Death Certificates

The loss of a loved one can be a very trying time in a person's life that can bring change and uncertainty. Difficult but important decisions often need to be made during this time. Some of these decisions involve matters of estate, taxes, wills, deeds, and insurance. Death certificates are used to help resolve some of these issues.

In March of 2012, Florida certified death records became available electronically. The Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County (DOH-Santa Rosa) currently offers certified copies of death records for all Florida deaths from 2009 to the present. Death records prior to 2009 must be obtained through the State Office of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville, FL. Please contact the Office of Vital Statistics website or call (904) 359-6900 for more information.

Who Can Obtain a Death Certificate?

Death certificates that do not show the cause of death are public record and can be obtained by anyone for the use of probate, tax, title, deeds, etc.

To protect the privacy of sensitive information and to prevent identify theft, cause of death on a death certificate is not public record. Access to these certificates is restricted by state law. Death certificates that show the cause of death can be used for personal records, insurance purposes, or legal action and may be obtained only by:

Immediate family
Lawyers representing the immediate family
Banks
Executors of estate
Insurance companies or anyone requiring a certificate to pay a policy or death benefit on the decedent.

Requesting a Death Certificate

Death certificates may be obtained through the Vital Statistics office at DOH-Santa Rosa in person or by mail. Requests for copies of death certificates by mail must include the following:

Full name of the deceased
Date of death
City or county of death
Your relationship to the deceased
Purpose for which a copy is needed
Signature of the person making the request
Mailing address where the record is to be mailed
Copy of a valid photo ID
A fee of $8.00
A fee of $1.00 for shipping and handling on mail orders

Click here for a Santa Rosa County Death Record Application (.pdf 26kb)

*Note: This page contains materials in the Portable Document Format (PDF). The free Adobe Reader may be required to view these files.

Mail requests to:
                            DOH-Santa Rosa
                            Office of Vital Statistics
                            PO Box 929
                            Milton FL 32572-0929