Access Yavapai County Obituary Records

Yavapai County obituary records help you find details about deaths that occurred in this north-central Arizona region. The county seat is Prescott, which is home to the main vital records office. Death certificates are kept by the county health department, and you can request copies if you meet the eligibility rules set by Arizona law. Local newspapers like the Daily Courier in Prescott publish obituaries that serve as another key source of information for families and researchers. Whether you need a certified death certificate or want to search old obituary notices, Yavapai County has resources to help you find what you need.

Yavapai County Vital Records Office

The Yavapai County vital records office issues death certificates for deaths that occurred in Arizona. This is your main source for official death records in Yavapai County. The office is in Prescott. It handles birth and death certificate requests for residents and eligible family members.

You can visit the office in person or request records by mail. The Yavapai County Vital Records page has more details about services and what you need to bring. Staff can help you with questions about forms and fees. The office address is 1015 Fair Street, Prescott, AZ 86305. You can call them at (928) 771-3247 during business hours.

Certified copies come on special paper with an embossed seal. This makes them valid for legal use. Copies cost $20 each. Recording fees are $30 for documents that need to be filed with the county. Plan to bring cash, money order, or a cashier's check since many Arizona county offices do not take personal checks.

Note: Processing times vary based on how busy the office is, so call ahead if you need records quickly.

Who Can Request Yavapai County Death Certificates

Arizona is a closed record state. This means death certificates are not open to the public. Only certain people can get a certified copy of a death record. The rules are in place to protect privacy. If you do not fit into one of the allowed groups, you cannot get a certified copy of a recent Yavapai County death certificate.

People who can request death certificates in Yavapai County include close family members of the person who died. Spouses, parents, adult children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings all qualify. Funeral directors can request copies on behalf of families they serve. Those named in a power of attorney or court order can apply too. Estate executors and life insurance beneficiaries are also on the list.

When you apply, you must show proof of who you are and how you relate to the deceased. A valid photo ID is required. The staff will check that you meet the eligibility rules under Arizona Revised Statutes 36-324 before issuing any certified copies. If you do not qualify, they will deny your request.

There is an exception for old records. Death records more than 50 years old are open for genealogy research. You can search these at the state genealogy database for free.

Yavapai County Genealogy and Historic Death Records

If you are looking for older Yavapai County obituary records, the state offers free online access to historic vital records. The Arizona Genealogy Search database has death records from 1870 to 1970. These are non-certified copies meant for research. You can view them at no cost.

The Arizona State Library has more resources for family history research. Their genealogy guide explains how to find birth and death records. The library staff can help you find records that are hard to locate. They also have microfilm copies of old newspapers with obituaries.

Arizona residents can access Ancestry for free through the state library partnership. This gives you access to Arizona County Coroner and Death Records from 1881 to 1971. Visit the library in person to use this service. The Arizona Memory Project is another useful tool for historic research. It has over 90,000 photos and primary sources from Arizona history starting in 1863.

Yavapai County Newspaper Obituaries

The Daily Courier is the main newspaper for Prescott and Yavapai County. It publishes obituaries from local funeral homes and families. You can view recent obituaries on the Daily Courier obituaries page. The site lets you search by name and date.

Families can submit obituaries directly to the paper. Contact the Daily Courier at obits@prescottaz.com or call 928-445-3333 ext. 1128. There are fees for publishing an obituary. The cost depends on length and whether you include a photo. Free death notices from funeral homes are sometimes posted as a public service.

For historical obituaries from Yavapai County, you may need to search newspaper archives. The Arizona State Library has one of the largest collections of historic Arizona newspapers. Their Arizona Newspaper Project has over two million pages on microfilm going back to 1859. Library staff will look up obituaries for you if you know the name, newspaper, and date of death. There is no charge for this service.

Other newspaper archives you can search include Newspapers.com, which has digitized many Arizona papers. Some require a subscription. Check your local library to see if they offer free access to these databases.

How to Request Yavapai County Death Records

There are a few ways to get a Yavapai County death certificate. You can go in person, send a mail request, or order online through a third party service. Each method has pros and cons. In-person visits are usually the fastest. Mail takes longer but works well if you cannot visit the office.

For in-person requests, go to the vital records office at 1015 Fair Street in Prescott. Bring your photo ID and know your relationship to the deceased. Fill out the application form. Pay the $20 fee. Most requests are done quickly when you visit in person. Call (928) 771-3247 first if you have questions or want to confirm hours.

Here is what you will need to request a Yavapai County death certificate:

• Full legal name of the person who died
• Date of death if known
• Place of death such as city or hospital name
• Your name and contact info
• Your relationship to the deceased
• A copy of your valid photo ID
• Payment of $20 for each certified copy

You can also order online through VitalChek. This is an official partner of Arizona vital records. There are extra service fees for online orders. The site accepts credit cards. This option is good if you need records shipped to you and do not want to deal with mail.

Arizona Death Certificate Laws

State law governs how death records are handled in Yavapai County and all Arizona counties. The Arizona Revised Statutes 36-325 covers death certificate registration. It says funeral homes must get and complete the death certificate within seven days of taking possession of the body. The local registrar then has 72 hours to register a complete and accurate death certificate.

Under A.R.S. 36-301, a certified copy is defined as a written reproduction that the state or local registrar has authenticated as true and exact. It has the same legal status as the original registered certificate. This is why certified copies from the Yavapai County vital records office are accepted for legal purposes like settling estates.

Public records laws do not apply to death certificates in Arizona. This is spelled out in state law. Even though most government records are public, vital records get special treatment. The closed record rule protects families and prevents misuse of sensitive information. After 50 years, death records become available for genealogy research through the state database.

Nearby Arizona Counties

Yavapai County sits in north-central Arizona. It borders several other counties. If you are searching for obituary records and are unsure which county to check, look at the neighboring areas. Deaths sometimes occur in a different county from where someone lived. A person from Prescott might have died at a hospital in Phoenix, for example.

Counties near Yavapai include Maricopa County to the south, which includes Phoenix and the metro area. To the north is Coconino County, home to Flagstaff. Mohave County is to the northwest along the Colorado River. La Paz County is to the west. Gila County lies to the east. Each has its own vital records office where you can request death certificates.

The state vital records office in Phoenix can issue death certificates for deaths anywhere in Arizona. If you are not sure which county to contact, the Arizona Bureau of Vital Records is a good place to start. Their main phone is (602) 364-1300. The office is at 150 North 18th Ave., Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

More Yavapai County Obituary Resources

Beyond vital records and newspapers, there are other ways to find Yavapai County obituary information. Funeral homes often post obituaries on their websites. If you know which funeral home handled services, check their site. Many keep archives of past obituaries online.

Online memorial sites like Legacy.com have obituaries from newspapers across Arizona. You can search by name, date, and location. Some obituaries have guest books where friends and family leave messages. These can provide helpful details for genealogy research.

The Yavapai County Recorder handles recording of various documents. While they do not issue death certificates, they may have other records related to estates and property. The recording fee is $30 for most documents. Contact the recorder if you need to file or find recorded documents tied to a death or estate matter.

For questions about death investigations, the county works with the medical examiner. Most Arizona counties use a shared medical examiner system. If a death occurred under unusual circumstances in Yavapai County, records may be held by the investigating office. The funeral home or law enforcement can tell you which office handled the case.

Note: Yavapai County vital records staff can answer questions about what records are available and how to request them.