Search Scottsdale Obituary Records

Scottsdale obituary records help families find death notices and trace their roots in this part of the Phoenix metro area. The city sits in Maricopa County, so all death certificates come from the county health department. For obituary research, the Scottsdale Public Library offers access to Ancestry, HeritageQuest, and historical newspaper archives including the Scottsdale Progress from 1948 to 1977. You can also find Scottsdale obituaries in the East Valley Tribune and Arizona Republic newspapers. This page covers all the resources you need to search for Scottsdale death records and obituaries.

Scottsdale Death Certificates from Maricopa County

Scottsdale is part of Maricopa County. The city does not issue death certificates. All vital records come from the county level. If you need a certified copy of a death certificate for someone who died in Scottsdale, you must contact Maricopa County Public Health. This is true for all Arizona cities. The state gives counties the job of handling vital records, not cities.

The Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration can issue death certificates for any death in Arizona. They have five locations across the Phoenix metro area. The closest to Scottsdale is the East Valley office at 331 E. Coury Ave., Mesa, AZ 85210. You can also visit the main Phoenix office at 1645 E. Roosevelt St. or use another location. Each office offers the same services.

A certified death certificate costs $20. Bring a valid photo ID when you go. Arizona is a closed record state, so only certain people can get copies of recent death certificates. Eligible family members include the spouse, parents, adult children, grandparents, and siblings. If you do not qualify, you cannot get a certified copy for records less than 50 years old.

Note: The county does not accept personal checks. Use a money order, cashier's check, or card for payment.

Scottsdale Public Library Obituary Resources

The Scottsdale Public Library is a great place to search for obituary records. The library offers free access to several genealogy databases that can help you find death notices and trace family history. You can use these resources at any library branch. Some databases are only available in the library, while others work from home with a library card.

The Scottsdale Library databases page lists all the research tools they offer. For obituary searches, the most useful databases include Ancestry Library Edition, HeritageQuest Online, and Newspaper Archives. Ancestry has billions of records including death records, obituaries, and family trees. HeritageQuest focuses on census records and local histories that can help you piece together family information. Newspaper Archives has millions of pages from old newspapers across the country.

Ancestry Library Edition is only available inside library buildings. You cannot access it from home. HeritageQuest works from home if you have a Scottsdale library card. For help with these databases, call the library at 480-312-READ (7323). Staff can point you to the right tools for your search.

Scottsdale Progress Newspaper Archives

The Scottsdale Progress was the main local newspaper for the city for many decades. The library has archives of this paper from 1948 to 1977. These old issues contain obituaries, death notices, and news about local residents. If you are looking for a Scottsdale obituary from that era, the Progress archives are a key source.

Finding an obituary in old newspapers takes time. You need to know the approximate date of death. Newspapers usually ran obituaries within a few days of a death. Some ran longer features for well known community members. The Progress covered local news closely, so even smaller obituaries made it into print. If you know when someone died, start your search a few days after that date.

The Arizona State Library also has newspaper archives. Their Arizona newspapers guide explains the resources they offer. Staff will do free obituary lookups if you can give them a name, newspaper title, and exact date of death. This is helpful when you know someone died but cannot find the obituary yourself. The state library has over two million pages of Arizona newspapers on microfilm.

Note: Most digitized newspaper content is pre-1963 due to copyright rules.

East Valley Tribune Scottsdale Obituaries

The East Valley Tribune is a newspaper that covers Scottsdale and other cities in the east Phoenix metro area. It runs obituaries for residents of Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek. The paper offers death notices at no charge as a community service. Paid obituaries with more details are also available.

You can browse Scottsdale obituaries on the East Valley Tribune obituary portal. The site lets you search by name or browse recent notices. Each listing includes the person's name, dates, and often a photo. Some have guest books where family and friends can share memories. The site covers recent deaths in the area.

For older obituaries, you may need to check other sources. The Tribune archives are not as deep as the Arizona Republic. If you cannot find what you need in the Tribune, try Legacy.com or the library's newspaper archives.

Arizona Republic Obituaries for Scottsdale

The Arizona Republic is the largest newspaper in the state. It covers the entire Phoenix metro area including Scottsdale. Many Scottsdale families choose to publish obituaries in the Republic because of its wide reach. The paper has run for over a hundred years, so its archives are deep.

You can search Arizona Republic obituaries through Legacy.com. The site has a database of recent obituaries plus an archive going back many years. Type in a name and see what comes up. For historical obituaries, the newspaper archive at newspapers.com has millions of pages. Some content requires a subscription, but many libraries offer free access.

Free Scottsdale Death Records for Genealogy

Arizona offers free access to older death records through its genealogy database. Death records that are 50 years old or more are open to the public. This means death records from before 1976 can be viewed by anyone. The state made this change to help family researchers while still protecting privacy for more recent records.

The Arizona Genealogy Database lets you search historic death records at no cost. You can find death records from 1870 to 1970 for the whole state. Many Scottsdale area deaths from this period are in the database. The site shows images of the actual death certificates. These are not certified copies, but they show names, dates, places of death, and cause of death. This is useful info for tracing family lines.

Under A.R.S. Section 36-351(B), the state can release non-certified copies of vital records for genealogical research once they reach the age threshold. This law makes Arizona a good state for family history research.

How to Get Scottsdale Death Certificates

You can request a death certificate for a Scottsdale death in several ways. The process is the same as for any Maricopa County death. Choose the method that works best for you based on how fast you need the certificate and whether you can visit an office in person.

For in-person requests, go to any Maricopa County vital records office. The closest to Scottsdale are:

• East Valley (Mesa): 331 E. Coury Ave., Mesa, AZ 85210
• Phoenix: 1645 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85006
• Northwest (Peoria): 8088 W. Whitney Dr., Suite 2A, Peoria, AZ 85345

Bring a valid photo ID. Know the full name of the deceased, date of death, and your relationship to them. Fill out the application on site. Pay $20 per copy. Most in-person requests are processed the same day.

For mail requests, download the application from the Maricopa County death certificate page. Fill it out and include a copy of your photo ID. Make payment by money order or cashier's check. Mail everything to PO Box 2111, Phoenix, AZ 85001. Mail requests take about a week. For faster service, use VitalChek to order online. Extra fees apply for online orders.

Who Can Request Scottsdale Death Certificates

Arizona law limits who can get certified copies of death certificates. The state protects privacy by making these records confidential. Only people with a legal need or family connection can request copies of recent death records. This rule applies to all deaths in Scottsdale and across Arizona.

According to A.R.S. Section 36-324, the following people can request death certificates: the spouse, parents, adult children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings of the deceased. Funeral directors and their staff can request copies for families they serve. Attorneys representing eligible people qualify. So do executors of estates, life insurance beneficiaries, and people named in court orders.

If you are researching your family tree and the person died more than 50 years ago, you can access the record through the state genealogy database. You do not need to prove a relationship for records over 50 years old. This makes older Scottsdale death records easy to find for genealogy work.

Nearby Arizona Cities

Scottsdale borders several other cities in the Phoenix metro area. If you are searching for obituary records, keep in mind that your relative may have lived or died in a nearby city. All these cities are in Maricopa County, so death certificates come from the same county office. But local newspapers and funeral homes vary by city.

Cities near Scottsdale include Phoenix to the west, Tempe to the south, and Mesa to the southeast. Phoenix is the state capital and has the largest library system in the area. Tempe is home to Arizona State University and has its own library resources. Mesa offers a unique obituary search service through its library for a small fee. Each city's library may have different newspaper archives and databases.

For county-level resources, see our Maricopa County obituary page. It covers all the vital records offices, the Medical Examiner, and county-wide resources.