Lancaster Death Records
Lancaster death records are maintained by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records and by the Lancaster County Register of Wills. Lancaster is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. About 60,000 people live in the city, and the surrounding county is the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. State death certificates are available from 1906 forward. The county holds historical records going back much further. Lancaster also offers online probate search, making it easier to find estate records tied to a death without visiting the office.
Lancaster Quick Facts
Where Lancaster Death Records Are Kept
The Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records holds all Lancaster death certificates from 1906 to the present. This is the office that issues certified copies you can use for legal purposes. You can request records by mail, online, or at one of six walk-in state offices. Lancaster does not have its own walk-in state office, but mail and online orders work smoothly.
The Lancaster County Register of Wills is the county-level office for death-related records. Anne L. Cooper serves as the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. The office is at Lancaster County Courthouse, 50 North Duke Street, Lancaster, PA 17602. For probate and estate matters, call 717-299-8243. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office holds historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906, probate records dating to 1729, and marriage records from 1885 forward. Lancaster County probate records go back all the way to 1729, the year the county was formed from Chester County. That makes this one of the deepest county archives in Pennsylvania for death and estate research.
Lancaster County offers a notable feature: online probate record search. You can look up estate and marriage records at co.lancaster.pa.us/897/Search-Probate-Records. Records from 1996 forward are searchable online by name. Certified copies can be ordered online or by mail. The office also provides a 24-hour information line at 717-295-3522. For the full county government portal, visit co.lancaster.pa.us.
Note: Probate records from 1729 are on file at the Lancaster County Register of Wills, giving researchers access to estate documents that predate any state vital records system by more than 175 years.
How to Order a Lancaster Death Certificate
Lancaster death certificates are available through the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. Each certified copy costs $20. Order online at VitalChek, which is the state's authorized vendor and typically processes orders faster than mail. Mail requests go to Division of Vital Records, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Processing by mail takes about three weeks. The state posts current processing times at pa.gov/agencies/health/programs/vital-records/processing-times.
Your request needs the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and Lancaster County as the county. Include your relationship to the person. Immediate family members receive access without restriction. For genealogy research on people who died more than 50 years ago, the state program at pa.gov/agencies/health/programs/vital-records/genealogy explains the broader access rules. If you are not sure a record exists before ordering, check the free death indices at the PA State Archives first.
The City of Lancaster provides local government information, and the Lancaster Public Library maintains local history and obituary collections for genealogy research in Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Lancaster's long history as a colonial city and county seat makes it one of Pennsylvania's richest locations for obituary and death record research spanning multiple centuries.
Historical Lancaster Obituary Records
Lancaster was founded in 1729 and served as the capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812. It is considered the oldest inland city in the United States. That history means Lancaster obituary records span an extraordinary range of time. Church registers from the earliest Mennonite, Amish, Reformed, and Lutheran congregations in the area contain death records going back to the early 18th century. These religious communities kept careful records of their members' births, deaths, and marriages long before any state or county system existed.
The Pennsylvania Dutch heritage is central to Lancaster death record research. Amish and Mennonite communities have maintained their own records for generations. Many of these are held by the communities themselves or by specialized archives. The Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society at 2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster, holds records relevant to these communities. For broader Lancaster County research, the Lancaster County Historical Society maintains extensive genealogical records and can assist with research requests.
The Lancaster Public Library at 125 North Duke Street, Lancaster, PA 17602, phone 717-394-2651, is a key resource for obituary research. The library holds Lancaster newspapers on microfilm and maintains obituary indexes covering many decades. Free access to Ancestry Library Edition is available in the library for in-person use. Reference librarians can guide you to the right collection. The Local History Collection at the library includes Lancaster city directories, which confirm addresses and household details useful for genealogy work tied to death dates.
Lancaster Genealogy Resources
The PA State Archives death indices are a free online resource covering 1906 to 1975. Search at pa.gov/agencies/phmc/pa-state-archives/research-online/vital-statistics-records. These indices confirm names and dates. Once you find a match, order the full record from the state. The archives themselves at phmc.pa.gov hold earlier vital statistics compiled by counties before 1906. Lancaster County records from that early period are among the most complete in the state.
Lancaster County's online probate search at co.lancaster.pa.us/897/Search-Probate-Records is a distinctive tool not available in every Pennsylvania county. Records from 1996 forward are searchable online. For older estate records, contact the Register of Wills office at 50 North Duke Street. The office holds probate records dating to 1729, which means researchers can trace estate documents for Lancaster families going back nearly three centuries. Marriage records from 1885 are also available, and marriage license applications often contain birth dates useful for cross-referencing with death records.
Lancaster County is Pennsylvania's Amish and Mennonite heartland. Many Lancaster obituary records for these communities are found in church archives rather than government files. If you are researching an Amish or Mennonite family, the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society and the Lancaster County Historical Society are key contacts. FamilySearch has significant collections of Lancaster County genealogical records including early church registers that capture deaths well before the state vital records era began.
Note: Lancaster County was formed from Chester County on May 10, 1729, and its probate records from that founding year forward are among the oldest continuously maintained county records in Pennsylvania.
Related Lancaster Death Record Sources
Probate records at the Lancaster County Register of Wills link directly to death records. When a Lancaster resident died with an estate, the Register opened a probate case. That file includes the will, estate inventory, and often the date of death. Lancaster County's online probate search makes finding these records easier than in many other counties. You do not need to call or visit to search records from 1996 forward. Older files require a direct request to the office at 717-299-8243.
The Orphans' Court at the same location handles guardianships and adoption records, which can arise after a parent's death. These records connect to death records in the family chain and are worth checking when you know a parent died young. The PA Orphans' Court directory at pacourts.us confirms contact details. Marriage license records at the county go back to 1885 and can also support genealogy research alongside death records, helping confirm family structure and timelines.
Cemetery records in Lancaster County are abundant given the area's long settlement history. Old Order Amish and Mennonite cemeteries, colonial-era church burial grounds, and municipal cemeteries all contain records relevant to death research. Many have been transcribed and indexed by genealogy volunteers. FamilySearch holds transcribed inscriptions from many Lancaster County cemeteries. The state code governing vital records access in Pennsylvania is at pacodeandbulletin.gov.
Lancaster County Obituary Records
Lancaster is the county seat of Lancaster County, and county-level death records, estate files going back to 1729, and historical documents for city residents are all maintained through the Lancaster County Register of Wills. For a full overview of county resources, office contacts, and online probate search, visit the Lancaster County obituary records page.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Other Pennsylvania cities each have their own death record offices and genealogy resources. Pick a city below to find obituary records in that area.