Volusia County Florida obituary records offer a clear path for anyone searching for death notices, memorial tributes, and funeral announcements from this east-central Florida region. Home to cities like Daytona Beach, Deltona, Ormond Beach, DeLand, and New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County keeps both modern and historical death records through several state, county, and private sources.
Whether you need a recent death notice for legal reasons or an old obituary for family history, this page covers every major route available in 2026.
Where to Find Volusia County Obituary Records
Volusia County obituary records exist across state agencies, county offices, funeral homes, newspapers, and online databases. Each source holds different types of records and covers different time periods. The list below shows the most reliable places to begin your search.
Florida Department of Health in Volusia County
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) office in Volusia County handles death certificates for deaths registered inside the county since 2009. Death certificates differ from obituaries, yet both share key facts such as the full name, date of death, and place of death. Many obituary researchers use death certificates to confirm facts before searching newspaper archives.
You can reach the Volusia County DOH office through these channels:
- Mailing Address: PO Box 9190, Daytona Beach, FL 32120
- Phone: (386) 274-0500
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Website: volusia.floridahealth.gov
- Certificates Page: volusia.floridahealth.gov/certificates/
Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville
The Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics keeps statewide death records dating back to 1877. For Volusia County obituaries and death records older than 2009, this state office holds the most complete archive. Researchers often need this office when working on genealogy projects that stretch back several generations.
The state office accepts mail orders and walk-in visits. Phone support is available at (904) 359-6900. The mailing address is 1217 N Pearl St, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Each search costs $5, and additional copies cost $4 each when ordered at the same time.
Volusia County Clerk of Court
The Volusia County Clerk of Court maintains probate files, estate records, and other court documents tied to deaths. These records can support obituary research by adding legal context, such as will filings or estate openings. They work well for legal or genealogy needs that go past the basic facts on a death certificate.
You can reach the Volusia County Clerk of Court at (386) 736-5915 or through volusia.org. The office handles public records requests under Florida’s Sunshine Law.
Online Obituary Search Platforms for Volusia County
Online obituary search platforms give quick access to death notices from local funeral homes and newspapers. These platforms index millions of Florida obituaries, including those from Volusia County. Most allow name-based searches, date filters, and location filters.
Legacy.com Florida Obituaries
Legacy.com aggregates obituaries from newspapers across Florida, including the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Orlando Sentinel, and other regional papers serving Volusia County. The site lets you search by name, date range, and city. A free account lets you save searches and receive email alerts when new obituaries match your criteria.
Legacy.com holds obituary notices going back several decades, though coverage depends on which Florida newspapers partnered with the platform. Recent obituaries from Volusia County funeral homes appear on Legacy.com within 24 to 48 hours of publication.
Tributes.com Florida Obituaries
Tributes.com works with funeral homes across Florida to publish obituary notices online. Many Volusia County funeral homes, including those in Daytona Beach, Port Orange, and New Smyrna Beach, post notices directly through Tributes.com. You can search by last name, first name, and city to find recent death notices.
Tributes.com also allows users to send flowers, light virtual candles, and leave condolence messages. The platform keeps records of memorial donations and funeral service details that often go beyond what newspapers print.
Find a Grave Florida
Find a Grave is a free online database with millions of cemetery records and obituary transcriptions. Volunteer contributors add memorial pages for people buried in Volusia County cemeteries, including those in Daytona Beach, DeLand, and Ormond Beach. Each memorial often includes a photo of the gravestone, birth and death dates, and obituary text when available.
Find a Grave covers Volusia County burials from the 1800s to the present. Cemetery records work well for tracing family lines when obituary notices are missing from newspaper archives.
Local Newspapers with Volusia County Obituaries
Local newspapers published most obituaries before online databases became common. Volusia County residents have relied on regional papers for over a century. The newspapers below remain the most important sources for printed obituaries.
