Perry County Death Records and Obituaries
Perry County death records and obituary materials are held by the county Register of Wills and by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. Perry County is a rural county in south-central Pennsylvania. New Bloomfield serves as the county seat and has been the center of county government since the county was formed in 1820. If you are searching for a Perry County death record, this page explains where records are kept, what each office maintains, and how to request certified copies of death certificates or historical documents.
Perry County Quick Facts
Perry County Register of Wills
Wendy M. Welfley serves as the Perry County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. The office maintains historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906. These county-level records predate Pennsylvania's statewide mandatory death registration and are a primary source for genealogical research in Perry County. The office also holds marriage license records from 1885 to present and handles estate administration and probate matters for county residents.
The office is located at 2 East Main Street, P.O. Box 223, New Bloomfield, PA 17068. You can reach the office by phone at 717-582-2131 or by fax at 717-582-5149. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Staff can assist with searches of historical Perry County death records and probate files. For the county government portal with links to all departments, visit perryco.org.
The image below was captured from the official Perry County government website, which provides access to all county departments and records resources.
The Perry County portal links to the Register of Wills, the office that holds the county's earliest local death records from 1893 through 1905 and all probate and estate documents.
| Office |
Perry County Register of Wills 2 East Main Street, P.O. Box 223 New Bloomfield, PA 17068 Phone: 717-582-2131 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Records | Death and birth records 1893-1906; marriage licenses 1885-present; estate records |
Note: Marriage license applicants in Perry County must appear in person with valid identification and are subject to a three-day waiting period before the license is issued.
Perry County Death Certificate Requests
Death certificates for Perry County from 1906 to the present are issued by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records under the Department of Health. Pennsylvania began requiring mandatory statewide death registration in 1906 under the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, codified at 35 P.S. Section 450.101. The access rules are set out in 28 Pa. Code Chapter 1.
To request a certified copy of a Perry County death certificate, order online through VitalChek, by mail to the Division of Vital Records, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103, or in person at one of the state's walk-in vital records offices. The fee is $20 per certified copy. Mail orders take about three weeks. Expedited processing is available through VitalChek for an added fee. You will need to provide a valid photo ID and documentation of your relationship to the deceased.
Full ordering instructions are at the Pennsylvania Department of Health death certificates page. For deaths more than 50 years old, the Pennsylvania State Archives provides an alternative path to accessing historical Perry County death records online.
Historical Perry County Obituary Records
Perry County was formed from Cumberland County on March 22, 1820. It is named after Oliver Hazard Perry, the naval hero of the War of 1812. New Bloomfield has served as the county seat from the start. The county's rural character and long history of family farming mean Perry County death and obituary records often reflect multigenerational families with deep local roots. Local newspapers published in New Bloomfield and Perry County have carried obituary notices for more than a century, and those archives are a valuable supplement to official death records.
For older death records from before 1893, church registers and cemetery records are the most reliable sources in Perry County. The county's Protestant and Reformed communities maintained burial records for their congregations. Many of these records have been microfilmed or indexed by genealogical volunteers. Cemetery transcriptions for historic Perry County burial grounds can be found through the Perry County Historical Society and related genealogical organizations.
Perry County's proximity to Cumberland County, the county from which it was formed, also means that some older death records may appear in Cumberland County archives. If you do not find what you need in Perry County sources, checking Cumberland County records is a reasonable next step. The state vital records genealogy page provides guidance on researching across county lines.
Genealogy Resources for Perry County Deaths
The Pennsylvania State Archives vital statistics page is a strong starting point for Perry County genealogical research. The free death indices covering 1906 to 1975 are searchable online. Once you find a match in the index, you can order the full record from the Division of Vital Records or the archives. The indices confirm names and dates and help you identify the exact county of registration.
The FamilySearch Pennsylvania vital records wiki lists many collections relevant to Perry County. FamilySearch holds digitized church records, cemetery transcriptions, and county genealogical materials that can be searched for free online. Perry County records from before 1906 often appear in these collections, making FamilySearch a useful resource for early death research. The Library of Congress Pennsylvania genealogy guide points to additional collections held at state and national repositories.
The Pennsylvania Orphans' Court directory lists contact details for the Perry County Orphans' Court. This court handles wills, estate administration, and guardianship cases, all of which can produce records related to a death. Current wait times for vital records requests are posted at the state processing times page.
Cities in Perry County
No cities from our directory are currently listed for this county.
Nearby Pennsylvania Counties
Perry County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. If you are uncertain which county holds the death record you need, check where the deceased lived at the time of death.