Find Mohave County Obituary Records

Mohave County obituary records help families locate death certificates and published death notices in northwest Arizona. The county seat is Kingman, where the main vital records office is based. This is the fifth largest county in the United States by land area, covering over 13,000 square miles. You can request death certificates from the Mohave County Department of Public Health. Local newspapers like the Kingman Daily Miner publish obituaries for residents throughout the county. Whether you need an official death certificate or want to find a published obituary, Mohave County has resources to help you with your search.

Mohave County Vital Records Office

The Mohave County Department of Public Health registers deaths that occur within the county. This office can issue certified copies of death certificates for anyone who died in Mohave County. You can request records in person or by mail. The office is in Kingman, the county seat.

The vital records office has specific hours. They are open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and again from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office closes for lunch. Note that they are not open on Fridays. If you plan to visit, make sure you go on a weekday and during the right hours. The staff can help you fill out forms and answer questions about what you need.

The mailing address is: Mohave County Public Health, Attn: Vital Records, 700 W. Beale Street, Kingman, AZ 86401. Send all mail requests to this address. Include all required documents with your letter.

Mohave County Death Certificate Fees

Each certified death certificate costs $20. This is the same fee charged across all Arizona counties. If you need to make a change to a death certificate, the amendment fee is $30. Non-certified copies cost $5. These are for informational use only and cannot be used for legal purposes like settling an estate.

The office accepts several payment methods. You can pay with a debit card, credit card, money order, or cashier's check. Exact cash is also fine. Personal checks are not accepted. This is important to know before you visit or mail in a request. If you send a personal check, it will be returned and your request will be delayed.

Note: The county office can issue death certificates for any Arizona death, not just deaths in Mohave County.

Who Can Get Mohave County Death Certificates

Arizona is a closed record state. This means death certificates are not public records. Only certain people can get a certified copy. The law protects the privacy of families and prevents misuse of personal information. You must prove you are eligible before the office will release a certified copy to you.

Only people 18 years of age or older can request a certified copy. If you are under 18, you cannot apply even if you are related to the deceased. A parent or adult family member must make the request on your behalf. The office checks identification for every request.

People who qualify to get a certified death certificate in Mohave County include:

• Spouse of the deceased
• Parents of the deceased
• Adult children of the deceased
• Siblings, grandparents, or grandchildren
• Funeral directors handling arrangements
• Attorneys representing the family or estate
• Insurance companies with a valid claim

If you cannot prove your eligibility, you will not receive a certified copy. The office takes this rule seriously. You may be able to get a non-certified copy for genealogy research if the death occurred more than 50 years ago. These older records are open to the public through the state genealogy database.

Mohave County Death Certificate Processing

Unlike some Arizona counties, Mohave County does not offer same-day death certificate services. Processing takes time. Once your complete application and all required documents are received, it can take up to two weeks to get your certificate. Plan ahead if you need the record for a specific deadline like a probate hearing or insurance claim.

Mail requests may take even longer depending on mail delivery times. If you need a death certificate faster, consider ordering through VitalChek online. They offer expedited processing and shipping for an extra fee. The base certificate cost is still $20, but VitalChek adds service charges. Some families find the extra cost worth it when time matters.

In-person requests at the Kingman office still require processing time. Do not expect to walk in and walk out with a certificate the same day. The staff will tell you when to expect your copy or when to return to pick it up.

Mohave County Newspaper Obituaries

The Kingman Daily Miner is the main newspaper for Mohave County obituaries. They publish death notices and full obituaries for residents throughout the county. You can search their website for recent obituaries or contact them about older notices in their archives. The newspaper has served the Kingman area for over a century.

Death notices from mortuaries are published free of charge in the Kingman Daily Miner. Full obituaries with more detail cost money. A one-day obituary costs $60. Adding a photo brings the price to $71. Families work with funeral homes to write and submit obituaries. Not every death results in a newspaper obituary. Some families choose not to publish one, or they publish only on a funeral home website.

