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The End of Life Plannerby Valoren

General information · not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.

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Death certificates in Connecticut

What a certified copy of the death certificate costs in Connecticut and how one is ordered, in the official words. No figure on this page is ours; each is the office’s or the statute’s, with the date it was checked.

  • Every fact dated, in the official words
  • Each state’s own law

Every quotation checked October 24, 2026 – October 25, 2026

The free first-week checklist

Pages taken from the planner, by email: who to phone first, and a blank records sheet.

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Every quotation on this page is the official body’s own words, as they stood on the day we read them. The date is beside each one.

Filing the death certificate: where, and how soon on paper or electronically

A death certificate for each death which occurs in this state shall be completed in its entirety and filed with the registrar of vital statistics in the town in which the death occurred not later than five business days after death if filing a paper certificate and not later than three calendar days after death if filing through an electronic death registry system, in order to obtain a burial permit prior to final disposition.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-62b(a)

Who completes and files the death certificate

The funeral director or embalmer licensed by the department … in charge of the burial of the deceased person shall complete the death certificate through the electronic death registry system

Said certificate shall be filed by a licensed embalmer or such embalmer's designee or a funeral director or such director's designee

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-62b(b)

What a certified copy costs from a town or from the state, and the extra fees on an online or phone order

Town issued birth, death, marriage, and civil union certificates are $20 per copy.

Death, marriage, and civil union certificates are $20 per copy.

VitalChek Expedited Processing (online and phone orders) Certificate fees plus additional processing and shipping fees

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Connecticut DPH, Vital Records

Who may buy a certified copy, and who may see the Social Security number on it

A certified copy of a Connecticut death certificate may be purchased for a fee by anyone at least 18 years old. Note that the decedent's social security number can only be accessed by the decedent's spouse or next of kin.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Connecticut DPH, Vital Records

Who may purchase certified copies, in the statute’s words

Any person eighteen years of age or older may purchase certified copies of marriage and death records

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-51a(a)

Where to order: the town or the State Vital Records Office, which is quicker, and the one third-party vendor

Requests for certified copies of vital records may be submitted to the vital records office of the town where the vital event occurred or to the State Vital Records Office.

Generally, requests submitted to the town vital records offices are processed more quickly. The processing time at the State Vital Records Office varies and can be up to twelve (12) weeks.

Note that VitalChek is the only third party vendor approved by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Connecticut DPH, Vital Records

The fee waiver for a veteran’s spouse, child or parent

The fee for one certified copy of a certificate of death for any deceased person who was a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, shall be waived when such copy is requested by a spouse, child or parent of such deceased veteran.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-74(c)

A short-form death certificate without the cause of death: the process the statute requires

the Commissioner of Public Health shall establish, not later than January 1, 2026, a process by which a person may request a short-form death certificate, for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2021, that excludes the medical certification portion of the certificate for provision to persons or institutions that do not require knowledge of the cause of death of the decedent.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-62b(g) (P.A. 25-97)

The state's request form: the short form, the long form, and the price of a copy

Short Form Death Certificate (Available for deaths from January 01, 2021, to present)

Long Form Death Certificate (Available for deaths from July 01, 1897, to present)

Each certified copy is $20.00.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 25, 2026 · Connecticut DPH form VS-39DST (rev. 12/2025), Step 4

The same page for other states

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FAQ

Common questions

Town issued birth, death, marriage, and civil union certificates are $20 per copy.

Death, marriage, and civil union certificates are $20 per copy.

VitalChek Expedited Processing (online and phone orders) Certificate fees plus additional processing and shipping fees

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Connecticut DPH, Vital Records

The fee for a certified copy of a certificate of marriage or death shall be twenty dollars.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-74(b)(1)

A certified copy of a Connecticut death certificate may be purchased for a fee by anyone at least 18 years old. Note that the decedent's social security number can only be accessed by the decedent's spouse or next of kin.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Connecticut DPH, Vital Records

Any person eighteen years of age or older may purchase certified copies of marriage and death records

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-51a(a)

Requests for certified copies of vital records may be submitted to the vital records office of the town where the vital event occurred or to the State Vital Records Office.

Generally, requests submitted to the town vital records offices are processed more quickly. The processing time at the State Vital Records Office varies and can be up to twelve (12) weeks.

Note that VitalChek is the only third party vendor approved by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Connecticut DPH, Vital Records

Requests for certified copies of vital records may be submitted to the vital records office of the town where the vital event occurred or to the State Vital Records Office.

Generally, requests submitted to the town vital records offices are processed more quickly. The processing time at the State Vital Records Office varies and can be up to twelve (12) weeks.

Note that VitalChek is the only third party vendor approved by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Connecticut DPH, Vital Records

the Commissioner of Public Health shall establish, not later than January 1, 2026, a process by which a person may request a short-form death certificate, for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2021, that excludes the medical certification portion of the certificate for provision to persons or institutions that do not require knowledge of the cause of death of the decedent.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-62b(g) (P.A. 25-97)

Short Form Death Certificate (Available for deaths from January 01, 2021, to present)

Long Form Death Certificate (Available for deaths from July 01, 1897, to present)

Each certified copy is $20.00.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 25, 2026 · Connecticut DPH form VS-39DST (rev. 12/2025), Step 4

The fee for one certified copy of a certificate of death for any deceased person who was a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103, shall be waived when such copy is requested by a spouse, child or parent of such deceased veteran.

Connecticut · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Conn. Gen. Stat. §7-74(c)

For anyone who would rather their family found it all in one place than went looking.

A couple. A parent. An adult child and a parent, doing it together. One sitting starts it; keep it current, and tell someone where it is.

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