How to Find Massachusetts Death Records

How to Find United States Deaths Massachusetts Deaths

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Massachusetts Towns have been recording deaths since the 1600s. Statewide registration began in 1841.

Next Step: When did the death occur?	Death Records Choose a time period: Deaths before 1841 Deaths from 1841 thru 1920 Deaths from 1921 thru present Death year unknown

Learn more about U.S. Death Records

Deaths before 1841

For deaths that occurred during this time period, try the following databases:

Includes Index and Digital Images
	1600-1850 - At Massachusetts Vital Records Project	Free; Transcriptions and images of Massachusetts town vital records. Includes births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 150 Massachusetts towns.
	1620-1988 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns.
	1620-1850 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Index to published town death records for many, but not all Massachusetts towns.
	1795-1910 - Massachusetts Death and Burials at FamilySearch	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Index to death and burial records from the state of Massachusetts.
	Early-1850 - use American Ancestors at the Family History Library	Free at the Family History Library; Includes index and digital images of published town vital records.
Can't find your ancestor in the index?		Tips for searching indexes
No birth record for your ancestor?		Other records with birth information

Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths from 1841 thru 1920

Massachusetts was the first state to initiate statewide registration of vital records beginning in 1841. However, the city of Boston, which had kept records prior to this time, didn't start reporting their vital statistics to the state until about 1850. Records from 1841 to 1920 are housed at the Massachusetts Archives. Every five years, another block of five years is transferred from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics to the Archives.

For deaths that occurred during this time period, try the following databases:

Includes Index and Digital Images
	1841-1920 - At FamilySearch.org	Free; Browse only collection. Includes deaths, 1916-1920 and amended vital records, 1841-1920
	1841-1910 - Massachusetts Archives database	Free; Searchable index of Massachusetts birth, marriage, and death records.
	1841-1910 - use American Ancestors at the Family History Library	Free at the Family History Library; Includes index, digital images, and amended vital records
	1620-1988 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns.
Can't find your ancestor in the index?		Tips for searching indexes
No birth record for your ancestor?		Other records with birth information

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Deaths from 1921 thru present

Death records beginning in 1921 to the present are located at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The MDPH maintains no online index of these records.

For deaths that occurred during the time period, try the following databases:

Includes Index and Digital Images
	1970-2003 - At FamilySearch.org	Free; Includes index only
	1970-2003 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free; at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Searchable index of Massachusetts death records, 1970-2003.
	1901-1980 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free; at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Searchable index of Massachusetts death records, 1901-1980.
	1620-1988 - use Ancestry Institution at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Database and images of Massachusetts town records that include births, marriages, and deaths. The collection is comprised of records for over 260 Massachusetts towns.

Order the Certificate

With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the death record for a fee from the following locations:

To Order Death Certificates
From Town Clerk		From Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
It's cheaper and faster than ordering from the state	Town websites can be more difficult to use	Onsite researchers can access public death indexes	Only certified copies of records are issued, regardless of intended use. It's cheaper to order the record from the town clerk

If you do not know the exact date or place of death:
For a fee, the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics will do a 10 year search.

If you do not want to order the death record, there are other records with birth information you can search.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Related Wiki Articles

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• U.S. Vital Records Overview
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• Locating United States Vital Records
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