Yuma County Obituary Lookup

Yuma County obituary records give you a way to find out about loved ones who have passed. The county sits in the southwest corner of Arizona, right on the Mexican border. Death certificates come from the Yuma County Office of Vital Statistics on West 28th Street. You can also look up obituaries in the Yuma Sun newspaper, which has been printing death notices for the local area since the early 1900s. The Yuma County Library District keeps old newspapers on microfilm going back to 1872, which makes it one of the best spots in the state for family history work. This page will walk you through how to get death records, find published obituaries, and track down genealogy resources in Yuma County.

Yuma County Office of Vital Statistics

The Yuma County Office of Vital Statistics is where you go to get death certificates. This office can issue certified copies for any death that took place in Arizona, not just Yuma County. The office sits inside the Yuma County Health District building. Staff there handle both birth and death records for the county.

Here is the contact info you need. The address is 2200 W 28th Street, Room 256, Yuma, AZ 85364. Call them at (928) 317-4530. The fax number is (928) 317-4678. They are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office is closed on weekends and state holidays. If you plan to visit in person, try to arrive early. The office can get busy, and you want to leave time to fill out forms.

A certified death certificate costs $20. If you need to fix an error on a death certificate, the amendment fee is $30. The office does not accept personal checks. You must pay with cash, money order, cashier's check, or a debit or credit card.

Who Can Get Yuma County Death Records

Arizona has strict rules about who can get death certificates. This state uses a closed record system. That means vital records are not open to the public. Only certain people can get a certified copy of a death certificate, and you must prove you have a right to the record.

The people who can request a Yuma County death certificate include the spouse of the person who died. Parents and adult children also qualify. Grandparents and grandchildren can request copies too. Siblings of the deceased have access. Funeral directors who served the family can get copies. People with power of attorney qualify as well. Executors of the estate, beneficiaries named in a life insurance policy, and attorneys working for eligible family members can all request death certificates. If you have a court order that names you, bring it to the office.

You will need to show a valid photo ID when you make your request. A driver's license or state ID card works. A passport is fine too. The ID must be current. Expired IDs are not accepted. Bring proof of your relationship to the deceased if the staff asks for it. This might be a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or legal document that shows the connection.

Note: If you cannot prove eligibility, you will not get a certified copy of the death certificate.

Yuma County Death Certificate Processing

How long it takes to get a Yuma County death certificate depends on how you request it. If you go to the office in person, you can expect your certificate in about 7 business days. This is not same-day service. The staff needs time to process your application and prepare the certified copy. Some counties in Arizona offer same-day death certificates, but Yuma County does not.

Mail requests take longer. Plan for 10 to 15 business days from the time the office gets your paperwork. This does not count mail time to and from the office. If you are in a hurry, you might want to visit in person instead of mailing your request. You can also use VitalChek online, which adds service fees but may be faster depending on the delivery option you pick.

How to Request Yuma County Death Certificates

There are three ways to get a death certificate in Yuma County. You can go in person, mail your request, or order online. Each method has its own steps and fees.

For in-person requests, go to the Vital Statistics office at 2200 W 28th Street, Room 256. Tell the staff what you need. They will give you an application to fill out. Include the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the place of death if you know it. Show your photo ID and pay the $20 fee. You will get your certificate within 7 business days.

To mail your request, write a letter or fill out an application form. Include all the info about the deceased. Put in a copy of your photo ID. Make a money order or cashier's check for $20 payable to Yuma County Health District. Mail everything to Yuma County Office of Vital Statistics, 2200 W 28th Street, Room 256, Yuma, AZ 85364. Processing takes 10 to 15 business days after they get your request.

Online ordering goes through VitalChek, which is the state's approved online vendor. You pay the $20 certificate fee plus a service charge. VitalChek offers different shipping speeds. The site walks you through the order step by step.

Yuma County Library Genealogy Resources

The Yuma County Library District Arizona Room is a treasure for anyone doing family history work. This special collection focuses on Yuma and the surrounding region. Staff there can help you find obituaries, death notices, and other records about people who lived in this part of Arizona.

