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The End of Life Plannerby Valoren

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

Free · general informationNew Jersey

Death certificates in New Jersey

What a certified copy of the death certificate costs in New Jersey 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 18, 2026 – October 24, 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: who is responsible, where it is filed, and the permit

The funeral director in charge of the funeral or disposition of the body of any person dying in this State shall be responsible for the proper execution of a death certificate in a legible manner, or by means of the NJ-EDRS, and filed in exchange for a burial or removal or transit permit with the local registrar of the district in which the death occurred or the body was found

New Jersey · general information · checked October 18, 2026 · N.J.S.26:6-6(a)

The death certification: who signs it, and how soon

Within a reasonable time, not to exceed 24 hours after the pronouncement of death, the attending, covering, or resident physician, … or the county or intercounty medical examiner or the assistant county or intercounty medical examiner shall execute the death certification.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 18, 2026 · N.J.S.26:6-8

What the search and first certified copy cost, and each additional one

Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement $25 Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time $ 2 per copy

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · NJ DOH, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, Fees

Who may order a certified copy, and the informational certification that needs no proof of relationship

To get a certified copy of a person’s vital record, you must provide proof of your relationship to the person listed on the record and the proof must establish you are one of the following:

The subject’s parent, legal guardian or legal representative

The subject’s spouse/civil union partner; child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age

Pursuant to court order

Proof of relationship is not required if you are asking for a certification, which is an uncertified informational copy of the vital record not valid for establishing identity or legal purposes.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · NJ DOH, Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical Records

Where to order: the state office or a local office, and how long a walk-in request takes

Processed through the State Office of Vital Statistics or Local Vital Records Office. Processing time and fees vary at the Local Vital Records Office.

Non-genealogical records by walk-in from the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry are typically processed within 2 hours.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · NJ DOH, Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical Records

Copies from the local registrar, in one county Surrogate’s words

Certified copies of death certificates are available from local registrars in the municipality where the death occurred.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Monmouth County Surrogate, FAQs

The same page for other states

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FAQ

Common questions

Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement $25 Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time $ 2 per copy

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · NJ DOH, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, Fees

To get a certified copy of a person’s vital record, you must provide proof of your relationship to the person listed on the record and the proof must establish you are one of the following:

The subject’s parent, legal guardian or legal representative

The subject’s spouse/civil union partner; child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age

Pursuant to court order

Proof of relationship is not required if you are asking for a certification, which is an uncertified informational copy of the vital record not valid for establishing identity or legal purposes.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · NJ DOH, Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical Records

To get a certified copy of a person’s vital record, you must provide proof of your relationship to the person listed on the record and the proof must establish you are one of the following:

The subject’s parent, legal guardian or legal representative

The subject’s spouse/civil union partner; child, grandchild or sibling, if of legal age

Pursuant to court order

Proof of relationship is not required if you are asking for a certification, which is an uncertified informational copy of the vital record not valid for establishing identity or legal purposes.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · NJ DOH, Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical Records

Processed through the State Office of Vital Statistics or Local Vital Records Office. Processing time and fees vary at the Local Vital Records Office.

Non-genealogical records by walk-in from the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry are typically processed within 2 hours.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · NJ DOH, Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical Records

Certified copies of death certificates are available from local registrars in the municipality where the death occurred.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Monmouth County Surrogate, FAQs

Processed through the State Office of Vital Statistics or Local Vital Records Office. Processing time and fees vary at the Local Vital Records Office.

Non-genealogical records by walk-in from the Office of Vital Statistics and Registry are typically processed within 2 hours.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · NJ DOH, Getting Copies of Non-Genealogical Records

The funeral director in charge of the funeral or disposition of the body of any person dying in this State shall be responsible for the proper execution of a death certificate in a legible manner, or by means of the NJ-EDRS, and filed in exchange for a burial or removal or transit permit with the local registrar of the district in which the death occurred or the body was found

Within a reasonable time, not to exceed 24 hours after the pronouncement of death, the attending, covering, or resident physician, … or the county or intercounty medical examiner or the assistant county or intercounty medical examiner shall execute the death certification.

New Jersey · general information · checked October 18, 2026 · N.J.S.26:6-8

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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