the State Library and Archives of Florida.
FamilySearch and Ancestry Free Tools
FamilySearch.org holds Florida obituary records from 1800 to 2024. Create a free account to view full results. Search by name, year, and county. Ancestry.com offers similar records but charges a monthly fee. Both sites link newspaper scans to listed names for fast lookups. FamilySearch also has a mobile app for on-the-go searches. The FamilySearch catalog lists records by county and town. FamilySearch partners with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Find A Grave Florida Listings
Find A Grave at findagrave.com holds cemetery records and user-uploaded obituaries for every Florida county. Search by last name. Results show cemetery name, plot number, and birth and death dates. Photos of headstones often appear next to the listing. The site runs on free volunteer input. Volunteers add new records each day. Find A Grave covers over 250 Florida cemeteries. The site also links to nearby family plots.
Newspapers.com Florida Obituaries
Newspapers.com holds obituary clippings from major Florida papers like the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times. Free accounts see snippets. Paid accounts see full text. Search by name, year, and city. The site lists over 12,000 Florida newspaper titles. The search tool reads old printed text with strong accuracy. Clippings date back to the 1700s in some Florida cities. The site runs on a paid monthly plan.
Florida Obituary Records by County
Florida runs 67 counties. Each county has its own Department of Health office for death records. County-level records start at different years. Miami-Dade and Duval hold records from 1917. Smaller counties like Glades hold records from 2009. Neighboring counties help fill the gaps. The list below covers the seven largest Florida counties by population. Each county office follows the same state fee structure.
Miami-Dade County Obituary Records
Miami-Dade County records sit at the Miami office on NW 8th Street. The office handles over 50,000 deaths each year. Online orders go through VitalChek. Walk-in service runs Monday to Friday. Records start at 1917 for deaths in the county. The Miami-Dade office is the busiest vital records office in the state. Visitors should plan for longer wait times during peak hours. The office also offers Saturday hours by appointment.
Broward County Obituary Records
Broward County records sit at the Fort Lauderdale DOH office. The office handles about 20,000 deaths each year. Walk-in service runs Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. Records start at 1915 for Fort Lauderdale and surrounding cities. The office sits near downtown Fort Lauderdale. Free public parking sits behind the building. Same-day service covers requests filed before 2 PM.
Orange County Obituary Records
Orange County records sit at the Orlando DOH office on Michigan Street. The office handles about 12,000 deaths each year. Records start at 1909. Orlando Sentinel obituaries cover most deaths in the county since 1900. The office sits near downtown Orlando. The Orange County Library holds old Orlando Sentinel records on microfilm. Walk-in service runs Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM.
Hillsborough County Obituary Records
Hillsborough County records sit at the Tampa DOH office on East Broadway Ave. Tampa Bay Times obituaries cover most deaths since 1900. Walk-in service runs Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. The Tampa office handles deaths in Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace. Records start at 1909 for the county. The Tampa-Hillsborough County Library holds older newspaper scans on microfilm.
Duval County Obituary Records
Duval County records sit at the Jacksonville DOH office on University Blvd. Jacksonville Times-Union obituaries cover most deaths since 1900. Records go back to 1866 for Jacksonville city limits. The Jacksonville office handles deaths across northeast Florida. Walk-in service runs Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. The office sits near the University of North Florida campus. Free parking sits in front of the building.
Palm Beach County Obituary Records
Palm Beach County records sit at the West Palm Beach DOH office. The county has its own Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post obituary archives. Records start at 1909. Walk-in service runs Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. The office sits near downtown West Palm Beach. The Palm Beach County Library holds old newspaper scans on microfilm. Same-day service covers requests filed before 3 PM.
Pinellas County Obituary Records
Pinellas County records sit at the St. Petersburg DOH office. Tampa Bay Times covers most local deaths. Records start at 1912. The county handles about 12,000 deaths each year. The St. Petersburg office sits near downtown. Walk-in service runs Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. The Pinellas Public Library holds old newspaper scans for the county.
Florida Death Certificate Types and Fees
Florida sells two types of death certificates. Each type has its own rules. Each type has its own fees. Pick the right type before ordering. Most users need the version without cause of death. The version with cause of death sits confidential for 50 years after the death. The table below shows the current fee structure for all major Florida sources.
Death Certificate Without Cause of Death
This version lists the name, date, and place of death. It does not list the medical cause. Any person age 18 or older can order this copy. No family proof needed. Social Security numbers appear in partial form. The cost is $5 for the first copy at the county office. This version works for most genealogy, banking, and pension claims. Funeral directors order this version for most family members.
Death Certificate With Cause of Death
This version lists every detail on the death certificate. It shows the medical cause. Florida law hides this version for 50 years after the death. Eligible applicants include the spouse, parent, adult child, adult sibling, or named estate beneficiary. A court order can grant access too. Insurance claims and estate matters in Glades County often need the version with cause of death. The fee is the same as the version without cause.