To submit an obituary, contact the paper at obit@kdminer.com or call (928) 753-6397. The newspaper staff can explain options and pricing. They handle submissions from funeral homes and from families directly.

For historical obituaries, check the Arizona State Library resources. The Arizona Memory Project has digitized newspapers from across the state. The library has Arizona newspapers going back to 1859. Library staff will even do free obituary lookups if you know the name and approximate date of death.

Mohave County Genealogy Research

Death records become easier to access once they are 50 years old. Under Arizona law, death certificates from 50 or more years ago are open to the public. You can search these records for free through the Arizona Genealogy Database. This state-run website has death records from 1870 to 1970 and adds more as they become old enough.

The database provides non-certified copies. These copies show the information from the original death certificate but cannot be used for legal matters. They work well for family history research. You can see cause of death, place of death, parents' names, and other details that help build a family tree.

Arizona residents can also access state archival records on Ancestry.com for free through a partnership with the state library. This includes the Ancestry Arizona County Coroner and Death Records collection from 1881 to 1971. Visit your local library to access these resources if you do not have an Ancestry subscription at home.

Note: The state genealogy database is separate from the vital records office and has different records.

Arizona Death Record Laws

Arizona statutes govern how death certificates are created, stored, and released. Understanding the law helps you know what to expect when requesting records. The main laws covering death records are in Title 36 of the Arizona Revised Statutes.

A.R.S. 36-324 covers who can access vital records and how copies are issued. This is the statute that makes Arizona a closed record state. It says that certified copies go only to eligible people based on rules set by the state. The law gives the state registrar authority to determine who qualifies.

A.R.S. 36-325 deals with death certificate registration. It requires funeral homes to complete death certificates within seven days of taking possession of remains. The local registrar must then register the certificate within 72 hours if it is accurate and complete. This law sets the timeline for when death records become available after a death occurs.

Cities in Mohave County

Mohave County includes several cities and towns spread across its vast desert landscape. Lake Havasu City is the largest city in the county with over 58,000 residents. Kingman, the county seat, has about 32,000 people. Other communities include Bullhead City, Colorado City, and several smaller towns along the Colorado River.

All residents of Mohave County cities get death certificates from the county health department in Kingman. There are no city-level vital records offices. The county handles all death registration regardless of which city the person lived in or died in. Obituaries may appear in local newspapers serving specific communities within the county.

Lake Havasu City has its own newspapers that publish local obituaries. Bullhead City residents often find obituaries in area newspapers or through local funeral homes. No matter where someone lived in Mohave County, the death certificate comes from the same county office.

Nearby Arizona Counties

Mohave County borders several other Arizona counties. If you are searching for a death record and are not certain which county to check, the neighboring counties may have what you need. A person might have died in a hospital in a different county than where they lived.

La Paz County is to the south along the Colorado River. Yavapai County is to the east, including the Prescott area. Coconino County is to the northeast, which includes Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon area. Each county has its own vital records office with the same state rules and fees.

Mohave County also borders Nevada and California. If the deceased may have died across state lines, you would need to contact that state's vital records office instead. Arizona offices only have records for deaths that occurred within Arizona.

How to Request Mohave County Death Certificates

To request a Mohave County death certificate in person, go to the vital records office at 700 W. Beale Street in Kingman. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Know the full name of the deceased and the date of death. Be ready to show proof of your relationship or eligibility. Pay the $20 fee with an accepted payment method. Remember, no personal checks.

For mail requests, write a letter that includes the deceased's full name, date of death, and place of death. Include your name, address, phone number, and your relationship to the deceased. Add a copy of your photo ID. Make payment to Mohave County Public Health using a money order, cashier's check, or include your credit card information on a signed form. Mail everything to: Mohave County Public Health, Attn: Vital Records, 700 W. Beale Street, Kingman, AZ 86401.

Online orders through VitalChek are another option. They accept credit cards and offer delivery options. The state certificate fee is the same, but VitalChek adds processing and shipping fees. Choose this route when speed matters more than cost.

Note: Always include a phone number or email so the office can contact you if they have questions about your request.