Wisconsin - Obtain a Copy of Death Certificate

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Procedure

In-Person

1. You can apply in person for a copy of a death certificate at 1 West Wilson Street, Room 158, in Madison, Wisconsin. The office is open from 8:00 A.M. until 4:15 P.M. (C.S.T.), Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.
2. Applications are available in the office or you may fill out the death certificate application form which is attached with this procedure and bring it with you. Acceptable identification is required.

Regular Service

• In-person requests for certified copies of death certificates are completed within two hours of acceptance at our counter if received by 2:00 p.m. Requests received at our counter after 2:00 p.m. will be completed by 10:00 a.m. on the next business day.
• Because of the high demand for copies of death certificates, requests for uncertified copies are not completed on the same schedule as certified copies.In-person requests for uncertified copies of death certificates may take up to three months to complete.

Expedited Service

• In-person requests for both certified and uncertified copies of death certificates can be expedited for an additional fee.
• Expedited in-person requests for certified copies of death certificates generally will be completed within 15 to 30 minutes. Expedited in-person requests for uncertified copies of death certificates will be completed within two hours. Expedited request will not be processed after 4:00 p.m.

Mail-In Request

• Applications for copies of death certificates should be mailed to:
  

Wisconsin Vital Records Office,P.O. Box 309,Madison, WI 53701-0309

• Please use the attached death certificate application form or request an application by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
  

Death Record Application,P.O. Box 309,Madison, WI 53701-0309.

• Incomplete or unsigned forms will be returned unprocessed. Include a copy of acceptable identification.

• The fee is not refundable if no record is found. You must enclose a personal check or money order made payable to Wis. Vital Records. Please do not send cash.
• Please include a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope with your request.
• Expedited service is not available by mail. If you require expedited service for a copy of a death certificate, you must apply in person or by fax.

By Fax

• If you require expedited service for a copy of a death certificate and cannot apply in person, you may submit a fax application. The certificate can be sent to you by regular mail or overnight United Parcel Service (UPS) Next Day Air.
• Please use the fax death certificate application form (PDF, 37 KB) or call (608) 266-1373 to have the form faxed to you. Once the application is filled out, please fax it to the number listed on the top of the form. Include a copy of proper identification (required).

Apply Online

• Please use the following link to order your death Certificate Online. http://www.vitalchek.com/wisconsin-express-death-certificates.aspx
• They might charge you a slightly higher fee than the mail-in request.

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Required Documents

Identification is required to apply for copies of vital records in person, by mail or by fax. The acceptable forms of identification are listed below.
Requires ONE of the following:

• Wisconsin driver's license with photo
• Wisconsin I.D. with photo
• Out-of-state driver's license/I.D. with photo

OR Requires TWO of the following:

• Government-issued employee I.D. badge with photo
• U.S. passport
• Checkbook/bankbook
• Major credit card
• Health insurance card
• Recent dated, signed lease
• Utility bill or traffic ticket

All forms of identification must show your current name and address. Expired cards or documents will not be accepted. You must have an original ID to apply in person and provide a copy to apply by mail.

Office Locations & Contacts

Address : Vital Records, P.O. Box 309, Madison, WI 53701-0309.
Phone  : For automated assistance 24 hours a day, please call (608) 266-1371. To contact our service counter during the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:15 P.M. (C.S.T.), Monday through Friday, please call (608) 266-1373.
For e-mail use the following address : [email protected]

Certificates may also be obtained from your local county. Use the contact information below to inquire.

Adams County : 400 Main Street Friendship WI 53934
Phone: 608-339-4200 Website

Ashland County  : 201 Main St West; Ashland, WI 54806-1652
Phone: 715.682.7000 Website

Barron County  : 330 E La Salle Avenue Barron, WI 54812-1591
Phone: 715.537.6200 Website

Bayfield County  : 117 E 5th Street Washburn, WI 54891-9464
Phone: 715.373.6100 Website

Brown County  : 305 E Walnut Street PO Box 23600 Green Bay, WI 54305-3600
Phone: 920.448.4016 Website

Buffalo County  : 407 S. 2nd Street Alma WI 54610
Phone: 608-685-6206 Website

Burnett County  : 7410 County Road K Siren, WI 54872
Phone: 715.349.2173 Website

Calumet County  : 206 Court Street Chilton, WI

Eligibility

You should have registered you death with Wisconsin state Department of Health.

Fees

In-Person

Regular Service

The cost for the search, which includes one copy of the death certificate, if found, is $20.00. Additional copies of the same record, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each. The cost is the same whether you request a certified or uncertified copy of the death certificate. The fees are not refundable if no record is found. Acceptable methods of payment for in-person requests are cash, personal check, or money order. Credit and debit cards are not accepted for in-person requests.

Expedited Service

The cost for expedited service is $20.00 per record in addition to the $20.00 death certificate search fee. Additional copies of the same certificate, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each. The cost is the same whether you request a certified or an uncertified copy of the death certificate. The fees are not refundable if no certificate is found. Acceptable methods of payment for in-person requests are cash, personal check, or money order. Credit and debit cards are not accepted for in-person requests.

Mail-In Request

The cost for the search, which includes one copy of the record, if found, is $20.00. Additional copies of the same record, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each. The cost is the same whether you request a certified or an uncertified copy of the death certificate. The fee is not refundable if no record is found. You must enclose a personal check or money order made payable to Wis. Vital Records. Please do not send cash.

By Fax

• All requests received by fax will be charged for expedited service. The cost for expedited service is $20.00 per record in addition to the $20.00 death certificate search fee. The search fee includes one copy of the certificate, if found. Additional copies of the same certificate, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each. All costs must be paid by credit card and there is an additional $6.00 fee for credit card processing.
• The fees are not refundable if no record is found.
• Faxed requests for copies to be sent by overnight UPS will be completed and shipped within one to two business days. UPS requests are processed until 1:00 p.m. each business day for next business day delivery. The fee for UPS shipping is $17.50 within the continental U.S. There may be additional shipping costs for areas outside the continental United States or for Saturday delivery. UPS requires a signature for delivery.

Validity

Death Certificate is valid forever.

Documents to Use

Please attach documents which can be used by people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Processing Time

In-Person

Regular Service

Requests for certified copies of death certificates are completed within two hours of acceptance at our counter if received by 2:00 p.m. Requests received at our counter after 2:00 p.m. will be completed by 10:00 a.m. on the next business day.

Expedited Services

Expedited in-person requests for certified copies of death certificates generally will be completed within 15 to 30 minutes. Expedited in-person requests for uncertified copies of death certificates will be completed within two hours. Expedited request will not be processed after 4:00 p.m.

Mail-In

Requests for certified copies of death certificates will be completed within one month. Because of the high demand for copies of death certificates, requests for uncertified copies of death certificates are not completed on the same schedule as certified copies and may take up to three months to complete.

By Fax

Faxed requests for both certified and uncertified copies to be sent by regular mail will be completed and mailed within five business days.

Instructions

• If you are requesting a certificate for a death that occurred prior to 1907, please check our list of earliest registered deaths: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/vitalrecords/genereq.htm#G4
• Wisconsin law requires that applications for copies of death certificates include both a signature and the appropriate fees. This means that you can only for a death certificate in person, by mail or fax.

Required Information

A list which displays the kind of information which is required to complete the procedure.
e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or County of Birth.

Need for the Document

Following are the procedures on how to obtain a copy of death certificate in Wisconsin.