Current Fee Structure for Florida Records
The fees for Florida death certificates in 2026 stay the same as recent years. County offices charge $5 for the first certified copy. Extra copies ordered at the same time cost $4 each. The state office in Jacksonville charges the same fees for older records. VitalChek online orders cost more. The table below shows a full fee breakdown for all four main sources.
| Source | First Copy | Extra Copies |
|---|---|---|
| County DOH walk-in | $5 | $4 each |
| County DOH mail order | $5 | $4 each |
| State Bureau Jacksonville | $5 | $4 each |
| VitalChek online | $15 plus $7 fee | $4 each |
Florida Public Records Law for Obituaries
Florida has strong public records laws. Death certificates sit under specific rules. Obituary notices sit under fewer rules. Chapter 119 covers most government records. Chapter 382 covers vital records. Anyone can ask for a copy of a public file. State agencies must respond within a set time. The rules below apply to all 67 Florida counties.
Chapter 119 Sunshine Law in Florida
Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes gives the public access to government records. Death certificates without cause of death sit under this law. Any adult can ask for a copy. Agencies must respond within a set time. Lying on an application is a felony under Chapter 775. The law dates back to 1909 with updates through 2026. Public agencies must post fee schedules on their websites. Requesters can appeal denied requests to the state Attorney General.
Chapter 382 Death Filing Rules
Chapter 382 sets the rules for filing death certificates in Florida. Section 382.008 says certificates must be filed within five days of the death. Section 382.016 lets county offices issue certified copies. These laws apply to all 67 Florida counties. Doctors, funeral directors, and midwives must all follow the same filing deadlines. Late filings carry fines under state law. Records get stored in a central database at the Jacksonville state office.
Who Can Request Confidential Records
Records with the cause of death sit confidential for 50 years. After 50 years, they become public. Eligible applicants can ask for early access through the county office. Eligible applicants include the spouse, parent, adult child, adult sibling, or named estate beneficiary. A court order can grant access too. Each applicant must show a photo ID and proof of the relationship. The county office can deny a request that lacks proper paperwork.
Historical Florida Obituary Records Before 2009
Florida death records go back to 1877. Older records sit at the state office. Records before 1921 for Glades County sit under DeSoto County at the state level. Local libraries hold older newspaper clippings. Old church records sit at regional archives. The list below covers the three main sources for pre-2009 Florida death records.
Florida Death Records Going Back to 1877
Florida started tracking deaths at the state level in 1877. Records from 1877 to 1917 are incomplete. Records from 1917 to 2008 sit at the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville. Records from 2009 forward sit at the county level. The state office stores paper records from 1877 to 1900 in fireproof files. Scanned records from 1900 forward sit in a digital database. FamilySearch has copies of the older state records at no charge.
Glades County Creation from DeSoto County
Glades County formed in 1921 from DeSoto County. Deaths in the new county before 1921 sit under DeSoto County at the state office. DeSoto County records start at 1887 at the state level. The DeSoto County Clerk of Court also holds probate files that list death details. Moore Haven became the county seat when Glades County formed. The first Glades County courthouse opened in 1922.
Florida Digital Newspaper Library Access
The Florida Digital Newspaper Library at floridamemory.com holds scanned papers from 1821 to 2009. Search the collection by county, name, or year. All scans sit in the public domain. The site adds new content each month. The project partners with the Library of Congress for national access. Over 4 million newspaper pages sit in the digital archive. Each scan carries a citation for proper research use.
Florida Genealogy and Obituary Research Tips
A good obituary search needs a clear plan. Use three or four sources at once. Keep notes of every result. Check spelling variants. Look at siblings and parents to confirm matches. The list below covers a solid research plan, common mistakes, and the top free sites for Florida obituaries. Each step builds on the one before it.
Simple Research Plan for Florida
A solid research plan starts with what you know. Step one: list the full name of the person, birth year, and death year. Step two: search FamilySearch for listed records. Step three: search Florida Memory for newspaper scans. Step four: search Find A Grave for cemetery plots. Step five: order a death certificate from the county DOH. Step six: cross-check the data with census records and church files. A complete search takes two to three hours for most names.
Common Mistakes in Obituary Research
Mistake one: skipping the Florida Memory Project. Many older obituaries sit only in newspaper scans. Mistake two: searching one spelling. Old names had many spellings. Mistake three: skipping the county seat library. Local libraries hold the only copy of some papers. Mistake four: ignoring cemetery records. Plots often list exact death dates. Mistake five: paying for records without checking state sites first. Florida Memory holds most records at no charge.
Top Free Online Sites for Obituaries
The top free sites for Florida obituaries are Florida Memory, FamilySearch, Find A Grave, and the local public library catalog. Each site covers different records. A solid search uses all four. Paid sites like Ancestry add more results for hard-to-search names. Newspapers.com offers full text of major Florida papers for a monthly fee. The Florida State Library in Tallahassee holds rare records for early Florida settlers.
Glades County Vital Records Office Contact
The Florida Department of Health in Glades County serves residents at 1021 Health Park Drive, Moore Haven, FL 33471. Walk-in service runs each business day. The office handles death certificates for deaths registered in the county from 2009 forward. No appointment is needed for vital records requests. The office sits on the east side of town near the public library. Free parking sits in front of the building.
