Find Lee County Death Index

The Lee County death index contains records for deaths in this central North Carolina county. Lee County has held death records since 1913 at the Register of Deeds office in Sanford. You can search the Lee County death index to locate death certificates and related vital records. The office also has some delayed death records from the late 1800s and early 1900s. This guide covers how to access death records from Lee County, including in-person, mail, and online request options.

Lee County Death Index Office

The Lee County Register of Deeds is at 1300 South Horner Blvd. in Sanford, NC 27330. The phone number is (919) 718-4585. The current Register of Deeds is Kelli V. Gunter. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The cutoff time for recording documents is 4:30 PM daily.

The mission of the Lee County Register of Deeds is to maintain, protect, and make accessible all recorded transactions and vital records for the county. The office handles death certificates, birth certificates, marriage licenses, military discharges, and many other documents. Most work relates to real estate in Lee County. The office also offers a property notification service. You can sign up to get email alerts when a document with your name is filed.

The image below shows the Lee County Register of Deeds website.

Lee County was formed on March 6, 1907 from Moore and Chatham Counties. The county seat is Sanford. Death records in Lee County go back to 1913. Some delayed records reach into the late 1800s and early 1900s. Birth records start in 1913 as well. Marriage records begin in 1908. Land records date to 1908. This makes Lee County a fairly young county by North Carolina standards, but its records are well kept.

Lee County Death Index Online Orders

Lee County has an online portal for ordering certified vital records. You can use the Lee County online vital records system to order death certificates, birth certificates, and marriage certificates from home. The system accepts credit card payments. A small processing fee applies on top of the $10 copy cost.

The image below shows the Lee County online ordering system for vital records.

After you place your order, you will get email updates on its progress. Double-check all names and dates before you submit. Wrong data can delay your request or cause it to fail. For urgent needs, visiting the Lee County Register of Deeds in Sanford may be faster. Walk-in requests are often filled the same day.

Note: The Lee County office cannot pull out-of-county birth certificates as of January 2024, but death records for Lee County events are still available.

How to Get a Lee County Death Certificate

There are three ways to request a death certificate from Lee County.

Visit in person at the Register of Deeds in Sanford. Bring a valid photo ID. Give the staff the full name and date of death. They will search the Lee County death index. You can get a certified copy on the spot. The fee is $10 per copy. Payment is accepted by cash or card. The office takes Visa and Mastercard for vital record requests.

Send a request by mail. Write to the Lee County Register of Deeds at 1300 South Horner Blvd., Sanford, NC 27330. Include the full name, date of death, your link to the person, a copy of your ID, and the $10 fee. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow two to three weeks for a response from Lee County.

Use the online portal at leerod.permitium.com. Fill out the form and pay by credit card. The record will be mailed to you after it is processed. Under N.C.G.S. 130A-93, only eligible family members or legal agents may request a certified copy of a death record in Lee County.

Lee County Death Index and Genealogy

The FamilySearch Lee County genealogy guide is a strong resource for family research. It lists the records held by the Lee County Register of Deeds. These include birth records from 1913, delayed birth records, marriage and death records from 1908, deeds from 1908, military discharges, probate records from 1906, and court records.

FamilySearch also links to online collections for North Carolina. These include North Carolina Deaths and Burials from 1898 to 1994, North Carolina Deaths from 1906 to 1930 and 1931 to 1994, and North Carolina Death Certificates from 1909 to 1975. These databases can help you find Lee County deaths even if the local office does not have the record.

The Lee County recorded document search lets you look up land documents by name, type, and date range. Land records can help trace family lines in Lee County when death records alone do not tell the full story.

North Carolina State Death Records

If you cannot find a record in the Lee County death index, try the state level. North Carolina Vital Records in Raleigh holds death certificates from 1930 to the present. The fee is $24 per search, which covers one three-year period. This is not refundable even if no record is found.

For records before 1930, check the North Carolina State Archives. The archives hold original death certificates from 1913 to 1975 for most counties. North Carolina started to require death registration in 1913. But consistent filing did not happen until after World War II. Some Lee County deaths from the early years may not have a record on file. The state recommends checking the county Register of Deeds first. It costs less and is often much quicker than the state office.

Note: State processing times are currently 110 to 115 business days due to high demand from REAL ID requirements.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lee County. Death records are kept in the county where the death occurred. If you are not sure about the location, check nearby counties too.