Death certificates are public record. Anyone may obtain certified copies without the
cause of death information.
By law, certified copies of the death certificate which includes the cause of death
may only be issued to the decedent's spouse, parent, and(if of legal age) child, grandchild or
sibling or any one who provides a will, insurance policy or other document that demonstrates
their interest in the estate of the decedent or anyone who provides documentation that he or she
is acting on the behalf of any of the previously mentioned persons, or by court order.
If you are a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, a certificate will be issued to you with the
cause of death provided the following is supplied with your request and payment. The life insurance
policy must name the applicant as beneficiary. This may be in the form of a copy of the policy or a
letter from the insurance provider stating the applicant is a beneficiary of the registrant's
insurance policy and dated or has been updated within one year.
If you are requesting the cause of death, you must state your relationship to the deceased.
If a relationship is not stated, you will be issued a certified copy without the cause of
death information.
The cause of death becomes public information after 50 years from the date of death.
By Florida law, the cause of death is considered confidential prior to that time.
The cause of death information is not needed for:
Credit Card Companies
Probate
Property Claims
Taxes
Title Companies
Vehicle Title Transfers
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are
public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in
response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to
this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.
