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By law, certified copies of the death certificate which
includes the cause of death may only be issued to the
decedent's spouse, parent, and (if of legal age) child, grandchild, or sibling,
or anyone who provides a will, insurance policy or
other document that demonstrates their interest in the estate of the decedent or
anyone who provides documentation that he or she is acting on the behalf of any
of the previously mentioned persons, or by court order.
If you are a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, a certificate will be issued
to you with the cause of death provided the following is supplied with your request
and payment. The life insurance policy must name the applicant as beneficiary.
This may be in the form of a copy of the policy or a letter from the insurance
provider stating the applicant is a beneficiary of the registrant’s insurance policy
and dated or has been updated within one year.
If you are requesting the cause of death, you must state your relationship
to the deceased. If a relationship is not stated, you will be issued a certified copy
without the cause of death information.
The cause of death becomes public information after 50 years from the date
of death. By Florida law, the cause of death is considered confidential prior
to that time.
The cause of death information is not needed for:
Probate
Title Companies
Vehicle Title Transfers
Taxes
Property Claims
Credit Card Companies
 Death Certificate Fees:
| Certified Copy |
$8.00 |
Photocopy of the original record
(AVAILABLE FOR Pinellas County Deaths 2001 TO PRESENT)
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| Additional copies of the same record, ordered at the same time |
$8.00 |
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| Rush Orders |
| Mark the outside of the envelope “RUSH”. |
$5.00 |
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Orders are processed within 3 business days of receipt. This does not include postal transit time to and from our office.
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Delivery Method:
Payment Method:
In Person:
Checks, cash, money orders, Visa or MasterCard are acceptable forms of payment. Current ID is required in
person. Acceptable forms of ID are Driver’s License, State ID Card, issued by Dept.
of Motor Vehicles, Military ID, or Passport.
By Mail:
Check or money order should be made payable to Pinellas County Health Department.
Visa and MasterCard are also accepted. Credit card number and expiration
date are required. Include a copy of the applicant's valid identification. Orders
will be returned unprocessed if the requests are incomplete.
Please mail your completed application form, copy of valid identification
and payment to:
Center Bay Building
Vital Statistics Office
4175 East Bay Drive, Suite 160
Clearwater, FL 33764
By Fax:
Credit cards only (Visa or MasterCard). Our Fax number: (727) 507-4335.
Credit card number and expiration date are required along with a copy of current ID.
Acceptable forms of ID are Driver’s License, State ID Card, issued by Dept. of Motor
Vehicles, Military ID, or Passport.
Please Note:
- The applicant must use their own credit card and their billing address in order to have
their requests processed.
- All faxed requests will be treated as "rush orders" and will be
charged the additional $5.00 fee.
How to Order a Death Certificate:
Please provide the following information:
- Full name of the deceased person
- Date of death (month, day and year)
If the date of death is unknown, give an approximate
date of death or a series of years to be searched i.e. 2001, 2002, 2003,
2004, 2005. We search a five year period for $8.00. If the record is not
located, this office keeps the search fee.
- Name of Funeral Home (if known)
- City of Death
- Reason for needing the certificate
Information Needed About The Person Ordering The Certificate:
- Applicant’s name - Signature and printed
- State your relationship to the deceased
- Mailing address
- Daytime phone number
Please Note: Requests may be mailed, faxed, or brought in person to the Vital Statistics office.
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St. Petersburg, FL 33701 
