Columbia County Death Records
Columbia County obituary and death records are held by the Prothonotary and the Register and Recorder offices in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The Prothonotary serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court and holds county birth and death records from 1893 through 1905. Deaths from 1906 onward are maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Columbia County was formed in 1813 from part of Northumberland County and is named for a poetic name for the United States. Bloomsburg, the county seat, is the only incorporated town in Pennsylvania, a distinction that makes it unique among all county seats in the state.
Columbia County Quick Facts
Columbia County Prothonotary and Orphans Court
The Columbia County Prothonotary serves as Clerk of Courts and Clerk of Orphans' Court. This office is the keeper of civil court records and processes marriage licenses through its Orphans' Court function. County birth and death records from 1893 to 1905 are held here. Civil court records in Columbia County begin with the year 1814. Some early record books also contain naturalization and immigration records along with Civil War deserter registries, which adds historical depth to the collection.
Marriage licenses are available at the Prothonotary from 1885 to the present. Marriage licenses and passports are processed Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. For genealogical research, staff require an exact date and full name before performing a search. This helps ensure accurate results from the older record collections. The Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society provides additional genealogy research services for the county beyond what the courthouse holds.
Visit columbiapa.org/prothonotary for current office information or columbiapa.org for the Columbia County government portal and full department directory.
| Office |
Columbia County Prothonotary 35 West Main Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815 Phone: (570) 389-5614 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday; Marriage/Passport services 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM |
| Records | Death and birth records 1893–1905; Civil court records from 1814 |
Columbia County Records and Genealogy
The Columbia County government portal links to all county offices including the Prothonotary and Register and Recorder, both of which hold records relevant to obituary and death research in Bloomsburg and surrounding communities.
Columbia County's civil court records beginning in 1814 and estate records from 1813 provide researchers with a rich historical archive for tracing deaths and family history in central Pennsylvania.
Getting a Columbia County Death Certificate
Death certificates for Columbia County residents who died from 1906 onward are held by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Certified copies are $20 each. You can request them by mail, in person, or online. Provide the full name, date of death, and county. Immediate family and those with a legal interest can request certified copies. For genealogical use, the state's genealogy program provides access to older records.
Request a Columbia County death certificate at PA Vital Records or order online through VitalChek. Processing times are posted at pa.gov vital records processing times. For deaths between 1893 and 1905, contact the Columbia County Prothonotary at (570) 389-5614 in Bloomsburg. Those records are held locally at the courthouse.
Note: Staff at the Columbia County Prothonotary require an exact name and date before conducting a genealogical search, so gather as much information as you can before reaching out.
Historical Columbia County Obituary Records
Columbia County was created on March 22, 1813 from part of Northumberland County. Bloomsburg, the county seat, is unique as the only incorporated town serving as a county seat in all of Pennsylvania. The county's name honors a poetic term for the United States that was popular in the early 1800s. Estate and real estate records go back to 1813, providing a long record history that includes deaths, property transfers, and family relationships going back over two centuries in Columbia County.
Civil court records in Columbia County start in 1814 and include some early naturalization and immigration records. The county's historical record books also contain Civil War deserter registries, which can help researchers identify family members and confirm dates connected to Civil War-era deaths. Church registers from Bloomsburg and surrounding Columbia County communities often have burial records from the 1800s. Cemetery transcription projects cover many older graveyards in the county. These sources fill in the gap before formal vital statistics were collected beginning in 1893.
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds historical records for Columbia County including microfilmed church registers and early vital statistics documents. Their online tools help researchers locate older records from the region that are not held at the local courthouse in Bloomsburg.
Genealogy Resources in Columbia County
Columbia County genealogy research draws on both county courthouse records and the work of local historical organizations. The Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society provides research services beyond what the courthouse can offer. Their collections include family files, local histories, and records that support deep obituary and death research. Civil court records from 1814 at the Prothonotary include naturalization records and Civil War-era registries that add value for genealogists working on Columbia County families.
The Columbia County Register and Recorder at 35 West Main Street, phone (570) 389-5632, maintains real estate records from 1813, estate records from 1813, and marriage licenses from 1885. Military discharge records for veterans are also on file. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Property transfers in estate cases appear in the land record books and can confirm when a death led to property changing hands in Columbia County. The Pennsylvania vital records genealogy program provides additional state-level access for older death records that complement local Columbia County research.
Other Columbia County Record Sources
The Columbia County Register and Recorder at 35 West Main Street holds estate records, real estate documents, and marriage records. Phone: (570) 389-5632. Estate files from 1813 name deceased individuals and their heirs. Notary public commissions are also recorded at this office. Certified copies of recorded documents are available for legal and genealogical purposes.
For civil court matters arising from deaths, the Prothonotary at the same Bloomsburg address holds the relevant case files. Property transfers following a death appear in land records at the Register and Recorder. The Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society is another resource for older records not found at the courthouse. The Pennsylvania Courts Orphans' Court directory provides Columbia County contact information for estate and guardianship matters handled through the courts.
Cities in Columbia County
No cities from our directory are currently listed for this county.
Nearby Counties
Columbia County borders several Pennsylvania counties in the central part of the state. Death records for residents near a county line may be located in more than one county.