Office of Vital Statistics in Seminole County Death Certificates

There are three ways you can purchase state of Florida death certificates with the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County.

1. In-person

Download the application:

• English Death Certificate Application

Florida Department of Health in Seminole County
400 West Airport Blvd.
Sanford, FL 32773

407-665-3226

Hours of operations: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2. Mail

You can download the application:

• English Death Certificate Application 

Then mail in your application with a copy of a valid ID and payment to:

Florida Department of Health in Seminole County
Attention: Vital Statistics
400 West Airport Blvd.
Sanford, FL 32773

Payments Accepted:

• American Express
• Discover
• MasterCard
• Visa
• Money Order
• Cash

Acceptable identifications include:

• Driver’s License
• State ID
• Passport
• Military ID

If you do not have a valid ID, please call 407-665-3226 to determine if another form of identification can be substituted.

3. Online

Death Certificates can be ordered online at VitalChek or by calling customer service at 877-550-7330.

Be aware that, in addition to the cost of the certification there are additional fees for using the VitalChek services.

Payments accepted:

• Cash
• Money Order
• Visa
• Mastercard
• Discover
• American Express

For a death prior to 2009, you must submit your request to the state office in Jacksonville. The application can be downloaded from Florida Health Death Certificates.

Who can request a death certificate?

WITHOUT CAUSE OF DEATH: Any person of legal age (18 or over) may apply for a certified copy of a death record without the cause of death. The first five digits of the decedent’s social security number will be redacted.

CAUSE OF DEATH INFORMATION: Death records less than 50 years old with the cause of death and full social security number are confidential and may only be issued to:

• Decedent’s spouse or parent
• Decedent’s child, grandchild, or sibling, if of legal age
• Any person who provides a will, insurance policy, or other document that demonstrates his or her interest in the estate
• Any person who provides documentation that he or she is acting on behalf of any of the above-named persons
• By court order

If you are a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, a certificate will be issued to you with the cause of death provided the following is supplied with your request and payment. The life insurance policy must name the applicant as beneficiary. This may be in the form of a copy of the policy or a letter from the insurance provider stating the applicant is a beneficiary of the registrant's insurance policy and dated or has been updated within one year.

The cause of death information is not needed for:

• Credit card companies
• Probate
• Property claims
• Taxes
• Title companies
• Vehicle title transfers

VALID PHOTO IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED WHEN REQUESTING CAUSE OF DEATH

If applicant is not one of the above, the application must be accompanied by a notarized Affidavit to Release Cause of Death Information (DH Form 1959) signed by one of the above, along with any supporting documentation and a copy of valid photo ID of both the person authorizing release and the applicant.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (section 119.071, Florida Statutes): Social security numbers held by the Florida Department of Health on death certificates are confidential and will only be issued to an eligible party requesting a confidential record, regardless of the date of death. The first five digits of the decedent’s social security number will be redacted when issuing a public record request.

Ordering a Florida Death Certificate 

Any person who willfully and knowingly provides any false information on a certificate, record, or report required by Chapter 382, Florida Statutes, or on an application or affidavit, or who obtains confidential information from any vital record under false or fraudulent purposes, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in Chapter 775, F.S.

Please note that limited deaths were recorded between 1877 and 1917.