Boston Death Index Records

Boston death records date back to 1630, making them among the oldest in the country. The Boston Registry Division maintains the Death Index for deaths that occurred in Boston or were registered here, and you can search and request copies in person, by mail, or online through the city's official portal.

Boston Registry Division - Death Records

Boston does not use a typical city clerk office for vital records. The Boston Registry Division handles all death certificates for the city. This office is at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201. You can reach them by phone at (617) 635-4175 or by email at registry@boston.gov. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The Registry Division holds death records from 1630 to the present day. That span covers nearly 400 years of Boston deaths, making this one of the most complete local archives in the United States. Records from 1956 onward are available for same-day pickup when you come in person. Older records, those dated before 1956, must be ordered by mail.

The death certificate request page at boston.gov walks through each step for getting a copy.

That page shows the full fee schedule, the mail address, and what details you need to include with your request.

One thing to know: if the medical examiner ordered an autopsy and hasn't finished it, the death record may be listed as pending. Some insurance companies won't accept a pending certificate. If you need a final certificate, you may have to wait until the cause of death is officially recorded.

The Boston Registry Division page at boston.gov has details on all the services this office provides.

That page covers the full range of vital records services, including birth, marriage, and domestic partnership records in addition to death certificates.

How to Request a Boston Death Certificate

There are three ways to get a certified copy of a Boston death record: in person, by mail, or online. Each method has a different fee and processing time.

In person is the fastest option. You pay $12 per copy, and records from 1956 onward are ready the same day. Bring cash, a credit card, a pinless debit card, or a check made out to the City of Boston. Credit card payments carry a 2.5% service fee.

Mail requests cost $14 per copy. Send your request to: Registry Death, 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201-2006. Include the deceased's full name, the date of death, the place of death if known, your payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Expect about two weeks for processing.

Online orders are also $14 per copy plus a small service fee of $0.25 plus 2.15% of the total. The certificate gets mailed to you after processing. Visit the Boston.gov Registry page to place an online order.

Pre-1870 records require an extra $10 non-refundable research fee paid by a separate check. That fee covers staff time to search older handwritten ledgers. Even if no record is found, the research fee is not returned.

Searching the Boston Death Index Online

Boston death records appear in several free and paid online databases. The best free starting point is FamilySearch. The Massachusetts Vital Records wiki on FamilySearch explains what is indexed and how to search. You can find many Boston deaths from the 1800s and early 1900s there at no cost.

The Massachusetts State Archives holds death records from 1841 to 1925. Digital images for deaths from 1841 to 1924 are free to view online through the State Archives vital records page. You don't need to pay or create an account to browse those scanned records. The State Archives is at 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, and can be reached at (617) 727-2816.

For records after 1925, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics holds the state copy. You can also order certified copies through the state's online ordering page via VitalChek. The first copy through VitalChek costs $54, so ordering directly from the Boston Registry Division is cheaper for just one or two copies.

Ancestry.com has digitized many older Massachusetts vital records, including Boston deaths from the 17th through early 20th centuries. A subscription is needed for full access, but many public libraries offer free on-site access.

Boston Historical Death Records

Boston's death records go back to 1630, predating the state registration system by more than 200 years. The city kept its own records long before Massachusetts required uniform registration under what became MGL Chapter 46. Early records were kept by town clerks and later by the city's Registry Division as Boston grew.

One quirk worth knowing: Boston was excluded from the statewide death index until 1850. So if you search the state index for a Boston death before 1850, you won't find it there. You need to go directly to the Boston Registry Division or the State Archives for that era.

Records from the 1600s and 1700s are often incomplete. Some are handwritten in old script that takes practice to read. The State Archives has staff who can help with older entries. The Boston Public Library also has a local history and genealogy collection that covers early city records.

Boston deaths before 1841 are harder to find. Church records, burial records from old cemeteries like Granary Burying Ground and King's Chapel, and colonial-era town records are often the best sources for deaths in the 17th and 18th centuries.

What Boston Death Certificates Contain

A standard Massachusetts death certificate includes the full name of the deceased, date of birth, date of death, place of death, cause of death, and manner of death. Manner of death is classified as natural, accident, homicide, suicide, or undetermined. The certificate also lists the parents' names, the deceased's occupation, Social Security number, and the method of body disposition such as burial or cremation.

Under MGL Chapter 46, Section 9, death certificates are public records in Massachusetts. Anyone can request a copy. You don't need to prove a family relationship to get a standard certified copy. Certain restricted records under Section 2A may require additional documentation before the office will release them.

Death certificates must be filed within 24 hours of death under state law. The funeral director or medical examiner typically handles the initial filing. Once filed with the city, a copy goes to the RVRS to be part of the statewide death index.

Getting Certified Copies of Boston Death Records

Certified copies differ from informational or genealogical copies. A certified copy has the Registry Division's official seal and can be used for legal matters. The Boston Registry Division issues certified copies for $12 in person or $14 by mail or online.

For deaths before 1926, you may also get certified copies from the Massachusetts State Archives at 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston. The Archives charges $3 per certified copy for records in their collection. Digital images of deaths from 1841 to 1924 are free to view, but those digital images are not the same as a certified copy and won't be accepted for legal use.

If you're not sure whether the Boston Registry Division or the RVRS has the record you need, check the date. Records from 1926 to present are at both the city and the state RVRS at 150 Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester, phone 617-740-2600. Either office can issue a certified copy for post-1926 records. Section 12 of MGL Chapter 46 governs the issuance of certified copies of vital records in Massachusetts and sets out what form they must take to be legally valid.

The Boston.gov main page at boston.gov links to city services including the Registry Division if you need to navigate to records from the top level.

From that page you can reach the Registry Division quickly under the city departments section.

Nearby Cities

Other qualifying cities near Boston also maintain local death records through their own city clerk offices.

Suffolk County Death Records

Boston sits in Suffolk County. The Suffolk County page has more on courthouse resources and probate records for the county.