Death Registration & Official Death Certificate.
Our licensed Funeral Director will register the death and get the initial copies that you purchase during the arrangement conference for you.
The death is registered in the state or District of Columbia where the death occurred not where the person established their residency.
Information on Death Certificates
You would determine how many of the death certificates you think you will need during the arrangement conference. The cost of each certified copy of the death certificate is determined by the states. Our General Price List will include these costs. You may order as many as you like. If you select courier services you will pay an additional expense for these services.
Multiple copies of the death certificate are generally needed when handling the affairs—family members often want a copy to keep for themselves, closing bank accounts, insurance policies, settling retirement accounts, settling an estate, real estate transactions, car title transfers etc.—of someone who has passed away.
Don’t worry if you don’t think you ordered enough. You may order death certificates in the future through the states vital records office.
Official death certificates will be submitted by your funeral director after all the vital statistics provided by the family (also known as demographics ) are provided by the decedent's family or representative, the cause of death, and the physician's signature are all finalized after the death. There is no exact time frame for this process however most are completed within 10 days from the date family provides the demographic information. We work with the doctors, hospice organizations, and medical examiners together to gather the information for filing with the Commonwealth of Virginia, District of Columbia, and Maryland where we are licensed. If the death occurs in another state we will partner with a licensed funeral home to have the certificate filed as appropriate.
On Saturday, December 28, 2019, Adin Christopher Young (6 months old) entered into eternal rest and met our Heavenly Father. We were not ready to make funeral arrangements; however, we knew they had to be made. We waited for the weekend to past before making that difficult phone call to a funeral home. We prayed that Monday morning (December 30, 2019), and we received a phone call from Ruth Pegeron immediately after prayer. She informed us she was from Grace Covenant Church, and how she wanted to support us during this bereaved time. Ruth made her way to our house that following evening; and we talked about Adin and how he made an impact on the world during his time on earth. She came with a peace lily, and I’m thinking this plant will not last in my house since I do not have a green thumb. We never thought we would have to bury our son; nonetheless plan a funeral. We know God sent Ruth at the right time because we were lost. We had family to walks us through this process, but Ruth knew exactly what to say to us, and made recommendations based on her experience. Ruth held our hand throughout the entire planning process. Her kind-hearted and kindred spirit is what is needed during the time of bereavement! As of this very moment, the peace has been replanted twice and now has 7 flowers. We will forever be grateful for Ruth and her service to our family!
-Gabriel and Shaniqua Young