Search Florida obituary records through state archives, county health offices, and major newspaper databases. Florida keeps death certificates going back to 1877 at the state level and 2009 forward at county offices.
The Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville holds the largest official collection. Local newspapers like the Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, and Jacksonville Times-Union print death notices daily. Free and paid genealogy sites also host Florida obituary archives with millions of entries from past decades.
Official Sources for Florida Obituary Records
Three state offices handle official Florida death records. Each office serves a different time range and purpose. The state Bureau of Vital Statistics is the main hub for older records.
Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics
The Bureau of Vital Statistics sits in Jacksonville at 1217 N Pearl St. It keeps Florida death certificates from 1877 to the present. Records from 1917 forward are complete. The office accepts phone, mail, and in-person requests. A death certificate without cause of death costs $5 per search year. A copy with cause of death costs the same but needs proof of family relation.
Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone support works at (904) 359-6900. Email goes to VitalStats@FLHealth.gov. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042.
County Health Departments
All 67 Florida counties run their own health department. Each county office handles Florida death records from 2009 to today. County offices give same-day service in most cases. Walk-in hours vary by location. Some offices open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. Each county sets its own fee schedule.
County staff pull records from the same state database. Results match the state office exactly. Florida obituary requests at county offices skip the mail delay. Same-day pickup works for most Florida death certificate orders under normal conditions.
State Archives of Florida
The State Archives sit at 500 S. Bronough St. in Tallahassee. The archives hold older Florida obituary records that pre-date state vital records. Confederate pension files, cemetery records, and church books fill the genealogy section. The Florida Memory Project makes many of these records free to view online.
Records before 1917 exist mainly at the State Archives or on microfilm. The State Archives also hold World War I service cards and early voter rolls that list death dates. Researchers visit in person for full access to fragile materials.
How to Order Florida Obituary Records
Three methods work for ordering Florida death certificates. Online is fastest. Mail works for non-urgent cases. Walk-in gives same-day service.
Online Orders Through VitalChek
VitalChek is the only vendor approved by the Florida Department of Health for online death record orders. The website collects personal details and photo ID uploads before payment. Online orders ship through UPS with signature required.
The first Florida death certificate ordered online costs $15 plus a $7 processing fee. Each extra copy adds $4. Rush processing costs $10 on top of the base fee. Online orders take priority over mail requests. Most orders ship within 3 to 5 business days.
Mail Requests
Mail requests use DH Form 727 from the Florida Department of Health. The form asks for the full name on the record, date of death, date of birth, and county of death. A copy of a valid photo ID must go in the envelope.
Payment by check or money order covers the $5 search fee per year. Add $4 for each certified copy needed. Mail requests take 3 to 5 business days to process once received. Writing “RUSH” on the envelope adds $10 for faster turnaround.
Walk-In Service
Walk-in service at the Jacksonville state office gives same-day pickup for Florida records from 2009 to present. Older records need a $10 rush fee for same-day service. Cash, checks, and credit cards work at the counter.
Local county health departments offer walk-in service during business hours. Bring the same ID and payment needed for mail requests. County offices can pull records while you wait for most Florida death certificate orders.
Types of Florida Death Records
Florida issues two main types of death certificates. Each type has different access rules and costs the same fee.
Death Certificate Without Cause of Death
This version is open to any person aged 18 or older. No family relation needed. The first five digits of the Social Security number are blacked out. Basic facts like name, date of death, and county appear on the copy.
This type works for most genealogy research, estate settlement, and insurance claims. It serves as proof of death for legal papers. Most Florida obituary requests use this version.
Death Certificate With Cause of Death
This version stays sealed for 50 years after the date of death. Only specific people can ask for it under Section 119.071 of Florida Statutes. The list includes the spouse, parent, child, grandchild, or sibling aged 18 or older.
Anyone named in a will or insurance policy as a beneficiary also qualifies. A court order can grant access for legal cases. DH Form 1959 acts as an affidavit for this request. A photo ID and proof of relation go with the form.
Fees for Florida Death Records
Fees depend on the order method and where the request goes. The state and counties set their own rates within state rules.
State Bureau Fees
The Bureau of Vital Statistics charges $5 for each search year. Each certified copy costs $4. Rush service adds $10. UPS shipping adds $1 per order. The $5 search fee does not come back if no record exists.
Searching a range of years costs $2 extra per year beyond the first year. The total cap for year ranges sits at $50. Extra copies of the same record cost $4 each.
County Office Fees
County fees vary across Florida. Miami-Dade County charges $12 for the first copy and $16 for extras. Hillsborough County charges $10 plus $3 for a protective cover. Duval County charges $15 for the first and $10 for extras. Pinellas County charges $9 for the first and $8 for extras.
| County | First Copy | Extra Copies |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | $12 | $16 |
| Hillsborough | $10 | $3 cover |
| Duval | $15 | $10 |
| Pinellas | $9 | $8 |
| Broward | $14 | $10 |
| Orange | $15 | $8 |
| Palm Beach | $13 | $10 |
VitalChek Online Fees
VitalChek orders cost more than state direct orders. The first death certificate runs $15 plus a $7 service fee. Each extra copy costs $4. Rush processing adds $10 on top of standard fees.