Office Address
1021 Health Park Drive, Moore Haven, FL 33471 sits on the east side of town near the public library. The building has free public parking out front. Visitors enter through the main lobby and check in at the front desk. A photo ID check happens before vital records staff help with the order. The building sits one block south of US Highway 27. The Glades County Courthouse sits two blocks west of the office.
Phone and Visiting Hours
The main office phone number is (863) 946-0707. Calling ahead saves time. Visiting hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The office closes for state and federal holidays. Most walk-in requests get processed the same day. The office phone line gets busy after lunch. Early morning calls get faster answers from the records team. The office closes for lunch from 12 PM to 1 PM.
Official Website
The official website address is glades.floridahealth.gov. The site lists service hours, contact numbers, and vital records forms. The DH727 form can be downloaded before a walk-in visit. Online orders go through VitalChek from the same site. The site also lists clinic hours for the broader DOH services in Moore Haven. The DH727S form in Spanish sits on the same page. Forms get updated each January.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to common questions about Glades County Florida Obituary Records. Each answer covers a specific point. The answers match current Florida law and state office practice as of 2026. These questions reflect what users ask most often when searching local death records. The list covers fees, history, free sites, and the steps for ordering records online.
What Is the Cost of a Florida Death Certificate?
The first certified death certificate from a Florida county office costs $5. Each extra copy ordered at the same time costs $4. The state Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville charges the same fees for older records. VitalChek online orders cost $15 for the first copy and $7 for service fee. Extra copies cost $4 each. Rush shipping adds $20 to $50. Prices match current Florida Department of Health rates as of 2026. No fee waivers exist for genealogy research. Funeral directors often bundle the certificate cost into funeral packages. The fee covers the search and one certified copy. Death certificates work for bank claims, life insurance, and pension payouts. Family members use these copies to settle property matters after a death. State fees cover the cost of verifying the record in the system.
How Far Back Do Florida Death Records Go?
Florida death records go back to 1877 at the state level. Records from 1877 to 1917 are incomplete. Records from 1917 to 2008 sit at the Jacksonville state office. County-level records start in 2009 for most counties. Glades County death records start at 2009 at the Moore Haven office. Records before 1921 for the Glades County area sit under DeSoto County. Local funeral homes keep obituary files that go back to the 1940s. Newspapers.com holds scanned pages from the 1800s for big cities. FamilySearch lists records from 1800 to 2024 for the whole state. Old church records from the 1700s sit in regional archives. Spanish mission records from the 1500s sit in the State Library in Tallahassee.
Are Florida Obituary Records Free to Search?
Many Florida obituary records sit on free sites. Florida Memory, FamilySearch, and Find A Grave all offer free searches. Public library microfilm readers are free to use. Copies cost 50 cents per page. Newspapers.com charges a monthly fee for full results. Ancestry.com charges a monthly fee too. The county DOH office charges $5 when ordering a certified death certificate. A solid free search uses three to four sites. Each site covers a different part of the state. Older obituaries sit only on free state-run archives. The State Library in Tallahassee offers free research help by phone for hard-to-search names. Local historical societies also help with free name lookups.
Can Anyone Request a Florida Death Certificate?
Any adult aged 18 or older can order a Florida death certificate without cause of death. No family proof is needed. Photo ID is required. The cause-of-death version stays confidential for 50 years after the death. Eligible applicants for the cause-of-death version include the spouse, parent, adult child, adult sibling, or named estate beneficiary. A court order can also grant access. The DOH office checks IDs before releasing either type. Third-party requesters with a legal need can also apply. Genealogists often use the version without cause of death for family tree work. Lawyers use the cause-of-death version for probate cases. Insurance firms use both versions for claim verification.
Where Can I Search Old Florida Obituaries?
Old Florida obituaries sit on Florida Memory, FamilySearch, Find A Grave, and Newspapers.com. The Florida Memory Project holds scanned newspaper pages from 1821 to 2009. FamilySearch holds listed obituary records from 1800 to 2024. Find A Grave holds user-uploaded cemetery records. Local public libraries hold microfilm reels of small-town papers. Funeral homes keep physical obituary files for past clients. Each resource covers a different set of records. A complete search uses all four sources at once. The state library in Tallahassee holds rare records for early settlers. Church archives in St. Augustine hold Spanish-era burial records. County historical societies in each region also keep local death logs.
How Do I Order an Obituary Record Online?
Online orders for Florida death certificates go through VitalChek at vitalchek.com. VitalChek is the only state-approved vendor. The first copy costs $15. Service fee costs $7. Extra copies cost $4 each. Pay with a credit or debit card. Standard delivery takes 5 to 7 business days. Rush delivery takes 2 to 3 business days. Search by full name, date of death, and county. Online orders work for both types of certificates. The system checks the state database before approving the order. Most orders get processed within 24 hours. Email updates track each step of the order. Returns use the USPS or UPS for fast delivery.