Pembroke Pines Obituary Records

Obituary and death records for Pembroke Pines residents are handled by the Florida Department of Health in Broward County. The Broward DOH office in Fort Lauderdale processes all death certificate requests for Pembroke Pines. With close to 180,000 residents, Pembroke Pines is one of the largest cities in Broward County. Deaths that take place in Pembroke Pines are registered through the county health department. You can get copies of death certificates in person, by mail, or through the state online system. This page walks through each method and what you need to know to get obituary records in Pembroke Pines.

Broward County DOH Office for Pembroke Pines

Pembroke Pines does not have its own vital records office. All death certificate requests go through the Broward County Department of Health in Fort Lauderdale. This is the only county office that can issue death certificates for deaths that took place in Pembroke Pines. The office sits about 15 miles east of Pembroke Pines on S.W. 6th Avenue. It can be a busy location, so plan your visit for early morning if you can. The staff there handles death certificate requests for all of Broward County, which has more than two million people.

Keep in mind that every third Thursday the office closes at 3:00 PM. That catches some people off guard. Bring a valid photo ID and the full name of the person whose death record you need. You should also know their date of death and date of birth if you can. The more details you have, the quicker the staff can find the record for you. Walk-in requests for Pembroke Pines death certificates are often filled the same day at this office.

How to Get Pembroke Pines Death Records

There are three main ways to get death certificates for someone who died in Pembroke Pines. You can go to the Broward County DOH in person, mail a request to the state Bureau of Vital Statistics, or order through VitalChek online. Each method has its own cost and wait time. Which one you pick depends on how fast you need the record.

In person is the fastest route. Drive to the Fort Lauderdale office, fill out the DH727 application form, pay the fee, and you can often get your copy the same day. For Pembroke Pines residents, this means a trip to Fort Lauderdale. The form asks for the full legal name of the person who died, their date of death, place of death, and your relationship to them. The office accepts cash, check, and money order. Some DOH offices also take credit cards now, so call first to check.

Mail orders go to the state office in Jacksonville. Send a completed application along with a check or money order to the Bureau of Vital Statistics at 1217 N Pearl St, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Mail orders take four to six weeks on average. If you need it faster, you can add a $10 rush fee and it may cut the time down, though there are no firm guarantees on turnaround. You still need to include $1 for shipping on top of the base fee.

VitalChek is the state-approved online vendor for ordering death certificates. Go to www.VitalChek.com or call 1-877-550-7330. The first copy costs $15 plus a $7 processing fee. Extra copies are less. VitalChek ships to your home, so Pembroke Pines residents do not have to leave the city. Processing takes about two to three weeks. This is a solid choice for people who want a Pembroke Pines death record but can't get to the Fort Lauderdale office.

Pembroke Pines Death Certificate Fees

Fees for death certificates are the same across all of Florida. The county office and state office both charge based on the state fee schedule. These fees cover a search of the records and one certified copy. You pay more for each extra copy and for rush service.

• First certified copy (search + 1 copy): $5
• Each extra copy: $4
• Rush processing: $10 extra
• Shipping (mail orders): $1
• VitalChek: $15 + $7 processing fee

If you need several copies, order them all at once. It saves money since the extra copies are just $4 each. Many Pembroke Pines residents need more than one copy for insurance claims, estate matters, or Social Security. The fee structure makes it cheaper to get all your copies in a single order. Payment at the county office can be made by check, money order, or sometimes credit card. Mail orders to Jacksonville must include a check or money order payable to Vital Statistics.

Types of Death Records in Pembroke Pines

Florida law draws a clear line between two kinds of death certificates. This matters for anyone trying to get Pembroke Pines obituary records. The type you can get depends on who you are and why you need it.

A death certificate without cause of death is a public record. Anyone 18 or older can request it. This version shows the name of the person who died, date and place of death, and other basic facts. It does not list what they died from. Under Florida Statutes Chapter 382, the cause of death is kept confidential for 50 years. That means the full death certificate with cause of death is only available to close family members, legal representatives, or people with a court order. You need to show proof of your relationship when you ask for the full version at the Broward County DOH office.

For genealogy or general research on Pembroke Pines deaths, the public version is what you can get. It has enough detail to confirm that a death occurred and when. If you need the cause of death for a legal case, talk to an attorney about getting a court order. The Florida Public Records Law under Chapter 119 allows broad access to government records, but it has specific carve-outs for certain vital records.

Pembroke Pines Historical Death Records

The Broward County DOH office keeps death records from 2009 to the present. For deaths in Pembroke Pines before 2009, you need to go through the state. The Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville has death records going all the way back to 1877. That is a deep archive. Pembroke Pines itself was incorporated in 1960, so all death records for the city fall within the state's record-keeping window.

For older records, Florida Memory is a free online resource run by the State Library and Archives of Florida. It has digitized historical records, including some death and burial records. Genealogy researchers in Pembroke Pines may also find useful information through the Broward County Libraries genealogy collection. The main library in Fort Lauderdale has microfilm and other archival materials that cover death and burial records for the region.

The county office is the fastest place to go for recent Pembroke Pines death records. Anything from 2009 on can be pulled up quickly. Older records take more time since the state office has to search its archives in Jacksonville. Mail your request there with the full name, approximate date of death, and place of death if you know it.

Pembroke Pines Obituary Resources

Beyond official death certificates, there are other ways to find obituary information for Pembroke Pines residents. Local newspapers publish obituaries, and several online databases collect them. These are not the same as a certified death certificate, but they can help you find details about a person who passed away in Pembroke Pines.

The Sun Sentinel is the main daily paper that covers Pembroke Pines and all of Broward County. It runs obituary notices in both the print and online editions. The Miami Herald also covers parts of Broward County. Funeral homes in Pembroke Pines often post obituaries on their own websites and on sites like Legacy.com. These can be useful when you are trying to track down the date of death or the name of surviving family members. For official records though, you still need to go through the Broward County DOH or the state office in Jacksonville.

The City of Pembroke Pines website has links to local services but does not handle vital records directly. For anything related to death certificates, the county DOH is your first stop. The Florida DOH main site also has forms and instructions that apply to all Pembroke Pines requests.

Broward County Obituary Records

Pembroke Pines is in Broward County, and all death certificate requests go through the Broward County DOH in Fort Lauderdale. The county office serves more than two million people across dozens of cities and towns. For full details on the county vital records office, fees, and ordering options, see the Broward County obituary records page.

View Broward County Obituary Records

Nearby Cities

These cities near Pembroke Pines also have obituary and death record pages:

• Fort Lauderdale
• Hollywood
• Miramar
• Davie
• Coral Springs
• Miami