Fort Lauderdale Obituary Search

Fort Lauderdale obituary and death records are managed by the Broward County Department of Health vital records division. Fort Lauderdale has about 191,000 residents and serves as the county seat of Broward County. The Broward County DOH vital records office on SW 6th Avenue is right in Fort Lauderdale, which makes it easy for local residents to get death certificates in person. The office holds records from 2009 to the present and takes walk-in visits during business hours. Note that the office closes early at 3:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month, so plan around that if you visit on a Thursday.

Broward County DOH Office

The Broward County Department of Health vital records office is in Fort Lauderdale on SW 6th Avenue. Since it is right in the city, Fort Lauderdale residents can get there without a long drive. The office handles death certificate requests for all of Broward County, which has over 1.9 million people. Death records from 2009 forward are kept here. For older records, the state bureau in Jacksonville is the source.

Bring a valid photo ID to the office. Fill out the request form at the front desk and pay the fee. Staff process most requests the same day. The office is open until 4:30 PM most days, but remember the early close on the third Thursday of each month. Call (954) 467-4455 to confirm the current fee and check if any schedule changes affect your visit for Fort Lauderdale death records.

How to Get Fort Lauderdale Death Records

Fort Lauderdale residents can get death records in person, by mail, or online. The in-person option is the fastest since the Broward County DOH office is right in the city. You can walk in, request a death certificate, and leave with a certified copy the same day in most cases. This is the best route when you need a Fort Lauderdale death record quickly.

For mail requests, download Form DH727 from the Florida DOH website. Send the completed form with a check or money order and a copy of your photo ID to the Broward County DOH at the SW 6th Avenue address. Allow two to three weeks for mail processing. You can also mail requests to the state bureau in Jacksonville for deaths that happened before 2009 or in other counties. The state charges $5 for a search and one copy.

The City of Fort Lauderdale website has links to county and state services. The city does not issue death certificates directly, but the site can help you find the right office. For online orders, VitalChek is the approved vendor. The fee is $15 for the first copy plus $7 for processing. Call 1-877-550-7330 to order by phone. Shipping takes five to seven business days.

Fort Lauderdale Obituary Resources

Obituaries in Fort Lauderdale are published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, which is the main daily paper for Broward County. The paper has carried obituary notices for decades. The Broward County Library System keeps archives of the Sun Sentinel and other local publications. Branches in Fort Lauderdale have microfilm readers and digital newspaper databases you can use to search for specific obituary notices by name and date.

The Florida Memory project from the State Archives is another source for historical death-related records. The digitized collection includes vital records indexes, military service cards, and pension files. For Fort Lauderdale residents doing genealogy research, this free online resource can help trace deaths from decades ago without needing to visit the archives in Tallahassee.

Funeral homes in Fort Lauderdale also keep records of the services they handle. Broward County has dozens of funeral homes, many of which have been in business for years. If you know which one arranged the service for the person you are researching, calling them can give you details not found on the official death certificate. This is true for both recent and older deaths in Fort Lauderdale.

Who Can Get Death Records

Florida law controls access to death certificates in Fort Lauderdale. A death certificate without cause of death is a public record under state law. Any person age 18 or older can request one. You do not need to prove a family relationship. This version is good for estate matters, insurance, and genealogy research.

A death certificate that shows the cause of death is confidential for 50 years. Under Florida Statutes Chapter 382, only a spouse, parent, child, or legal representative of the estate can get the confidential version. You must show proof of your relationship at the Broward County DOH counter. A court order can also grant access when you have a valid legal reason but do not qualify through family ties.

The Florida public records law in Chapter 119 ensures that non-confidential death records are available to all who ask and pay the fee. The Broward County DOH cannot deny a valid request for a public death record in Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale Death Record Fees

Fees for death certificates in Fort Lauderdale follow the Broward County schedule. Contact the DOH office to confirm current county rates, as they can change. Here are the general costs:

• Broward County DOH: call (954) 467-4455 for current fee
• State bureau search and one copy (mail): $5
• State bureau extra copies: $4 each
• State rush processing: $10
• Shipping from state: $1
• VitalChek online: $15 plus $7 processing

The state bureau in Jacksonville offers the lowest fees for multiple copies at $5 for the first and $4 for each additional. For a single certified copy with same-day pickup, the Broward County DOH office on SW 6th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale is the quickest option. VitalChek is the best route for people who cannot visit the office in person and do not want to wait for a mail request.

Broward County Obituary Records

Fort Lauderdale is the county seat of Broward County, the second-most populous county in Florida. The county DOH office handles death records for all cities in Broward, from Fort Lauderdale to Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, and beyond. Visit the county page for more details on the office, full fee lists, and related resources.

View Broward County Obituary Records

Nearby Cities

Other cities near Fort Lauderdale with obituary and death record pages are listed below. Each has its own page with local DOH info and access details.