Get a Certified Kentucky Death Certificate

A certified copy of a Kentucky death certificate costs $6 from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Additional copies ordered at the same time are also $6 each. Expedited processing is available for an additional fee.

Yes, you can order a Kentucky death certificate online through an approved service provider. You may also apply by mail or in person at the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics in Frankfort.

In Kentucky, eligible requesters include the surviving spouse, a parent, an adult child, a sibling, the executor of the estate, or a legal representative. If you need to request a death certificate on behalf of an eligible family member, you may submit a notarized Power of Attorney (PoA) or signed affidavit from the authorized person.

Kentucky death certificates are not public records for the first 50 years after the date of death. After 50 years, they become available to the general public. For records less than 50 years old, access is restricted to eligible individuals.

An officially certified death certificate from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and Social Services (CHFS) will have unique security features to ensure its authenticity. The appearance of an official death certificate may vary depending on the year of issue, but it will contain essential details confirming the individual's identity at the time of death. Official death certificates from Kentucky typically feature the state seal, the individual's name, the date and place of death, and the state registrar’s signature. They are printed on secure, tamper-resistant paper with watermarks and other security elements. The CHFS issues these certificates to state guidelines, and all counties follow these secure issuance procedures.

• Full Name of the Decedent: The full legal name of the person whose death is being recorded.
• Date of Death: The exact date and time of death of the individual.
• Place of Death: The city, county, and state where the death occurred, along with the specific facility or location.
• Cause of Death: The immediate and underlying causes of death, as certified by the attending physician or medical examiner.
• Medical Certification Information: Includes details about who certified the death, such as the attending physician or coroner, and any contributing medical factors.
• Demographic Information: The deceased's age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, education level, and occupation.
• Disposition Details: Information about the method of disposition (burial, cremation, etc.), the date and place of disposition, and the funeral home or director responsible.
• Informant Information: The name and relationship of the person providing personal details of the deceased.
• Social Security Number: The Social Security number of the deceased.

To correct or amend a death certificate in Kentucky:

• Complete the Kentucky Supplemental Report of Death (VS-33) form
• Contact the Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) by phone at (502) 564-4212 or call the KY-EDRS Help Desk at (877) 545-6175.

Who can amend a death certificate?

The funeral director can amend items 1 through 22 on the Kentucky death certificate. The informant can amend items 1 through 22, except for items 10 and 11 and the certifier can amend items 23b through 30f on the death record.

A court order is required to amend a death certificate that has been on file for five years. Before five years have passed, you must provide prima facie evidence to support the requested change

What can be amended?

You can add missing information, like a middle name or name suffix, a wrong date of birth or a spelling error. The cause of death can be amended if additional medical information or autopsy findings become available.

Apostilles may be ordered from the Kentucky Secretary of State by mail or only.

You need an apostille when you file documents with a foreign government. It is a special certificate that verifies the authenticity of vital records for international use and is acceptable in countries that are part of the Hague Convention.

We offer comprehensive apostille services for death certificates across all 50 US states. Governments and organizations acknowledge the service, which is legally valid in over 100 countries. VRO’s service comes with expert support, costs $149 (plus government fees), and can be accomplished online in just three steps.

If you are manually submitting a request for an apostille to the Kentucky Department of State, you will need to provide the following items:

1. The certified copy of the death certificate, with the original signature and seal of the current Kentucky State Registrar;
2. A completed Request for Apostille or Authentication.
3. A payment of $5.00 per document, made payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer.

Submit your request to the Kentucky Department of State, Bureau of Notaries - Apostille Section at the following addresses:

In-person:

By Mail:

Ensure that you indicate the country to which the document will be submitted.