Lackawanna County Obituary Records
Lackawanna County death records and obituary notices connect to one of northeastern Pennsylvania's most storied regions. Scranton, the county seat, was the heart of the anthracite coal industry for over a century, and generations of mining families left behind deep genealogical records. The Register of Wills holds estate files dating to 1878. The Pennsylvania Department of Health issues official Lackawanna County death certificates from 1906 onward. This page explains where to find death notices, obituaries, and vital records in Lackawanna County.
Lackawanna County Quick Facts
Lackawanna County Register of Wills Death Records
The Lackawanna County Register of Wills also serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court. This office is at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton and holds all estate and probate records for the county. When a Lackawanna County resident dies with a will or estate, the probate file is created here. These files often contain a copy of the death certificate, the will, and an inventory of the estate. Records date back to 1878, when Lackawanna County was formed from Luzerne County.
The office is located at 200 North Washington Avenue, Suite 324, Scranton, PA 18503. Call 570-963-6702 for questions about records, estate filings, or appointment scheduling. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Certified copies of marriage licenses cost $10 each. The office maintains historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906, which are useful for genealogy research into Scranton and Lackawanna County families before the state vital records era.
Scranton is known as the "Electric City" because it was the first city in the United States to operate electric streetcars. It is the largest city in northeastern Pennsylvania and has a rich history tied to coal mining, railroads, and the immigrant communities that built the region. Learn more about county services at lackawannacounty.org Register of Wills.
The Lackawanna County Government Portal at lackawannacounty.org provides access to all county offices, forms, and contact information for residents and researchers.
| Office |
Lackawanna County Register of Wills Lackawanna County Courthouse 200 North Washington Avenue, Suite 324 Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: 570-963-6702 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
Note: Lackawanna County was formed from Luzerne County on August 13, 1878, making it one of the newer counties in Pennsylvania.
Lackawanna County Death Certificate Requests
Official death certificates for Lackawanna County are issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. The state has kept records since 1906. Each certificate lists the full name, date and place of death, cause of death, and information about next of kin. For deaths in Scranton and other Lackawanna County communities, the state office is the official source for certified copies.
You can order a Lackawanna County death certificate online through VitalChek. Mail requests go to the Division of Vital Records, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Walk-in service is available at the New Castle office. The fee is $20 per certified copy. Processing takes about three weeks for mail orders. Check pa.gov vital records processing times before submitting your order.
Certified copies are available to close family members, legal representatives, and others with a documented need. For genealogy purposes, records more than 50 years old are accessible under the state genealogy program. Visit pa.gov genealogy records to apply for older Lackawanna County death records for family history research.
Note: Lackawanna County has one of the largest concentrations of coal mining heritage in Pennsylvania, and many older death records reflect deaths tied to the anthracite industry.
Historical Scranton and Lackawanna County Obituaries
Lackawanna County's history as a coal and rail center brought thousands of immigrant families from Ireland, Poland, Italy, and other countries to the Scranton area in the 1800s and early 1900s. Many of these families left behind rich genealogical records in church registers, ethnic newspapers, and county probate files. Tracing a Scranton or Lackawanna County death from this era often requires checking both English and foreign-language sources.
The Scranton Times and other Lackawanna County newspapers carried obituaries for local residents for well over a century. The Lackawanna County Library system holds microfilm collections of these papers. Many obituary notices from Scranton named the church, the burial ground, surviving family members, and the deceased's place of birth. These details often appear nowhere else in the official record.
Church records are especially important for Lackawanna County families of Irish, Polish, and Italian descent. Catholic parishes in Scranton and other parts of the county maintained detailed burial and death registers. Some of these records have been transcribed by local genealogical groups. The Pennsylvania State Archives holds early vital statistics for Lackawanna County. Search online at pa.gov state archives vital statistics.
Lackawanna County Death Record Genealogy
Genealogy researchers in Lackawanna County have strong resources to draw on. The Lackawanna County Library has an extensive local history collection in Scranton, including obituary files, family histories, and county records. The Lackawanna Historical Society holds additional primary sources on county deaths, estate settlements, and local families.
FamilySearch has indexed many Lackawanna County records, including probate files, census entries, and church records. Ancestry also holds Lackawanna County collections with digitized records going back to the 1800s. The PHMC Archives at phmc.pa.gov has statewide vital statistics and some Lackawanna County records available online. Probate files at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton go back to 1878 and are a strong source for genealogical research.
The Lackawanna County estate records in Scranton often include not just official paperwork but also personal documents submitted during probate, such as letters, newspaper clippings, and family photos. These materials can provide a more complete picture of a person's life and death in Lackawanna County.
Related Lackawanna County Record Offices
Other offices in Lackawanna County hold records that can supplement death and obituary research. The Lackawanna County Recorder of Deeds holds property records that often change at death. Deed transfers tied to estate settlements show when a person died even when probate records are incomplete.
The Lackawanna County Coroner investigates sudden and unexplained deaths in the county. Coroner reports are public records and may contain more detail than official death certificates about Scranton and Lackawanna County deaths. The Orphans' Court at the Lackawanna County Courthouse handles guardianship and other matters arising after a parent dies. These court files are searchable by name.
The Pennsylvania Orphans' Court directory at pacourts.us orphans court clerks lists Lackawanna County contact information. For the state death certificate program, visit pa.gov death certificates.
Cities in Lackawanna County
Scranton is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest city in northeastern Pennsylvania. All probate and estate records for the county are filed at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton.
Scranton has been the center of Lackawanna County government since the county was formed in 1878. The courthouse holds all estate, probate, and historical death records for the county.
Nearby Counties
Lackawanna County is in northeastern Pennsylvania and borders several other counties. Each has its own probate and death records office. Check neighboring county records if an ancestor lived near a county line.