Clinton County Obituary and Death Records
Clinton County obituary and death records are maintained by the Register of Wills in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. The office holds county birth and death records from 1893 through 1905. Deaths from 1906 onward are recorded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Clinton County was formed in 1839 from parts of Lycoming and Centre Counties. Lock Haven is the county seat. Searching Clinton County death records requires contacting either the county Register of Wills for older records or the state vital records office for deaths that occurred more recently.
Clinton County Quick Facts
Clinton County Register of Wills
Jennifer L. Hoy serves as the Clinton County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. The office handles probate, estate administration, marriage licenses, adoptions, and guardianship cases. County birth and death records from 1893 through 1905 are on file here. Marriage license records go back to 1885. The office also maintains an index of estate records for Clinton County. Certified copies of available records can be obtained for legal or personal purposes.
The Clinton County Register of Wills is located at 2 Piper Way, Suite 239, in Lock Haven. Both phone and email contact options are available. Staff can assist with record searches when you provide a full name and approximate date of the death or record you are researching. There is a three-day waiting period for marriage licenses, and both applicants must appear in person with valid identification. The office serves all Clinton County residents from the Lock Haven location.
Clinton County is located in the north-central part of Pennsylvania. For the most current information on office hours and available services, contact the Register of Wills at (570) 893-4010 or email regrec@clintoncountypa.gov.
| Office |
Clinton County Register of Wills 2 Piper Way, Suite 239 Lock Haven, PA 17745 Phone: (570) 893-4010 Email: regrec@clintoncountypa.gov |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Records | Death and birth records 1893–1905; Marriage records from 1885 |
Pennsylvania Death Records Program
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records program maintains death certificates for Clinton County and all Pennsylvania counties for deaths from 1906 onward.
The state vital records system provides certified copies of death certificates for Clinton County residents, with records available for deaths from January 1906 to the present.
Requesting Clinton County Death Certificates
For deaths in Clinton County from 1906 onward, the Pennsylvania Department of Health holds the official death certificate records. Certified copies cost $20 each. You can request by mail, in person at a state vital records location, or online. Provide the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the county of death. Immediate family members and those with a documented legal interest may obtain certified copies.
Start your request through PA Vital Records or use VitalChek for online ordering. Check processing times at pa.gov vital records processing times before you submit. For deaths from 1893 through 1905, contact the Clinton County Register of Wills at (570) 893-4010. Those records are held locally in Lock Haven.
The state genealogy program at pa.gov vital records genealogy provides access to older death records for family history research purposes beyond the standard certified copy program.
Note: For Clinton County genealogy or death research, both the county office and state vital records program may need to be consulted depending on the year of the death you are searching.
Historical Death Records in Clinton County
Clinton County was formed from parts of Lycoming and Centre Counties in 1839. Lock Haven serves as the county seat. The county is located in north-central Pennsylvania along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Estate records provide some of the earliest death documentation for Clinton County families, going back to shortly after the county's formation. Church records and cemetery registers from communities throughout Clinton County add important death documentation from the pre-1893 period when formal vital statistics were not kept.
The Clinton County Recorder of Deeds, located at 230 East Water Street in Lock Haven, maintains land records from 1839 to the present. Phone: (570) 893-4010. Property transfers following a death often appear in these land records, showing when heirs took ownership of real estate. Military discharge records for Clinton County veterans are also on file. These records can help confirm dates of death and identify family members in genealogical research. Estates filed after a death connect both the Register of Wills and the Recorder of Deeds through property documentation.
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds historical records for Clinton County including some church and cemetery collections on microfilm. Their online research tools support researchers looking for pre-1893 death information in the north-central region of the state where Clinton County is situated.
Clinton County Genealogy and Obituary Research
Genealogical research in Clinton County relies on records held at the courthouse in Lock Haven along with state and regional resources. The Register of Wills maintains marriage licenses from 1885 and local vital records from 1893 to 1905. Estate records document deceased individuals and their families. The Recorder of Deeds holds land records from 1839 forward, and property records tied to estates show when and to whom property transferred after a death in Clinton County.
Church congregations throughout Clinton County have historically kept detailed records of baptisms, marriages, and burials. These congregational records often cover families going back into the early 1800s. Local newspaper archives from Lock Haven and other Clinton County communities include obituaries that span the 19th and 20th centuries. The PA State Archives vital statistics records page provides information on microfilmed and online databases covering Clinton County. Combined with the county courthouse records, these sources make it possible to trace Clinton County deaths across a wide span of years.
Related Offices in Clinton County
The Clinton County Recorder of Deeds at 230 East Water Street, Lock Haven handles all real estate records from 1839 to the present. These property records connect to death research when estates transfer land to heirs. Phone: (570) 893-4010. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Military discharge records and certified deed copies are also available at this office for legal and genealogical purposes.
The Clinton County Prothonotary handles civil court records and may hold case files related to deaths that involved legal proceedings. For Orphans' Court matters such as estate administration and guardianship, the Register of Wills is the correct office in Clinton County. The Pennsylvania Courts Orphans' Court directory can help confirm which court office handles a specific type of Clinton County estate or death matter.
Cities in Clinton County
No cities from our directory are currently listed for this county.
Nearby Counties
Clinton County borders several counties in north-central Pennsylvania. Records for residents near a county boundary may be held in more than one location.