Find Lehigh County Obituary Records
Lehigh County obituary and death records are held by county and state offices in the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania. Allentown, the county seat and third-largest city in Pennsylvania, is the center of death record research in Lehigh County. The Clerk of Judicial Records maintains civil court and vital records, while the Pennsylvania Department of Health issues certified death certificates from 1906 forward. This guide explains where to search for death notices, obituaries, and vital records in Lehigh County.
Lehigh County Quick Facts
Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records
The Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records is the main office for civil court records, marriage records, and death-related filings in the county. Unlike many other Pennsylvania counties where a separate Register of Wills handles estate records, Lehigh County consolidates these functions within the Clerk of Judicial Records office. This office maintains marriage records from 1885 to the present, historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906, and all court records including probate and estate filings.
The office is at the Lehigh County Courthouse, 455 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. Call 610-782-3173 for questions about marriage licenses. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office also provides online access to various court records for researchers who cannot visit in person. Allentown is the third-largest city in Pennsylvania and one of the largest cities in the Lehigh Valley region.
Lehigh County was formed from Northampton County on March 6, 1812. It is named after the Lehigh River, which flows through the county. The Lehigh Valley, shared with neighboring Northampton County, has been an important industrial and commercial center for over two centuries. Learn more about the Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records at lehighcounty.org Clerk of Judicial Records.
The Lehigh County Government Portal at lehighcounty.org provides contact details for all county departments and links to online records and forms.
| Office |
Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records Lehigh County Courthouse 455 West Hamilton Street Allentown, PA 18101 Phone: 610-782-3173 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Website | lehighcounty.org |
Note: The Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records handles both marriage and divorce records as well as probate records, making it a single-stop office for many types of vital and court records research.
Lehigh County Death Certificate Records
Official death certificates for Lehigh County residents are issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. State records begin in 1906. Each certificate lists the full name, date and place of death, cause, and information about the family and attending physician or coroner. For deaths in Allentown and other Lehigh County communities, the state is the primary source for certified death certificates.
You can order a Lehigh County death certificate online through VitalChek. Mail-in orders 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. Standard processing takes about three weeks. Before submitting, check current wait times at pa.gov processing times.
Certified copies are available to immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with documented need. For genealogy research, records more than 50 years old are accessible under the state genealogy program. Visit pa.gov genealogy records to learn how to request older Lehigh County death records for family history research.
Historical Allentown and Lehigh County Obituaries
Lehigh County's long history as a center of iron, steel, and manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley means generations of working families have left death records here. The county's German heritage, stretching back to colonial times, shapes many older records. Early deaths in Lehigh County were documented in German-language church registers long before the county was formed in 1812.
The Morning Call and earlier Allentown papers such as the Allentown Democrat carried obituary notices for Lehigh County residents for over 150 years. Microfilm collections of these newspapers are available at the Lehigh County Library and through the Pennsylvania State Archives. Obituary notices from Allentown and other parts of Lehigh County often include the church, the burial cemetery, and the names of surviving family members not mentioned in official death records.
The Lehigh County Historical Society in Allentown holds a large collection of local history materials including estate records, obituary files, and family histories. These materials supplement official death certificates and newspaper notices with primary source documents from Lehigh County's past. Historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906 are available at the Clerk of Judicial Records office.
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds early vital statistics that include some Lehigh County records from the 1893 to 1906 period. Search online at pa.gov state archives vital statistics for records available digitally.
Lehigh County Obituary Genealogy
Researchers looking for Lehigh County death and obituary records have excellent local and online resources. The Allentown Public Library has a local history room with obituary files, county histories, and genealogical records. The Lehigh County Historical Society in Allentown is a major resource for primary source materials on Allentown and Lehigh County deaths, estates, and family histories.
FamilySearch has indexed many Lehigh County records including probate files, church registers, and census data. Ancestry holds large Lehigh County collections going back to colonial times. The PHMC Archives at phmc.pa.gov has statewide vital statistics and genealogical resources. Lehigh County is well documented for researchers tracing Pennsylvania German families in the Lehigh Valley.
The Allentown Fairgrounds is a landmark of Lehigh County history, and the county has strong roots in the Pennsylvania German traditions of the region. Cemetery records for Lehigh County are indexed on FindAGrave and include many of the historic German Lutheran and Reformed burial grounds in the Allentown area and surrounding townships.
Related Lehigh County Record Offices
The Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds holds property records that often transfer at death. Deed books and estate transfers document deaths in Lehigh County even when probate files are unavailable. This office is also located at the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown.
The Lehigh County Coroner investigates sudden and unexplained deaths. Coroner records are public and may provide more information about the circumstances of a death than what appears on an official certificate. The Orphans' Court at the Lehigh County Courthouse handles guardianship and related matters when a parent dies. These files are searchable by name. The Pennsylvania Orphans' Court directory at pacourts.us orphans court clerks lists Lehigh County contact details.
Cities in Lehigh County
Allentown is the county seat of Lehigh County and the third-largest city in Pennsylvania. The Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown holds all probate, civil, and death-related court records for the county.
Allentown has been the center of Lehigh County government since the county was formed in 1812. All estate filings, court records, and historical vital records for Lehigh County are held at the courthouse in Allentown.
Nearby Counties
Lehigh County is in the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania. Neighboring counties each have their own death and probate records offices. Check nearby county records if an ancestor lived near a county border.