Philadelphia County Death Records

Philadelphia County obituary and death records span more than two centuries of documented history. The county holds some of the oldest vital records in Pennsylvania, with burial returns dating to 1803 and civil death records from 1860. Residents searching for Philadelphia County death certificates can access records through the Philadelphia City Archives, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Register of Wills at City Hall. This guide explains where to find each type of record and how to request copies.

Philadelphia County Register of Wills

The Philadelphia County Register of Wills is located at City Hall, Room 180, Philadelphia, PA 19107. You can reach the office by phone at 215-686-6255. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Register of Wills also serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court. This office handles probate matters and estate administration for residents who die in Philadelphia County.

When someone passes away in Philadelphia County, their estate may go through the probate process here. The Register of Wills keeps records of wills, letters of administration, and related estate filings. These records can be valuable for family members researching the death of a relative and verifying what property or assets the deceased held at the time of death. Estate files often name surviving heirs, executors, and beneficiaries, making them a rich source for genealogy and death record research in Philadelphia County.

Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county. The city and county share the same boundaries, so there is only one Register of Wills office for all of Philadelphia. All probate and estate matters in Philadelphia County are handled at City Hall.

Philadelphia City Archives Death Records

The Philadelphia City Archives is the key resource for historical death records in Philadelphia County. The Archives holds death records from July 1860 to June 1915. This covers a major gap before Pennsylvania began statewide vital registration in 1906. If you are searching for a Philadelphia County death record from this period, the City Archives at 548 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123 is your primary source. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cemetery returns are also held at the City Archives. These returns cover burials from 1803 to June 1860 and provide information on where and when individuals were buried in Philadelphia County before civil death registration began. For researchers working on genealogy, these cemetery returns often supply the only written evidence of a death during that period. Many families in Philadelphia County can trace ancestor deaths back to the early 1800s using this source.

You can visit the Archives in person to search records or submit a written request by mail. Mail requests to: City Archives, 548 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123. Mailed requests typically take two to four weeks. If no record is found, the Archives will send a formal "No Record Statement." Payment is accepted by cash, money order, or credit card. Personal checks are not accepted; make checks payable to "City of Philadelphia."

The City Archives also holds digital images of death, birth, marriage, and naturalization records through their historical land and vital records search system. A subscription is needed to use the online system. Visit phila.gov for details on how to access archival death records in Philadelphia County.

The Register of Wills website provides additional guidance on requesting historical death and estate records for Philadelphia County.

Note: Death certificates from July 1860 to June 1915 are held by the City Archives, not the state, so requests for Philadelphia County deaths in this window go to 548 Spring Garden Street.

Philadelphia County Death Certificates from the State

For deaths in Philadelphia County from 1906 to the present, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records is the primary source. You can order certified copies of death certificates online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at a walk-in office. Philadelphia is one of the cities with a walk-in vital records location. The fee for a certified copy is $20.

Processing times vary. The PA Department of Health processing times page shows current wait estimates. Mail-in orders typically take about three weeks. Rush processing is available through VitalChek for an extra fee. Certified copies are needed for legal matters such as settling an estate, claiming life insurance, or transferring property in Philadelphia County.

The PA State Archives holds death certificates from 1906 to 1968 and makes many of them available online through Ancestry.com. Visit the Pennsylvania State Archives to learn more about searching older Philadelphia County death records online.

The PA Department of Health genealogy records page explains which death records are open to the public and which require proof of relationship. Death certificates older than 50 years are generally open to all researchers in Pennsylvania.

Historical Philadelphia Obituary and Death Records

Philadelphia County has some of the deepest historical death records in Pennsylvania. William Penn founded the county in 1682, making it one of three original counties in the state. Records from the colonial and early republic periods are scattered across churches, the City Archives, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Church registers are a major source for Philadelphia County deaths before 1803, when cemetery returns begin.

Newspapers have published Philadelphia obituaries for centuries. The Philadelphia Inquirer, the oldest major newspaper in the region, has digitized many historical issues. Libraries such as the Free Library of Philadelphia hold microfilm and digital archives of local papers going back to the 1700s. Searching newspaper obituaries is often the best way to find cause of death, burial location, and surviving family members for Philadelphia County deaths before 1860.

The Pennsylvania State Archives has additional resources for Philadelphia County death research. Death certificates from 1906 to 1913 and beyond are indexed through Ancestry.com partnerships. Visit PA State Archives vital records to search these indexes at no cost. Many Philadelphia County deaths from the early twentieth century can be confirmed through this free index before you pay for a certified copy.

Philadelphia County Genealogy and Death Research

Genealogy researchers working on Philadelphia County family history have access to an extraordinary range of records. The City Archives, the PA State Archives, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and digital databases all hold Philadelphia County death and obituary material. For many families, combining records from all these sources builds the most complete picture of an ancestor's death and burial.

The overlap in record coverage is an important thing to know. Philadelphia death records fall into three main time windows. Cemetery returns cover 1803 to June 1860. City Archives death records cover July 1860 to June 1915. State vital records take over from 1906 forward. There is overlap between 1906 and 1915 when both the City Archives and the state hold records. During that window, either source may have a Philadelphia County death certificate, so it is worth checking both.

The PA genealogy records program allows researchers to access Philadelphia County death certificates that are more than 50 years old. Requests can be submitted online, by mail, or in person. The Orphans' Court at City Hall also holds estate files that document deaths through the probate process, and these are open to the public. The Orphans' Court clerks page lists contact information for Philadelphia County and all other Pennsylvania counties.

The PA State Archives vital statistics collection is an excellent starting point. Use the free index at pa.gov before requesting a certified copy. Many records that are indexed there can also be viewed on Ancestry.com with a library card or subscription.

Cities in Philadelphia County

Philadelphia County is a consolidated city-county. The city of Philadelphia and the county share the same borders. All death record offices and archives serve the entire county from Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is the only municipality in Philadelphia County. It is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-largest in the United States. All death records and obituary resources for Philadelphia County are located in the city.

Nearby Counties

Philadelphia County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. Each neighboring county has its own Register of Wills and death records office. If the death occurred just outside Philadelphia, the record may be held in one of these counties.

View All 67 Counties