Daytona Beach News-Journal Obituaries
The Daytona Beach News-Journal serves as the main daily newspaper for Volusia County. The paper has published death notices and full obituaries for more than 100 years. Recent obituaries appear on the News-Journal’s website, while older issues sit in microfilm and digital archives.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal partnered with Legacy.com, so most recent obituaries appear on both platforms. For older obituaries, the Volusia County Library Center in DeLand holds microfilm archives of the News-Journal dating back to the early 1900s.
Orlando Sentinel Obituaries
The Orlando Sentinel covers parts of southern Volusia County, especially cities close to the Orange County border. The Sentinel has published Florida obituaries since 1876. Online searches through the Sentinel’s obituary portal cover recent notices, while the Sentinel’s historical archive supports deeper research.
Researchers often use the Orlando Sentinel when a Volusia County resident died in Orlando or received funeral services there. Many obituaries reference nearby cities, even when the death happened elsewhere.
Florida Today Obituaries
Florida Today, based in Brevard County, occasionally publishes obituaries for Volusia County residents, especially those from the southern parts of the county. The paper’s digital archive lets you search obituaries by name and date range.
Volusia County Funeral Home Listings and Obituaries
Volusia County funeral homes maintain their own obituary archives, often going back several decades. These archives include full obituary text, service details, and family information. Most funeral homes post current obituaries on their websites and keep older notices in printed books or local files.
Major Funeral Homes in Volusia County
Volusia County has several long-standing funeral homes that serve Daytona Beach, DeLand, Deltona, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, and New Smyrna Beach. The largest include:
- Haigh-Black Funeral Home in Daytona Beach
- Baggett & Summers Funeral Home in Daytona Beach
- Lohman Funeral Home in Daytona Beach
- Woodlawn Funeral Home in Ormond Beach
- Deltona Memorial Funeral Home in Deltona
- Allen-Summerhill Funeral Home in DeLand
- Brinton-Heitman Funeral Home in New Smyrna Beach
Each funeral home publishes recent obituaries on its own website. Calling the funeral home directly often helps with older records, since many keep physical files for past services.
How Funeral Home Obituaries Differ from Death Certificates
Funeral home obituaries include personal details that death certificates do not, such as surviving family members, funeral service times, burial locations, and memorial donation preferences. Many obituaries also share a short life story or career highlights. Researchers use these details to confirm family connections, religious affiliations, and community ties.
Death certificates, on the other hand, list legal facts such as cause of death, date and place of death, and official identification. Combining both sources gives the most complete picture of a person’s death.
Historical Obituary Archives for Volusia County
Historical obituary archives help researchers who need records older than modern databases cover. Volusia County has a rich history dating back to the 1800s, and many older obituaries sit in libraries, archives, and online collections.
Florida Memory Project
The Florida Memory Project, run by the State Library and Archives of Florida, gives free access to historical records, photographs, and documents. The project includes scanned newspapers, obituary indexes, and death record transcriptions from across the state, including Volusia County. The search portal at floridamemory.com lets you browse by name, county, and date.
The Florida Memory Project covers records from the 1800s through the mid-1900s. Many obituary notices in the project come from small-town newspapers that no longer publish or have no online archive.
Volusia County Library Center Local History Collection
The Volusia County Library Center in DeLand holds one of the strongest local history collections in the region. The center has obituary indexes, cemetery records, family history files, and microfilm of regional newspapers. Library staff can guide researchers toward obituary notices for specific names and time periods.
The library’s genealogy section includes resources such as census records, city directories, and church records that often point toward obituary notices in nearby papers.
FamilySearch Florida Obituaries
FamilySearch, a free genealogy service run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, holds obituary records for Volusia County and other Florida counties. The FamilySearch catalog includes indexed obituaries, scanned newspaper images, and family tree records that link obituaries to other genealogical sources.
FamilySearch works well for researchers who need a free option. The platform lets you build family trees, attach obituary records, and share findings with other family members.
