Miami Obituary Records

Miami obituary and death records are managed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Health vital records division. With close to 490,000 residents, Miami is the largest city in Miami-Dade County and the cultural hub of South Florida. Death certificates for people who died in the county from 2009 onward are kept at the local DOH office on NW 14th Street. The office also has a second location in West Perrine for residents in the southern part of the county. Getting death records in Miami is a straightforward process once you know which office to visit and what forms to bring along.

Miami-Dade DOH Vital Records

The Miami-Dade County Department of Health runs two vital records offices that serve Miami residents. The main downtown office on NW 14th Street is the closest one for people who live in the city of Miami. It processes death certificate requests during regular business hours and takes walk-in visits without an appointment. This is the place to go when you need a death record fast.

The downtown Miami office can get busy, so plan to arrive early. Bring a valid photo ID. You fill out a request form on site and pay the fee at the counter. The first certified copy of a death certificate costs $12 in Miami-Dade County. Additional copies are $16 each. Rush service adds $10 to the total, and a protective sheath for the certificate costs $3. Staff can usually process your request the same day if the death record is on file at the Miami location.

The second location in West Perrine serves the south end of Miami-Dade County. It offers the same services and fees. If you live in southern Miami or near Homestead, that office may be more convenient for getting death records than the downtown Miami location.

Getting Death Records in Miami

Miami residents have several ways to get death records. In-person visits to the NW 14th Street office are the quickest for recent deaths. You can also mail in a request using Form DH727 from the Florida DOH website. Mail requests go to the Miami-Dade DOH with a check or money order for the fee. Allow two to four weeks for mail processing of Miami death records.

The City of Miami website at miamigov.com has links to county services including vital records. While the city government does not issue death certificates directly, it points residents to the right county and state offices. For deaths that happened before 2009, the state Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville holds the records. You can request those by mail or through VitalChek.

VitalChek is the online option for Miami death records. Visit VitalChek or call 1-877-550-7330 to place an order. The base fee is $15 plus a $7 service charge. Cards are accepted. Shipping takes about five to seven business days. This works well for Miami residents who cannot get to the DOH office during work hours.

Miami Obituary Search Resources

Searching for obituaries in Miami often means checking both official death records and newspaper archives. The Miami Herald has published obituaries for decades. The Miami-Dade Public Library System keeps archives of the Herald and other local papers on microfilm and in digital form. Library branches across Miami can help you search for specific obituary notices from past years.

For older historical records, the Florida Memory project has digitized collections that include vital records indexes, military service cards, and pension files. These can be helpful when tracing a death in Miami from before the modern record-keeping era. The State Archives in Tallahassee holds the physical copies, but much of the index is searchable online from anywhere in Miami.

Funeral homes in Miami also keep records of services they have handled. If you know which funeral home was used, you can contact them for information about the deceased. Many Miami funeral homes have been in business for decades and maintain old records that can fill in gaps when official death certificates are hard to find.

Who Can Request Miami Death Records

Florida law sets the rules for who can get death certificates. A death certificate without the cause of death is public. Anyone age 18 or older can request one in Miami. You do not need to prove a family tie. This version works for most needs like estate matters, insurance claims, and genealogy research in Miami.

The version with cause of death is restricted under Florida Statutes Chapter 382. It stays confidential for 50 years. Only a spouse, parent, child, or legal representative of the estate can get this version. You must show proof of your relationship at the Miami-Dade DOH counter. A court order can also grant access if you have a valid legal need for the cause of death information.

Under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, public records are open to all. The DOH in Miami must give you a copy of any non-confidential death record if you ask and pay the fee. No reason is needed for the request.

Miami Death Certificate Fees

Miami-Dade County has its own fee schedule for death certificates. The fees are set by the county and may differ from what other Florida counties charge. Here is what you can expect to pay at the Miami-Dade DOH office:

• First certified copy: $12
• Each additional copy: $16
• Rush processing: $10
• Protective sheath: $3
• State bureau (mail): $5 search plus one copy
• VitalChek online: $15 plus $7 processing

The $12 first copy fee in Miami-Dade is among the more affordable rates in Florida. However, added copies at $16 each cost more than in many other counties. If you need several copies, it may be cheaper to order from the state bureau in Jacksonville at $5 for the first and $4 for each extra. For a single copy with same-day pickup in Miami, the local DOH is your best bet.

Miami-Dade County Obituary Records

Miami is part of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. The county DOH handles death records for all cities within its borders, including Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens, and more. Visit the county page for full details on the office, related records, and extra resources for death record searches.

View Miami-Dade County Obituary Records

Nearby Cities

Other South Florida cities with obituary and death record information are listed below. Each city page has details on the local DOH office and how to get records in that area.