The Arizona Room has Yuma newspapers on microfilm from 1872 to 2011. This collection is huge. The Yuma Daily Sun runs from January 1935 to July 2001. Older papers go back even further. If you are looking for an obituary from decades ago, the microfilm collection is likely your best bet. Staff can show you how to use the microfilm readers and help you find the right dates.

The library also offers Ancestry Library Edition for in-library use. You cannot use this from home, but you can sit down at a library computer and search for free. HeritageHub is another tool the library provides. It has a large collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for genealogy research, with records going back to 1704. These databases let you search by name, date, and location.

Yuma Sun Obituaries

The Yuma Sun is the main newspaper for Yuma County. It has been serving the community for well over a century. The paper publishes obituaries and death notices for local residents. Families can submit obituaries to the paper when a loved one dies.

The Yuma Sun online archive has more than 30,000 obituary records. The digital collection goes back to 2002. You can search by name to find recent obituaries. Many entries include photos, life stories, and details about funeral services. This is often the quickest way to find info about someone who died in the Yuma area in the past two decades.

For older obituaries, you will need to check the microfilm collection at the Yuma County Library. The newspaper archives online do not go back as far as the library's microfilm holdings. If you are looking for someone who died before 2002, plan a visit to the Arizona Room.

Note: Not everyone who dies gets an obituary in the paper since families choose whether to publish one.

Yuma County Historical Death Records

If you are searching for death records that are 50 years old or more, you have an easier path. Arizona law under A.R.S. 36-351(B) allows public access to death certificates after 50 years from the date of death. These older records are open to anyone. You do not need to prove a relationship or show eligibility.

The Arizona Genealogy Database has non-certified copies of historic death certificates. The collection covers deaths from 1870 to 1970. You can search by name and view scanned images of the original certificates. This is free to use. The records show cause of death, place of death, and other details that help with family research.

Keep in mind that these are not certified copies. You cannot use them for legal purposes like settling an estate or filing insurance claims. They are meant for genealogy and family history only. If you need a certified copy of an older death certificate, you still have to go through the county or state vital records office and meet the eligibility rules.

Arizona State Obituary Resources

Beyond Yuma County offices, the state of Arizona offers several resources for obituary and death record searches. The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Vital Records in Phoenix can issue death certificates for any Arizona death. Their main office is at 150 North 18th Ave., Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85007. The phone number is (602) 364-1300.

The Arizona Memory Project is a digital repository run by the state library. It has primary source materials from archives, museums, and libraries across Arizona. The collection includes historic newspapers starting from 1859 and about 90,000 photographs. You may find obituaries, death notices, and other records about Yuma County residents in these collections.

The Arizona State Library newspaper collection has over two million pages of newspapers on microfilm. Staff will do obituary lookups for free if you give them the name, newspaper title, and exact date of death. This service can save you a trip to Phoenix if you know what you are looking for.

City of Yuma Obituary Records

The City of Yuma is the only city in Yuma County with a population over 50,000. It is the county seat and the largest community in this part of Arizona. Yuma city residents get their death certificates from the county, not from any city office. The city does not maintain vital records.

Yuma has several funeral homes that publish obituaries. These include local mortuaries that serve families in the area. Many funeral homes post obituaries on their websites in addition to or instead of the newspaper. If you cannot find an obituary in the Yuma Sun, check funeral home sites too.

The Yuma area also has a strong military presence due to the Marine Corps Air Station and the Army Yuma Proving Ground. Veterans who died may have obituaries or death records through military channels. The VA office can help families of veterans with death benefits and records.

Nearby Arizona Counties

Yuma County sits in the southwest corner of Arizona. If you are not sure where someone died, you may need to check neighboring counties too. People sometimes pass away in a different county than where they lived, especially if they went to a hospital in another area.

La Paz County borders Yuma County to the north. It was created from the northern part of Yuma County in 1983. If someone lived in Yuma County before that split, their records might be in either county depending on the exact location. Maricopa County is to the northeast and contains Phoenix. Some Yuma County residents go to Phoenix for medical care, so a death may have occurred there instead of in Yuma. Each county has its own vital records office where you can request death certificates.