Ancestry.com Florida Obituaries
Ancestry.com holds the largest collection of digitized Florida obituaries, including records from Volusia County newspapers. A subscription gives full access to obituary text, scanned newspaper images, and matching family tree records. Ancestry also indexes Florida death records, Social Security death indexes, and cemetery records.
Researchers who need older records often find obituary text on Ancestry that other platforms miss. The platform’s search tools let you filter by year, location, and name variations.
How to Search Volusia County Obituaries by Name and Date
Searching obituaries takes a clear method to get the best results. The steps below help you find obituary records in Volusia County quickly, whether you search online, by phone, or in person.
Step 1: Gather Key Facts Before You Search
Before starting your search, collect the full name of the person, an approximate date of death, and the city or town where they lived. A date of birth helps narrow results, since common names often appear in obituaries. Social Security numbers and parent names give extra confirmation but are not required for most searches.
Write down name variations, including middle names, nicknames, and maiden names. Florida obituaries sometimes list women by their married names, which can hide maiden name records.
Step 2: Start with Free Online Databases
Begin your search with free obituary databases such as Legacy.com, Tributes.com, and Find a Grave. These platforms let you search by name and date without paying. If you find a match, save the obituary text and source link for your records.
Many funeral home websites also let you search current and past obituaries. Visit the websites of Volusia County funeral homes listed earlier to search their archives directly.
Step 3: Check Florida Memory and FamilySearch
If free databases do not return results, move on to Florida Memory and FamilySearch. Both platforms give free access to historical obituaries and death records. Florida Memory works well for records from the 1800s and early 1900s, while FamilySearch covers a wider time range.
Step 4: Use Paid Subscriptions for Hard-to-Find Records
For records that free databases do not cover, paid subscriptions on Ancestry.com or Newspapers.com often fill the gaps. These platforms hold scanned newspaper images and obituary indexes that free sites do not have. A short-term subscription usually costs less than $25 and gives full access for a month.
Step 5: Contact the Volusia County DOH for Death Certificates
Once you find an obituary, you may need a death certificate for legal purposes. The Volusia County DOH office handles death certificate requests for deaths registered in the county since 2009. Older records go through the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville.
Volusia County Death Certificate Fees and Types
Death certificate fees in Volusia County follow the Florida state fee schedule. The cost depends on where you order, how many copies you need, and whether you need the cause of death listed.
Standard Death Certificate Costs
The Florida Department of Health charges $5 for the search fee, which includes the first certified copy of the death certificate. Each extra copy costs $4 when ordered at the same time. These rates apply to in-person and mail orders at the Volusia County DOH office.
Online orders through VitalChek cost $15 for the first copy plus a $7 processing fee. Extra copies through VitalChek cost $4 each. Rush shipping is available for an added charge.
Death Certificate With or Without Cause of Death
Florida issues two versions of death certificates. The version without cause of death is a public record that anyone 18 or older can request. This version includes the person’s name, date of death, place of death, and other basic facts, but does not list the medical cause of death.
The version with cause of death is confidential for 50 years under Chapter 382 of Florida Statutes. Only eligible individuals can request this version, including a surviving spouse, parent, adult child, adult grandchild, adult sibling, or anyone with a court order or verifiable estate interest. Eligible applicants may need to complete DH Form 1959 to prove their relationship.
Social Security numbers are partially redacted on both versions under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes.
City-by-City Obituary Sources in Volusia County
Each city in Volusia County has its own obituary sources, including local funeral homes, newspapers, and community websites. The list below covers the largest cities and their most useful resources.
Daytona Beach Obituaries
Daytona Beach is the largest city in Volusia County and serves as the hub for most regional obituary notices. The Daytona Beach News-Journal publishes obituaries daily, and Legacy.com indexes them online. Funeral homes such as Haigh-Black, Baggett & Summers, and Lohman Funeral Home post obituaries on their websites.
