Sullivan County Death Records
Sullivan County obituary and death records are available through the Sullivan County Register of Wills in Laporte and through the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Sullivan County is the least populous county in Pennsylvania, with a small but deeply documented history stretching back to its formation from Lycoming County in 1847. This guide explains where Sullivan County death certificates and older obituary records are held and how to request copies of each.
Sullivan County Quick Facts
Sullivan County Register of Wills
The Sullivan County Register of Wills is located at Sullivan County Courthouse, 245 Muncy Street, Laporte, PA 18626. The phone number is 570-946-7931. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Register of Wills also serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court for Sullivan County, handling both estate probate and Orphans' Court matters from one office in Laporte.
Sullivan County was formed from Lycoming County on March 15, 1847. The county is named after Charles C. Sullivan, a Pennsylvania state senator. Laporte is the smallest county seat in Pennsylvania by population and has served as the center of county government since the county was founded. The Register of Wills holds probate records and estate files for Sullivan County residents who died with property or debts. Estate records name the deceased, list heirs, and often record the date and cause of death in the probate filings.
Historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906 are also maintained at the Register of Wills. These records are the primary local source for Sullivan County deaths before the statewide vital records system began in 1906.
| Office |
Sullivan County Register of Wills Sullivan County Courthouse 245 Muncy Street Laporte, PA 18626 Phone: 570-946-7931 |
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| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM |
Sullivan County Death Certificates from Pennsylvania
For Sullivan County deaths from 1906 to the present, certified death certificates are issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. Orders can be placed online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at a PA walk-in vital records office. Each certified copy costs $20. Mail orders typically take about three weeks. The PA processing times page lists current wait estimates.
Certified Sullivan County death certificates are required for estate settlement, life insurance claims, pension applications, and other legal and financial matters that follow a death. The PA vital records death certificate page explains the full order process and what identification you need to provide. Walk-in offices in Scranton and Harrisburg serve residents from north-central Pennsylvania counties including Sullivan County.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health at pa.gov is the official source for certified Sullivan County death certificates from 1906 forward.
Note: Sullivan County deaths from 1893 to 1906 are available at the Register of Wills office in Laporte, not through the state vital records office.Historical Sullivan County Obituary Records
Sullivan County is one of the most rural counties in Pennsylvania. Its forests, streams, and small communities have changed little over the generations. Early settlers in the mid-1800s were largely loggers, farmers, and tradespeople. Church records from Baptist, Methodist, and other Protestant congregations serve as the primary source for Sullivan County deaths before 1893. Many of these church registers survive and have been transcribed or microfilmed by local historical groups.
The PA State Archives holds Sullivan County death certificates from 1906 to 1968. These records are indexed online at the PA State Archives vital statistics page, and many can be viewed through Ancestry.com under the Archives' digitization partnership. Using the free index before paying for a certified copy can save time and confirm whether a record exists before you place an order.
Local newspapers in Sullivan County have published death notices and obituaries since the mid-1800s. The Dushore Gazette and other local papers are held on microfilm at the county library and at the state archives in Harrisburg. The PHMC Archives research page provides guidance on accessing these newspaper collections for Sullivan County obituary research.
Sullivan County Genealogy and Death Research
Genealogy work in Sullivan County requires checking several layers of records. The PA State Archives free index is the best starting point for deaths from 1906 to 1968. Certified copies can then be ordered from the PA Department of Health. For deaths before 1906, the local Register of Wills holds records from 1893 to 1906. Church registers and cemetery transcriptions cover the period before that.
The Pennsylvania genealogy records program allows any researcher to request death certificates older than 50 years. This means most Sullivan County death records from the twentieth century are open to the public. The Orphans' Court clerks directory lists the Sullivan County contact for estate and probate files, which often contain dates of death and family relationships not found in death certificates alone.
Sullivan County borders Lycoming, Bradford, Wyoming, and Columbia counties. Families living near a county line may have deaths recorded in a neighboring county. If a Sullivan County death record is not found in local or state sources, check adjacent county offices before concluding the record is absent.
Nearby Counties
Sullivan County borders four other Pennsylvania counties. Death records for residents of neighboring counties are held at each county's Register of Wills and through the Pennsylvania Department of Health.