Search Tampa Death Records

Tampa obituary and death records are filed with the Hillsborough County Department of Health. Tampa is the county seat of Hillsborough County and home to more than 414,000 people on the west coast of Florida. The county DOH vital records office on N 22nd Street keeps death certificates from 2009 to the present. Tampa residents can visit that office to get certified copies of death records, or they can order by mail or online. The office opens early at 7:30 AM, which makes it easier to get in and out before the day gets busy.

Hillsborough County DOH Office

The Hillsborough County Department of Health vital records office handles all death certificate requests for Tampa and the rest of the county. The office is on N 22nd Street in the northern part of Tampa. It is one of the more affordable county DOH offices in Florida, with a death certificate fee of just $10. Walk-in service is available during business hours.

Bring a valid photo ID and fill out the request form at the office. A certified death certificate costs $10 in Hillsborough County. A protective sheath for the document is $3 extra. The office takes cash and other payment forms. Call ahead to confirm what they accept before you visit for Tampa death records. Staff process most requests the same day, especially if you arrive in the morning.

How to Get Tampa Death Records

Tampa residents can get death records in person, by mail, or online. Each method has trade-offs in terms of cost and speed. In-person is the fastest. Mail is the cheapest if you use the state bureau. Online through VitalChek is the most convenient but costs a bit more because of the service fee.

For in-person requests, visit the Hillsborough County DOH on N 22nd Street. The early opening time of 7:30 AM is a plus for people who work during the day. Bring your ID and payment. You can get a certified copy of a Tampa death record in about 20 to 30 minutes on a normal day. Busy days may take longer, so arriving close to opening time helps.

The City of Tampa website links to county and state resources for vital records. While the city does not issue death certificates on its own, it helps point Tampa residents to the right places. For deaths that took place before 2009, the state Bureau of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville has the records. You can request them by mail using Form DH727 or DH727S from the Florida DOH site.

VitalChek handles online orders for Tampa death records. The fee is $15 for the first copy plus $7 for processing. Go to VitalChek or call 1-877-550-7330. Orders arrive by mail in five to seven business days. This is a good choice when you cannot visit the Tampa DOH office.

Tampa Obituary Search Options

Obituaries in Tampa appear in several local papers, with the Tampa Bay Times being the main one. The paper has run obituary notices for decades. The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library keeps archives of local newspapers, including the Tampa Bay Times and its predecessor, the St. Petersburg Times. These archives are on microfilm and some are available through digital databases at library branches.

The Florida Memory project is another good source for historical death-related records from Tampa. The State Archives has digitized military service cards, pension files, and other documents that may mention deaths of Tampa residents in past decades. Much of this is searchable online at no cost, which saves a trip to the archives in Tallahassee.

Funeral homes in Tampa keep their own records too. If you know which funeral home handled services, reaching out to them can help. Some Tampa funeral homes have been serving the community for many decades and have old records going back further than what the county DOH keeps on hand.

Access Rules for Death Records

Florida law draws a line between two kinds of death certificates. The version without cause of death is public. Any adult can get one in Tampa. No family tie is needed. This version works for most common uses, from closing bank accounts to filing insurance claims. Just show up at the Hillsborough County DOH with your ID and the fee.

The version that includes cause of death stays confidential for 50 years under Florida Statutes Chapter 382. Only a close relative or legal representative can get it. Spouses, parents, and children of the deceased are eligible. You need to prove your relationship with documents when you make the request in Tampa. A court order is another way to access a confidential death record if you have a legitimate legal reason.

The broader Florida public records law in Chapter 119 also applies. The Hillsborough County DOH must hand over non-confidential death records to anyone who asks and pays the right fee. This is a basic right in Florida, and it makes getting Tampa death records fairly simple for most people.

Tampa Death Record Fees

Hillsborough County keeps its death certificate fees low compared to other large Florida counties. Here is a summary of what you will pay for Tampa death records depending on where and how you order:

• Hillsborough County DOH certified copy: $10
• Protective sheath: $3
• State bureau search and one copy (mail): $5
• State bureau extra copies: $4 each
• State bureau rush: $10 extra
• VitalChek online: $15 plus $7 processing

At $10 per copy, the Hillsborough County rate is one of the lowest in the Tampa Bay area. If you need multiple copies, the state bureau in Jacksonville is even cheaper at $5 for the first and $4 for each extra. For a quick, same-day certified copy in Tampa, though, the local DOH is hard to beat on both cost and speed.

Hillsborough County Obituary Records

Tampa sits in Hillsborough County, one of the largest counties in Florida by population. The county DOH office serves Tampa along with cities like Brandon and Riverview. Visit the county page for more on the DOH office, fee details, and other death record resources across Hillsborough County.

View Hillsborough County Obituary Records

Nearby Cities

Other cities near Tampa with obituary and death record resources are listed here. Each has its own page with local DOH details and record access info.