Deltona Obituaries
Deltona, the second-largest city in Volusia County, has a growing population and several funeral homes that serve local families. Deltona Memorial Funeral Home and other local providers post obituaries online through Tributes.com and Legacy.com. Many Deltona residents also appear in Orlando Sentinel obituaries because of the city’s location near the Orange County border.
DeLand Obituaries
DeLand, the county seat of Volusia County, has a long history dating back to the 1800s. Obituary notices from DeLand appear in the Daytona Beach News-Journal and the DeLand Sun, a local paper with deep roots. The Volusia County Library Center in DeLand holds microfilm archives of these papers for historical research.
Ormond Beach Obituaries
Ormond Beach obituaries appear in the Daytona Beach News-Journal and on Legacy.com. Woodlawn Funeral Home and other local providers serve the Ormond Beach community. Cemetery records from Ormond Beach also appear on Find a Grave.
New Smyrna Beach Obituaries
New Smyrna Beach obituaries appear in local newspapers and online databases. Brinton-Heitman Funeral Home and other providers post notices online. Many New Smyrna Beach obituaries also reference the surrounding communities of Edgewater and Ponce Inlet.
Florida Laws Governing Obituary and Death Records
Florida laws control who can access death records and how those records are released. Understanding these laws helps you know what you can request and when.
Florida Statute Chapter 382
Chapter 382 of the Florida Statutes covers vital records, including death certificates. Section 382.008 requires all deaths in Florida to be registered within five days. Section 382.016 authorizes county health departments to issue certified copies of death certificates. These laws apply in Volusia County and across all 67 Florida counties.
Florida Statute Chapter 119 and the Sunshine Law
Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, also known as the Sunshine Law, gives the public broad access to government records. Death certificates without cause of death are public records under this law. Cause of death stays confidential for 50 years. Social Security numbers are always redacted, no matter which version of the death certificate you request.
If you believe a Volusia County records request was wrongly denied, the Florida Attorney General handles public records complaints under Chapter 119.
Penalties for False Information
Providing false information on a vital records form is a felony under Florida law. Always use truthful details on Volusia County death certificate applications. False applications can result in criminal charges and fines.
Free Florida Obituary Search Options
Free obituary search options exist for Volusia County records, especially older notices. Researchers on a tight budget can use the resources below without paying subscription fees.
Find a Grave Free Search
Find a Grave is completely free for users. You can search by name, location, and date without an account. The platform’s photo archive and memorial pages often include full obituary text submitted by volunteers.
FamilySearch Free Records
FamilySearch gives free access to Florida obituary records, family trees, and historical documents. You can create a free account, build a family tree, and attach obituary records to specific individuals. FamilySearch also partners with local libraries to give free access at FamilySearch Centers across Florida.
Florida Memory Free Digital Collection
The Florida Memory Project gives free access to historical Florida records, including obituary notices from small-town newspapers. The digital collection includes scanned newspaper pages, photographs, and obituary indexes.
Contact Information and Office Hours
The Florida Department of Health in Volusia County remains the main contact for death certificates and vital records. Use the contact details below to reach the office.
- Office: Florida Department of Health in Volusia County
- Address: PO Box 9190, Daytona Beach, FL 32120
- Phone: (386) 274-0500
- Website: volusia.floridahealth.gov
- Certificates Page: volusia.floridahealth.gov/certificates/
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
For older death records and statewide searches, contact the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics at 1217 N Pearl St, Jacksonville, FL 32202, or call (904) 359-6900.
Nearby Florida Counties for Obituary Research
Volusia County borders several other Florida counties, each with its own vital records office and obituary sources. Researchers working on family history often need records from nearby counties, especially when family members moved across county lines.
Brevard County Obituaries
Brevard County sits south of Volusia County along Florida’s Space Coast. Florida Today serves as the main newspaper, and the Brevard County DOH office handles vital records for deaths registered in the county since 2009.
Flagler County Obituaries
Flagler County sits north of Volusia County and includes cities like Bunnell and Palm Coast. The Daytona Beach News-Journal covers Flagler County obituaries, and the Flagler County DOH office issues death certificates.
