Search Durham County Death Index

Durham County death index records are on file at the Register of Deeds in Durham, North Carolina. You can search the death index to find records for anyone who died in Durham County. The office holds death records going back to 1913. Staff can help you look up names, pull files, and get copies. This page walks you through how to search the Durham County death index, what forms of ID you need, and where to go for both local and state level death records in North Carolina.

Durham County Death Records Office

The Durham County Register of Deeds is the primary office for death index searches. The office is in downtown Durham. It holds vital records for births, deaths, and marriages that took place in Durham County, North Carolina.

Durham County also keeps marriage records from 1881 to 1965 and a second set from 1897 to 1987. These records sit alongside the death index in the same office. If you are doing family research, you can pull death and marriage records in one trip. The staff can search by name or date to find what you need in the Durham County death index.

A certified copy of a death record costs $10 in Durham County. That is the standard rate set by North Carolina law. Plain copies for research cost less. You must show a valid photo ID to pick up any death record in Durham County.

Durham Death Index Certificates

The Durham County death certificates page has details on what you need to request a copy. Death records in Durham County list the name of the dead person, the date and place of death, cause of death, and the name of the attending doctor. Parent names may also be on the form.

Under North Carolina law, only close family and their agents can get certified copies. This covers the spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of the dead person. Legal agents and lawyers who act for those kin can also request certified death records from Durham County. If you are not kin, you can still get a plain copy for research use.

Each death record in Durham County uses the standard North Carolina form. The form has stayed the same in its core fields since 1913. You will find the full name, age, race, birth place, last address, and occupation. The cause of death section lists the primary and any contributing causes. This data makes the Durham County death index a strong tool for family tree work.

Order Durham Death Records Online

Durham County now offers online ordering for death records. The Durham County online request system runs through Permitium. You can order a certified or plain copy of a death record from home. The system asks for the name of the dead person, the date of death, and your link to that person.

Online orders take a few days to process. The office mails the death record to you. Fees are the same as in person orders. You still need to show that you meet the North Carolina rules for getting a certified copy. Upload a copy of your ID as part of the request.

Note: The online system is for Durham County death records only, not for records from other North Carolina counties.

Ways to Search Durham Death Index

There are three main ways to search the Durham County death index. Each one works for a different need.

First, go in person. Visit the Durham County Register of Deeds during business hours. Bring your photo ID. Tell the staff the name and rough death date. They will search the death index and pull the file. You can get copies right then. This is the fastest way to get a death record in Durham County.

Second, send a mail request. Write to the Durham County Register of Deeds with the dead person's name, death date, your ID copy, and a $10 check. Add a self addressed stamped envelope. The office will mail the death record back. This takes one to two weeks.

Third, use the state system. The NC Vital Records office in Raleigh has death records from 1930 to the present. The state fee is $24, more than twice the Durham County rate. For older death records, try the North Carolina State Archives, which holds death records from 1913 to 1975.

Death Index Genealogy in Durham

Durham County death records are a top resource for family tree research. The death index goes back to 1913. Marriage records go to 1881. These two sets of records let you trace family lines across more than a century in Durham County.

For death records older than what Durham County holds, turn to the North Carolina State Archives. The Archives has death records from 1913 to 1975 and indexes from 1913 to 1979. The NC Archives Store sells copies of old death records back to 1906. The NC Genealogical Society has a free guide to vital records research that covers death index tools across North Carolina.

Note: For Durham County death records before 1913, check with the Register of Deeds, as some early records may exist at the local level.

North Carolina Death Records Access

The state of North Carolina runs a central vital records office. It sits at 225 N. McDowell Street in Raleigh. The phone number is 919-733-3000. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Walk in hours for service run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Death records at the state level start in 1930. The search fee is $24 per three year period. This fee is not sent back if no record turns up. For Durham County death records, the local office is the better deal at $10 per copy. The state office works best if you are not sure which North Carolina county the death took place in.

Nearby Counties

These counties sit next to Durham County. If the death took place near a border, the record could be in one of these offices. Check the place of death to pick the right county for your search.