The higher online cost covers credit card processing and identity verification. Online orders ship faster through UPS with signature required. Tracking comes free with every online Florida obituary record request.
Newspaper Obituary Archives in Florida
Major Florida newspapers keep digital obituary archives. Each paper covers different counties and time periods. Most papers put recent obituaries free online and charge for older archives.
Tampa Bay Times Obituaries
The Tampa Bay Times covers Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando counties. Recent death notices appear free at tampabaytimes.com. Paid archives cover obituaries back to the 1980s. The paper keeps a memorial section for current notices with photo uploads.
The Tampa Bay Times obituary page allows guest book entries and candle lighting. Funeral home links appear with each notice. Search by last name and date range covers recent deaths across the Tampa Bay area.
Miami Herald Obituaries
The Miami Herald covers Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties. Recent obituaries sit free at miamiherald.com. Legacy.com hosts the paid archive with entries going back to the 1990s. The paper prints death notices daily in print and online.
Miami Herald obituary search works by last name and date. Local funeral homes submit notices directly to the Legacy network. Search results show full obituary text with service details.
Orlando Sentinel Obituaries
The Orlando Sentinel covers Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake counties. Free recent obituaries appear at orlandosentinel.com. Paid archives cover the 1990s forward. The paper also publishes death notices for surrounding Central Florida counties.
Orlando Sentinel obituary archives connect to Legacy.com for older entries. Search options include last name, date, and city. Each notice links to funeral home details and service times.
Jacksonville Times-Union Obituaries
The Florida Times-Union covers Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau, and Baker counties. Recent death notices sit free at jacksonville.com. Legacy.com hosts paid archives going back decades. The Jacksonville paper keeps one of the largest Northeast Florida obituary collections.
The Jacksonville Times-Union obituary page shows daily notices with photos. Guest book entries appear with each listing. Funeral home details link directly from each notice.
Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post
The Sun-Sentinel covers Broward County. The Palm Beach Post covers Palm Beach County. Both papers use Legacy.com for paid obituary archives. Recent notices appear free on each paper’s website. Search covers last name and date range.
Both papers keep memorial sections with candle lighting and guest book entries. Death notices link to local funeral homes in South Florida. Paid archives cover obituaries from the 1990s to today.
Third-Party Obituary Search Sites
Several national sites host Florida obituary archives. Each site covers different time ranges and newspapers. Subscription fees vary by site.
Ancestry.com Florida Obituaries
Ancestry.com holds the largest collection of Florida obituary records online. The database covers newspapers from the 1800s to recent years. A subscription costs around $25 per month or $99 per year. Records include scanned newspaper images and searchable text.
Ancestry Florida obituary search works by name and date range. Results show the full obituary text plus the source newspaper. The site also links to census records and other vital records for cross-reference.
Find a Grave Florida
Find a Grave at findagrave.com hosts free Florida memorial records. Volunteers add cemetery photos and obituary text. The site covers Florida cemeteries from the 1800s to today. Search works by last name and cemetery location.
Find a Grave Florida entries include birth date, death date, and burial location. Many entries link to full obituary text from newspapers. Memorial pages accept flower contributions and guest book entries for free.
FamilySearch Florida Obituaries
FamilySearch.org hosts free Florida obituary records through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints genealogy library. The site covers Florida newspapers from the 1800s forward. No subscription needed for basic access.
FamilySearch Florida obituary search returns images and indexed text. Many entries come from FamilySearch partner libraries. Records link to other vital records for tree building.
Newspapers.com Florida Archives
Newspapers.com hosts Florida newspaper archives from the 1700s to recent years. A subscription costs around $13 per month or $80 per year. The site includes obituary collections from major and small Florida papers.
Newspapers.com Florida obituary search works by name and date. Results show full newspaper pages with obituary text highlighted. The site covers papers that no longer exist online.
Funeral Home Obituaries in Florida
Local funeral homes post Florida obituary records on their websites. Each home keeps recent notices for several years. Search by last name works on most home sites.
Major Florida Funeral Home Chains
National chains like Dignity Memorial and Service Corporation International run multiple Florida locations. Each location posts current obituaries free on the corporate site. Search by name and date range covers the entire Florida network.
Local funeral homes also keep obituary archives. Sites like beachbayfuneral.com, brownwgn.com, and others post death notices with service details. Most funeral home sites link to guest books and flower ordering.
Searching Funeral Home Sites
Most funeral home obituary search tools work by last name and date. Some sites let users search by city or church affiliation. Funeral home archives go back 5 to 10 years on most corporate sites.
Local funeral home records sometimes include details not found in newspaper obituaries. Service times, burial locations, and family names appear in funeral home notices. Search Florida obituary records by funeral home name for best results.
Historical Florida Obituary Records
Older Florida death records need different sources. State vital records start in 1877 but coverage gaps exist before 1917. Church records, cemetery records, and newspaper archives fill the gaps.