Orange County Florida Obituaries
Orange County sits southwest of Volusia County and includes Orlando. The Orlando Sentinel publishes most local obituaries, and the Orange County DOH office handles vital records requests.
Seminole County Obituaries
Seminole County borders the western edge of Volusia County and includes cities like Sanford and Altamonte Springs. The Orlando Sentinel covers Seminole County obituaries, and the Seminole County DOH office issues death certificates for deaths registered in the county.
Lake County Obituaries
Lake County sits west of Volusia County and includes cities like Clermont and Leesburg. The Daily Commercial in Leesburg publishes Lake County obituaries, and the Lake County DOH office handles vital records.
Putnam County Obituaries
Putnam County sits west of Volusia County and includes Palatka. The Palatka Daily News publishes local obituaries, and the Putnam County DOH office issues death certificates.
Marion County Obituaries
Marion County sits northwest of Volusia County and includes Ocala. The Ocala StarBanner publishes local obituaries, and the Marion County DOH office handles vital records requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are common questions about Volusia County Florida obituary records, including how to search, what fees apply, and where to find older notices. Each answer gives clear, direct information to help you complete your search.
How do I search Volusia County obituary records for free?
You can search Volusia County obituary records for free through Find a Grave, FamilySearch, Florida Memory, Legacy.com, and Tributes.com. These platforms let you search by name, date, and location without paying. Local funeral home websites in Volusia County also post current obituaries for free. For older records, the Volusia County Library Center in DeLand gives free access to microfilm archives of the Daytona Beach News-Journal and other regional papers.
What is the difference between an obituary and a death certificate in Volusia County?
An obituary is a death notice published by a funeral home or newspaper. It lists surviving family, service details, and a short life story. A death certificate is an official government document that lists legal facts about the death, including date, place, and cause of death. In Volusia County, death certificates come from the Florida Department of Health office in Daytona Beach, while obituaries come from funeral homes, newspapers, and online databases.
How much does a death certificate cost in Volusia County?
A death certificate from the Volusia County DOH office costs $5 for the search fee and first certified copy. Each extra copy ordered at the same time costs $4. Online orders through VitalChek cost $15 for the first copy plus a $7 processing fee. Rush shipping adds extra cost. Mail orders typically take 2 to 3 weeks, while in-person orders are often processed the same day.
Can anyone request a Volusia County death certificate?
Anyone 18 or older can request a Volusia County death certificate without cause of death. This version is a public record under Florida law. The version with cause of death is confidential for 50 years. Only eligible individuals can request it, including a surviving spouse, parent, adult child, adult grandchild, adult sibling, or anyone with a court order or verifiable estate interest. Eligible applicants may need to complete DH Form 1959 to prove their relationship.
Where can I find old Volusia County obituaries from the 1900s?
Old Volusia County obituaries from the 1900s sit in several archives. The Florida Memory Project has scanned newspapers and obituary indexes. The Volusia County Library Center in DeLand has microfilm archives of the Daytona Beach News-Journal. FamilySearch holds indexed obituaries and family tree records. Ancestry.com holds the largest collection but requires a subscription. Find a Grave also holds cemetery records and obituary transcriptions from that period.
How long does it take to get a death certificate from Volusia County?
In-person requests at the Volusia County DOH office are usually processed the same day if you arrive during business hours. Mail orders take 2 to 3 weeks. Online orders through VitalChek take 5 to 7 business days for standard shipping. Rush shipping is available for an added charge. The Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville also processes mail orders, usually within 2 to 4 weeks.
Are Volusia County obituary records the same as genealogy records?
Volusia County obituary records are one type of genealogy record, but not the only one. Genealogy records include obituaries, death certificates, census records, birth certificates, marriage licenses, cemetery records, church records, and family trees. Researchers often combine obituary records with other genealogy sources to build a complete family history. The Volusia County Library Center and FamilySearch both offer tools that link obituaries to other genealogy records.