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The End of Life Plannerby Valoren

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

Free · general informationKentucky

Death certificates in Kentucky

What Kentucky’s own law says about the death certificate: who files it, when, and the state registrar’s duty to issue a certified copy, in the official words. The fee is not on this page yet: we print a figure only once we can quote the office’s own page.

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

Every quotation checked October 24, 2026

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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: who is responsible, when it must be filed, and the physician's part

A certificate of death or a provisional certificate of death for each death which occurs in the Commonwealth shall be filed with the cabinet or as otherwise directed by the state registrar prior to final disposition

The funeral director, or person acting as such, who first takes custody of a dead body shall be responsible for filing the certificate of death.

shall within five (5) days of the death, present the certificate to the attending physician

Kentucky · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · KRS 213.076(1)(a), (c)

Who may receive a certified copy from the state registrar

The state registrar shall upon receipt of an application issue a certified copy of a vital record in the registrar's custody or a part thereof to any applicant.

Kentucky · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · KRS 213.136(1)

The same page for other states

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FAQ

Common questions

A certificate of death or a provisional certificate of death for each death which occurs in the Commonwealth shall be filed with the cabinet or as otherwise directed by the state registrar prior to final disposition

The funeral director, or person acting as such, who first takes custody of a dead body shall be responsible for filing the certificate of death.

shall within five (5) days of the death, present the certificate to the attending physician

Kentucky · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · KRS 213.076(1)(a), (c)

The state registrar shall upon receipt of an application issue a certified copy of a vital record in the registrar's custody or a part thereof to any applicant.

Kentucky · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · KRS 213.136(1)

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