Florida Memory Project
The Florida Memory Project at floridamemory.com hosts free historical records. The site covers Florida newspapers from the 1800s to 1923. Search by name and county returns obituary text and death notices.
The Florida Memory Project also hosts cemetery records, church records, and military service files. Confederate pension records at the site list death dates and burial locations. Voter rolls from 1867-1868 cover the first African American registrations in Florida.
Bosque Bello Cemetery Records
Bosque Bello Cemetery in Fernandina Beach keeps records from 1896 to 1916. The State Archives hosts copies of these records. Each entry lists name, age, race, and occupation. The collection helps trace early Florida obituary records in Nassau County.
World War I Service Cards
Florida World War I service cards cover soldiers who served from 1917 to 1919. The State Archives hosts the collection. Each card lists residence, birth date, rank, and wounds. Death dates appear on cards for soldiers killed in action.
Public Access Laws for Florida Death Records
Florida has strong public records laws under Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes. State, county, and city records stay open for personal inspection and copying. Florida obituary records without cause of death fall under this rule.
What Stays Public
Death certificates without cause of death are open to anyone aged 18 or older. The public can ask for copies through the Bureau of Vital Statistics or county offices. No family relation needed for this version.
Florida obituary records in newspaper archives also stay public. Most papers keep obituaries free to view for recent dates. Paid archives charge a fee but stay open to all users.
What Stays Private
Cause of death stays sealed for 50 years under Florida law. Social Security numbers stay private on all Florida death certificates. Anyone who gives false information on a vital records application faces a third-degree felony charge under Chapter 775.
Florida obituary records with cause of death need proof of relation or court order. The spouse, parent, child, grandchild, or sibling aged 18 or older can ask. Beneficiaries named in wills or insurance policies also qualify.
Florida Obituary Records by County
Each Florida county runs its own obituary record system through the local health department. County offices handle records from 2009 forward. Older records go through the state Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville.
Major County Resources
Miami-Dade County obituaries go through the Miami-Dade County Health Department. Broward County handles records through the Broward County Health Department. Hillsborough County covers Tampa area deaths. Orange County handles Orlando area deaths.
Duval County covers Jacksonville deaths through the Duval County Health Department. Pinellas County covers St. Petersburg and Clearwater deaths. Palm Beach County covers West Palm Beach and Boca Raton deaths. Lee County covers Fort Myers and Cape Coral deaths.
Searching County Records
County obituary search tools work by name and date. Most county health departments post request forms online. Walk-in service works at county offices during business hours. Same-day pickup works for records from 2009 to today.
Florida obituary records by county require the same ID and payment as state orders. County fees vary but most fall between $9 and $15 for the first copy. Rush service works at most county offices for an extra fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Florida obituary records raise many common questions about access, costs, and rules. These answers cover the most searched topics about Florida death records. Each answer explains the current process based on Florida state rules.
How Far Back Do Florida Death Records Go?
Florida death records go back to 1877 at the state level. Records from 1917 to present are complete at the Bureau of Vital Statistics. County offices hold records from 2009 to today. The State Archives in Tallahassee holds older records from newspapers, cemeteries, and church books. Records before 1877 need church or newspaper searches through local archives.
Can Anyone Get a Florida Death Certificate?
Anyone aged 18 or older can get a Florida death certificate without cause of death. No family relation needed. The requestor must show a valid photo ID. Death certificates with cause of death need proof of family relation or court order. The state seals cause of death for 50 years after the date of death.
Are Florida Obituaries Free Online?
Recent Florida obituaries appear free on newspaper websites and funeral home sites. Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, and Jacksonville Times-Union post current notices free. Older archives need a subscription on Legacy.com, Ancestry.com, or Newspapers.com. Find a Grave and FamilySearch offer free historical Florida obituary records.
How Long Does a Florida Death Certificate Order Take?
Online orders through VitalChek take 3 to 5 business days. Walk-in orders at the Jacksonville state office give same-day pickup for records from 2009 forward. County health departments offer same-day service for recent records. Mail orders take 3 to 5 business days after the form arrives at the state office.
What Is the Difference Between an Obituary and a Death Certificate?
An obituary is a notice written by family or funeral homes for newspapers. A death certificate is an official government record filed by medical staff. Death certificates show cause of death, Social Security number, and burial details. Obituaries show service times, family survivors, and memorial donations. Both serve different purposes in genealogy research.
Can I Search Florida Obituaries by Name?
Yes. Most newspaper sites, funeral home sites, and genealogy platforms allow name-based obituary searches. Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, and Jacksonville Times-Union all have name search tools. Ancestry.com, Find a Grave, and FamilySearch also support name-based Florida obituary search across historical records.
Where Is the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics Located?
The Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics sits at 1217 N Pearl St., Jacksonville, FL 32202. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone support works at (904) 359-6900. Email goes to VitalStats@FLHealth.gov. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042.
Official Website: https://www.floridahealth.gov/certificates-records/death-certificates/
Phone: (904) 359-6900
Email: VitalStats@FLHealth.gov
Address: 1217 N Pearl St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
Mail: P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.