Search Santa Cruz County Obituary Records

Santa Cruz County obituary records can be found through the county vital records office in Nogales and local newspaper archives. This border county sits along the Arizona-Mexico line and has a rich cultural history. The county health department issues death certificates for deaths that occurred locally since 2008. For older records or deaths registered elsewhere, you may need to contact the Arizona Department of Health Services in Phoenix. The Nogales International newspaper publishes obituaries for the Santa Cruz County community. Whether you need an official death certificate or want to find a published obituary for a family member, several resources are available to help you search Santa Cruz County records.

Santa Cruz County Vital Records Office

The Santa Cruz County Health Services Department handles vital records for this area. They issue death certificates for deaths that were registered in Santa Cruz County from February 1, 2008 to the present day. If you need a death certificate for an older death or one that occurred outside the county, you will need to go through the state office instead.

The vital records office is located at 2150 N. Congress Dr. Ste. 115, Nogales, Arizona 85621. You can reach them by phone at (520) 375-7900. Visit the Santa Cruz County Vital Records website to learn more about their services and hours. Walk-in service is available during business hours. Call ahead if you have questions about what you need to bring.

A certified death certificate costs $20. This is the same fee charged across all Arizona counties. You pay this fee for each copy you need. Amendments and corrections to death certificates cost $30.

Note: The county office only has records from 2008 forward, so older death records must be requested from the state.

Who Can Get Santa Cruz County Death Certificates

Arizona law limits who can receive certified death certificates. This state has closed record laws for vital records. Not just anyone can walk in and get a copy of a death certificate. You must prove you have a legal right to the record. The rules apply in Santa Cruz County just as they do in every other Arizona county.

Eligible applicants include immediate family members of the deceased. Spouses, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren all qualify. Funeral directors handling arrangements can get copies for families they serve. Those with legal authority like attorneys, executors of estates, and people with power of attorney may also apply. Life insurance beneficiaries need death certificates to file claims. If you have a court order that grants you access, you can present that to receive a copy.

When you apply, bring proof of your identity and your relationship to the deceased. A valid government photo ID is required. You may also need documents showing your relationship, such as your own birth certificate to prove you are a child of the deceased. The staff will review your application to confirm you meet the eligibility requirements under A.R.S. 36-324.

How to Request Death Records in Santa Cruz County

You have a few options for requesting death certificates from Santa Cruz County. In-person requests at the Nogales office are the fastest way to get a copy. Bring your ID and payment. Fill out the application form. Staff will process your request while you wait if they have the record on file. Same-day service depends on how busy they are.

Mail requests take longer. You need to fill out the application form and send it with a copy of your photo ID and payment. Money orders and cashier's checks are the safest payment methods for mail requests. Personal checks are often not accepted. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your certificate mailed back to you. Expect processing times of one to two weeks for mail requests.

Here is what to include with your request:

• Full legal name of the deceased person
• Date of death or approximate date
• Place of death in Santa Cruz County
• Your name and contact information
• Your relationship to the deceased
• Copy of your valid photo ID
• Payment of $20 per copy

You can also order online through VitalChek, the state's official online ordering partner. Extra fees apply for this service, but it can be more convenient if you cannot visit in person. VitalChek accepts credit cards and provides tracking for your order.

Santa Cruz County Obituary and Genealogy Research

If you are doing genealogy research on older Santa Cruz County deaths, you have more options. Arizona opens death records to the public after 50 years. This means death records from 1974 and earlier are now available to anyone. You do not need to prove a family relationship for these older records. They are considered public for research purposes.

The Arizona Department of Health Services has a free online database for historical records. Visit genealogy.az.gov to search death records from 1870 to 1974. You can view images of original death certificates at no charge. These are non-certified copies meant for family history research, not for legal purposes.

The Arizona Memory Project is another resource for historical research. It has digitized newspapers, photos, and other primary sources from around the state. You might find obituaries or death notices in old Santa Cruz County newspapers through this collection. The Arizona State Library also offers free genealogy lookups if you know the name and approximate date of death.

Nogales International Newspaper Obituaries

The Nogales International is the main newspaper serving Santa Cruz County. It publishes obituaries and death notices for local residents. Families can submit obituaries to announce a death and share memories of their loved one. These published obituaries often contain details that are not found on death certificates, such as lists of surviving family members, life stories, and funeral arrangements.

You can search recent obituaries online at the Nogales International obituaries section. The website has an archive of obituaries going back several years. Use the search function to look for a specific name. Older obituaries from before the paper went online may be available on microfilm at local libraries or through newspaper archive services.

Funeral homes in Santa Cruz County also publish obituaries. Many post them on their own websites as a service to families. If you cannot find an obituary in the newspaper, check with funeral homes in Nogales and the surrounding area. Some families choose only to publish through the funeral home and skip the newspaper entirely.

Note: Newspaper obituaries are separate from official death certificates and contain different information.

Arizona State Death Record Resources

For deaths that occurred before 2008 in Santa Cruz County, you need to contact the Arizona Bureau of Vital Records. The state office has death records going back to 1909. They can issue certified copies for any Arizona death during that time. The state office is in Phoenix at 150 North 18th Ave., Ste. 120, Phoenix, AZ 85007. The phone number is (602) 364-1300.

State law under A.R.S. 36-325 requires death certificates to be filed within specific time frames. Funeral homes and responsible parties must complete death certificate information within seven days of taking possession of remains. The registrar then has 72 hours to register the death if all information is complete. This process ensures deaths are recorded promptly and accurately.

The Arizona State Library maintains the Arizona genealogy guide which explains how to research birth and death records. They offer tips on where to find records and what resources are available for free. The library staff can help with obituary lookups if you have specific names and dates.

Santa Cruz County Border Community Records

Santa Cruz County sits on the border with Mexico. The county seat of Nogales, Arizona shares a border crossing with Nogales, Sonora. This unique location means some families have members on both sides of the border. Death records for people who died in Arizona are handled through Arizona vital records offices. Deaths that occurred in Mexico require contacting Mexican authorities.

If a Santa Cruz County resident died in Mexico, the Mexican death certificate would be the official record. To use that record in the United States, you may need to get it apostilled or translated. The U.S. does not issue death certificates for deaths that occurred in other countries. Similarly, Arizona does not have records for deaths that happened across the border in Sonora.

For families with roots on both sides, researching obituaries may mean checking both the Nogales International and newspapers published in Nogales, Sonora. Church records from Catholic parishes in the area may also have burial records and death information going back many generations. Santa Cruz County has deep historical ties to the region.

Nearby Arizona Counties for Record Searches

Santa Cruz County borders two other Arizona counties. If you are searching for death records or obituaries and are not finding what you need, consider checking neighboring counties. People sometimes die in a different county than where they lived. Hospital locations, travel, or other circumstances can affect where a death is registered.

Pima County is the largest neighbor to the north and northwest. Tucson is the Pima County seat. Many Santa Cruz County residents receive medical care at Tucson hospitals. If someone passed away while being treated there, the death would be registered in Pima County instead. Pima County Vital Records can be reached at 520-724-7932.

Cochise County borders Santa Cruz to the east. The county seat is Bisbee. Cochise County also has offices in Sierra Vista and Douglas. If your search in Santa Cruz County comes up empty, it is worth checking both of these neighboring counties for death records and obituaries.

Each county vital records office can issue death certificates for deaths registered in that county. The state office in Phoenix can issue certificates for any Arizona death regardless of which county it occurred in.