How to Find Mississippi Death Records
Statewide registration of deaths began in 1912 in Mississippi. Counties have copies of these records.
Next Step: When did the death occur? |
|
|---|
Deaths before 1879
Before 1879, no deaths were recorded by the county or state. You must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s death date and place.
| Records that give death information: | ||
Deaths from 1879 thru 1912
In 1879, Mississippi law required counties to record deaths, although records are incomplete. Records are known to exist for Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Lauderdale, Panola, Pike, and Tallahatchie counties.
Obtain the Records
Death records from 1879 to 1912 are available on microfilm through the FamilySearch Library for Hancock, Harrison, Lauderdale, Panola, and Tallahatchie counties. To locate these records, search the FamilySearch Catalog for the name of the county and look under "Vital Records."
The State Department of Health has early records for Harrison, Hinds, and Pike counties.
Deaths from 1912 thru the present
The state of Mississippi began recording deaths in 1912. One online statewide death index exists.
- Statewide Index to Mississippi Death Records, 1912-1943. Partial index, sortable by surname, county, and/or year.
- Mississippi Deaths and Burials, 1822-1921, index.
- Mississippi, Death Certificate Index, 1912-1943, index.
Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
- United States Social Security Death Index
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 ($)
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Incomplete ($).
Obtain the Certificate
You can order a copy of the death record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Death Certificates | |||
| From County of Death | From MS Dept. of Health State office | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state | County websites can be more difficult to use | Offers a search of the state index for free | May be more expensive than ordering from the county |
If you do not know the exact date or place of death: the Mississippi State Department of Health will do a 5-year search for free.
Restrictions for persons who died within the last 50 years:
To obtain a copy of the death certificate for those who died within the last 50 years, you must be:
- The parent of the person on the certificate
- The spouse, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the person on the certificate
- The informant of the person listed on the certificate
- The legal guardian of the person listed on the certificate
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the death record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 50 years have passed from the date of the death.
If you do not want to order the death record, there are other records with death information you can search.