Broward County Obituary Search

Death records and obituary information for Broward County, Florida are processed through the Florida Department of Health office in Fort Lauderdale. Broward County is the second most populous county in the state, with over two million residents, and its DOH office handles a massive volume of vital records requests each year. This page covers how to find, order, and receive death certificates in Broward County, along with fees, eligibility rules, and historical record access.

Broward County DOH Vital Records Office

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County runs its vital records operation from the Fort Lauderdale office. Florida death certificates are issued through the Bureau of Vital Statistics at the Department of Health. Orders may be placed online, by mail, or in person at the Broward County office. Because this is one of the busiest DOH offices in the state, plan for potentially longer wait times than you would see at smaller county offices.

A few things about the Broward County office hours stand out. Every third Thursday of the month, the offices close at 3:00 PM instead of the normal 4:30 PM. Also, the Paul Hughes location is open on Wednesdays from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, which gives Broward County residents an evening option that most counties do not have. These details matter if you are planning an in-person visit. Always double check before you go.

A completed Death Certificate Application should be submitted along with the appropriate fee. The office accepts DH727 forms in English and DH727S in Spanish. The Broward County DOH sits on S.W. 6th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, south of the New River. Parking can be tight, so arriving early is a good idea.

The Broward County DOH website provides access to all health department services for the county.

The Broward County health department portal serves over two million residents with vital records and health services.

How to Get Death Certificates in Broward County

Broward County residents have three options for ordering death certificates. Given the county's large population, the online option is especially popular here.

For in-person requests, go to 2421-A S.W. 6th Ave in Fort Lauderdale. Bring a valid photo ID and a completed DH727 application. You need the deceased person's full name, sex, date of death, date of birth, city or county of death, and Social Security number. Staff will check if the record is on file and process your request. Standard processing takes 3 to 5 business days for records from 2009 forward. The Broward County office can be quite busy, especially on Mondays and right after holidays, so mid-week visits tend to go faster.

Mail orders should be sent to the Fort Lauderdale address. Include a completed DH727 form, a photocopy of your ID, payment by check or money order to the Florida Department of Health, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail requests from Broward County usually take 2 to 3 weeks to process and return. The high volume of requests at this particular office can sometimes push timelines a bit longer.

The Broward County death certificates page spells out the application process and required documents.

This page details the Broward County process for ordering death certificates, including forms and eligibility.

Online orders are placed through VitalChek, the sole authorized vendor for Florida online vital records orders. VitalChek charges $15 for the first certificate plus a $7 processing fee. Extra copies are $4 each. You pay with a credit or debit card. Orders ship in 5 to 7 business days standard. Rush shipping is available for an extra cost. For a county as large as Broward, VitalChek handles a significant share of all death certificate orders.

Note: The Broward County DOH office closes early every third Thursday, so check the calendar before planning an afternoon visit.

Broward County Death Certificate Types

Florida has two types of death certificates, and Broward County follows the exact same rules as every other county in the state. Which one you can get depends on who you are.

A death certificate without cause of death is available to any adult. It is a public record. You do not need to prove a relationship. These copies show the person's name, dates, and place of death, but the cause of death line is left off and the first five digits of the SSN are redacted. Under Section 119.071 of the Florida Statutes, both the SSN and cause of death get confidential treatment. This public version works fine for genealogy, basic proof of death, or other purposes that do not require cause of death details.

The confidential version includes cause of death and remains restricted for 50 years. Eligible requesters in Broward County include a surviving spouse, parent, adult child or grandchild, adult sibling, or someone who can show an estate interest through a will or insurance policy. DH Form 1959 is the affidavit used to prove your eligibility. A court order can also authorize release. Given Broward County's large and diverse population, the DOH office processes a high number of confidential version requests each week, many tied to estate settlements and insurance claims.

Fees for Broward County Death Records

Broward County follows the state fee schedule. The search fee is $5, and it includes one certified copy of the death certificate. Each extra copy ordered at the same time costs $4. In-person payments can be made by check, money order, or cash.

If you do not know the year of death, the state charges $2 per year searched, capped at $50. For records older than 2009, the state Bureau of Vital Statistics handles the request and may add a $10 rush fee for expedited service. There is also a $1 shipping charge per order from the state bureau. These fees add up, especially when searching across multiple years.

VitalChek online orders cost more. The first certificate is $15, the processing fee is $7, and extras are $4 each. A single Broward County death certificate through VitalChek runs about $22 before any shipping upgrades. Rush delivery adds even more. For residents who value convenience over cost, VitalChek remains the go-to option, but in-person orders at the Fort Lauderdale office save a good amount of money.

Broward County Historical Records and Genealogy

The Broward County DOH office keeps death records from 2009 to the present. For older records, contact the state Bureau of Vital Statistics at 1217 N Pearl St, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Phone: (904) 359-6900. Email: VitalStats@FLHealth.gov. The state maintains death records going back to 1877, which well predates Broward County's creation in 1915.

Under Chapter 382 of the Florida Statutes, death certificates must be filed electronically within five days. Section 382.008 sets the filing timeline, and Section 382.016 gives local registrars like the Broward County DOH the power to produce certified copies. These laws apply to every death registered in Broward County.

For genealogy work in Broward County, the Florida Memory Project offers free access to digitized records, photos, and historical documents. The Broward County Library System has an extensive genealogy collection, including local newspaper archives, city directories, and cemetery records. The Florida Clerks of Court site connects to probate and court records pre-1927 that may have death-related information for early Broward County residents. The Broward County Historical Commission also maintains local archives that can help with research.

The Broward County DOH certificates page provides guidance on available records and services.

The certificates section covers all vital records services offered at the Broward County DOH.

Other Broward County Record Resources

The Florida DOH Bureau of Vital Statistics serves as the central state office for death records. If the Broward County office is backed up or cannot locate a specific record, the state bureau can step in. They handle everything from recent certificates to records more than a century old.

Broward County has dozens of funeral homes that keep their own files. Many post obituaries on their websites. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and other local newspapers publish obituaries daily. The Broward County Library System provides access to newspaper databases and digital archives that can help track down older obituary notices. Online obituary sites also cover Broward County extensively due to the large population.

Providing false information on a vital records application is a third-degree felony under Chapter 775 of the Florida Statutes. Given Broward County's size and the high volume of requests the office processes, the system is set up to flag inconsistencies. Always bring valid ID and give truthful answers on every form. The penalties for vital records fraud in Florida are severe, regardless of which county you file in.

Note: With over two million residents, Broward County processes one of the highest volumes of death certificate requests in the state. Plan for potentially longer wait times than smaller county offices.

Cities in Broward County

Broward County has numerous cities with populations over 100,000. Death records for residents of all these cities are handled by the Broward County DOH office in Fort Lauderdale.

Nearby Counties

Broward County sits between Palm Beach County to the north and Miami-Dade to the south. Each neighboring county has its own DOH vital records office.