Death Certificates

Programs that issue, maintain and, where appropriate, provide access to or copies of the official documents that certify that an individual has died. Death certificates specify the cause of death and are generally signed by an attending or examining physician. Available in most jurisdictions are authorized copies which may be required to obtain death benefits, claim insurance proceeds and access other services related to an individual’s identity; and informational copies which cannot be used to establish identity. Only individuals designated by law have access to authorized copies of a person's death certificate.