Lebanon County Death and Obituary Records
Lebanon County obituary and death records are maintained by county offices in Lebanon and by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. This south-central Pennsylvania county has a strong Pennsylvania Dutch heritage and a long history of farming and iron industry. The Register of Wills holds estate and probate files dating to 1813. The state vital records office issues official death certificates from 1906 forward. This page explains how to find death notices, obituaries, and vital records in Lebanon County.
Lebanon County Quick Facts
Lebanon County Register of Wills
The Lebanon County Register of Wills also serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court. This office holds all estate, probate, and orphans' court records for Lebanon County. When a county resident dies with a will or estate, the probate file is opened here. These files often include the will, an estate inventory, and a copy of the death certificate. Estate records in Lebanon County go back to 1813 when the county was formed from Dauphin and Lancaster Counties.
The office is in the Lebanon County Municipal Building, Room 107, 400 South 8th Street, Lebanon, PA 17042. Call 717-228-4414 for questions about records and services. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Register of Wills also maintains historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906. These early records can help fill gaps in genealogy research for Lebanon County families before the state vital records era.
Lebanon County is known throughout the mid-Atlantic region for Lebanon bologna, a cured meat with roots in the Pennsylvania Dutch traditions of the area. The county sits in the Lebanon Valley of south-central Pennsylvania and has a rich German heritage that goes back to the 1700s. Many early Lebanon County families were part of the Reformed, Lutheran, and Mennonite communities that shaped the region.
Official Lebanon County death certificates are issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Full details on how to order a certificate are at pa.gov death certificates.
| Office |
Lebanon County Register of Wills Municipal Building, Room 107 400 South 8th Street Lebanon, PA 17042 Phone: 717-228-4414 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM |
Note: Lebanon County was formed on February 16, 1813, from parts of Dauphin and Lancaster Counties, and the Lebanon Valley has been home to Pennsylvania Dutch communities for over 300 years.
Lebanon County Death Certificate Requests
The Pennsylvania Department of Health issues certified death certificates for Lebanon County from 1906 to the present. Each certificate lists the full name, date and place of death, cause, and information about the deceased's next of kin. Certified copies are needed for most legal and financial matters, including estate settlement, property transfer, and insurance claims.
You can order a Lebanon 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 during regular business hours. The fee is $20 per certified copy. Standard processing takes about three weeks. Check current wait times at pa.gov processing times before submitting your request.
Certified copies are available to close family members, legal representatives, and others with documented need. Records more than 50 years old are accessible for genealogy research under the state program. Details on the genealogy request process are at pa.gov genealogy records.
Historical Lebanon County Obituary Records
Lebanon County's strong Pennsylvania Dutch heritage shapes its historical records. Many early deaths in the county were recorded through German-language church registers, family bibles, and community newspapers rather than formal county documents. Lutheran and Reformed congregations in Lebanon County kept detailed baptism, confirmation, and burial records going back to the 1700s. These church records are a primary source for deaths before the county's formation in 1813.
Local newspapers in Lebanon County published obituary notices in both English and German through much of the 1800s. The Lebanon Courier and other historic papers documented deaths across the county for generations. Microfilm copies are available at the Lebanon County Library and at the Pennsylvania State Archives. Obituary notices from Lebanon County often include the church, the burial ground, and surviving family members not found in official records.
The iron industry also left a mark on Lebanon County's historical records. The Cornwall Iron Furnace, which operated from 1742 until 1883, employed many workers whose deaths are documented in company records and church registers. Early vital records from 1893 to 1906 are held at the Lebanon County Register of Wills and can be used to supplement state vital records for that period. Search the Pennsylvania State Archives online at pa.gov archives.
Note: Lebanon County's German heritage means that some older death records are written in German script, which can require specialized genealogical assistance to read and interpret.
Lebanon County Death Genealogy Research
Genealogy researchers in Lebanon County have strong local resources. The Lebanon County Library in Lebanon has a local history room with obituary files, county histories, and cemetery records. The Lebanon County Historical Society holds archival materials on local families, death records, and the county's Pennsylvania Dutch heritage.
FamilySearch has indexed many Lebanon County records, including probate files, church registers, and census data. Ancestry holds Lebanon County collections going back to the 1800s. The PHMC Archives at phmc.pa.gov has statewide vital statistics and genealogy materials. Probate records at the Lebanon County courthouse date back to 1813 and are a key source for tracing death records in Lebanon County families.
Cemetery records for Lebanon County are indexed on FindAGrave and BillionGraves. Many historic German Lutheran and Reformed cemeteries in Lebanon County are listed on these platforms with burial dates and names of the deceased. These are useful supplements to official death certificates and obituary notices for Lebanon County genealogy research.
Related Lebanon County Record Offices
The Lebanon County Recorder of Deeds maintains property records that often transfer when someone dies. Estate-related deed transfers can confirm when a person died in Lebanon County even when probate files are missing or incomplete. The Recorder of Deeds is accessible through the Lebanon County Municipal Building.
The Lebanon County Coroner investigates sudden and unexplained deaths. Coroner records are public and may include detail not found in official death certificates. The Orphans' Court handles guardianship and other matters when parents die, and those files are searchable at the Lebanon County courthouse. The Pennsylvania Orphans' Court directory at pacourts.us orphans court lists Lebanon County contact information.
Nearby Counties
Lebanon County is in south-central Pennsylvania and borders several other counties. Each has its own probate and death records office. If a person lived near a county line, check both county offices for records.