Search Berkshire County Death Records
Berkshire County death records are part of the Massachusetts Death Index, covering the westernmost county in the state. Finding death records for Berkshire County means working with the state's Registry of Vital Records and Statistics for deaths from 1926 forward, the Massachusetts State Archives for 1841 through 1925, and individual town clerks across the county's 32 cities and towns. Berkshire County has three Registry of Deeds offices spread across its geography, which reflects the county's size and spread. This page explains how to search Berkshire County death records and where to order copies.
Berkshire County Overview
How Berkshire County Death Records Work
Death records in Massachusetts are held at the local level first. Each of Berkshire County's 32 cities and towns has a clerk who registers deaths in their municipality. Pittsfield's city clerk handles deaths in Pittsfield. The North Adams city clerk handles North Adams. Smaller towns like Lenox, Lee, and Stockbridge each have their own town clerks. All of these records flow to the state.
The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) in Dorchester holds Berkshire County death records from 1926 through the present. The Massachusetts State Archives holds records from 1841 through 1925. Before 1841, you need to look at church records, cemetery records, and early town records kept by individual town clerks.
Berkshire County was established in 1761 from a portion of Hampshire County. Early records from the county's first decades are relatively sparse. As the county grew and towns formed, record-keeping became more systematic. Under MGL Chapter 46, Section 9, deaths must be filed within 24 hours, which ensures modern records are reliable and well-maintained.
Note: Because Berkshire County was carved from Hampshire County in 1761, some pre-1761 family records for Berkshire residents may appear in Hampshire County records.
Berkshire Probate and Family Court
The Berkshire Probate and Family Court is at 76 East Street in Pittsfield. This court manages estate matters for all 32 municipalities in Berkshire County. Probate records here can include wills, estate inventories, letters of administration, guardianship orders, and other documents that relate to a person's death and their estate. These records are public and are often useful in death research, especially for filling gaps in vital records.
| Address | 76 East Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 |
|---|---|
| Website | Berkshire Probate and Family Court |
The Mass.gov listing page for this court has current contact information and hours. The screenshot below shows that page.
Confirm current hours before visiting, as court schedules can change seasonally or due to administrative updates.
Historical Berkshire County probate records are available in part through the Massachusetts State Archives and through FamilySearch. For active cases and more recent probate filings, the court maintains an online docket through the Massachusetts trial court system. Older bound volumes are held at the courthouse and require an in-person visit or written request.
Berkshire County Registry of Deeds
Berkshire County is large enough that it has three separate Registry of Deeds offices, one in each major area of the county. This division serves residents in the northern, central, and southern parts of the county. All three offices hold property records for their respective areas. After a death, estate-related deeds are filed at whichever office covers the town where the property sits.
| Pittsfield Office | 44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201 |
|---|---|
| North Adams Office | 65 Main Street, North Adams, MA 01247 |
| Great Barrington Office | 333 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230 |
| Website | Berkshire Records Online |
The online search portal at the link above lets you search Berkshire County deed records by name and document type. The screenshot below shows the Registry's search tool.
When researching a death, search the grantor index for the decedent's name to find deeds recorded during their lifetime, and check for executor or administrator deeds recorded after their death as part of estate settlement.
Note: When searching Berkshire County deed records, make sure you search in the correct district office based on which town the property was located in.
Finding Berkshire County Death Records Online
FamilySearch has free Massachusetts vital records covering 1841 through 1924. Berkshire County deaths are included in this collection. The Massachusetts State Archives also provides free digital images in that same range. These are the best no-cost starting points for historical Berkshire County death research.
For deaths from 1926 forward, you need the RVRS or a local town clerk. Ancestry.com carries Massachusetts death records as part of its subscription database, and this can be a useful secondary check. Many Massachusetts public libraries provide free Ancestry access, including the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, which is the county's main public library and holds local history and genealogy collections.
The Berkshire Athenaeum's local history room has indexes of historical death notices, obituaries from the Berkshire Eagle and other local papers, and cemetery records for Berkshire County towns. These can help pinpoint a death date before you order a formal copy. Some funeral homes in the county also maintain historical records that may be available for research by appointment.
Berkshire County Death Certificate Contents
A Massachusetts death certificate includes the decedent's full name, date and place of death, age, sex, race, marital status, and usual residence. It also records the cause of death, the attending physician or medical examiner, the informant's name and relationship, and the place of burial or disposition of remains.
Death records in Massachusetts are generally public under MGL Chapter 46, Section 2A. Most people can request a copy of a Berkshire County death certificate without needing to prove a relationship to the deceased. Certified copies have a raised seal and are accepted by courts, insurance companies, government agencies, and financial institutions.
Amendments to death certificates are handled by the RVRS under MGL Chapter 46, Section 13. If a name is misspelled, a date is wrong, or other information needs correction, the funeral director or a family member can file an amendment with supporting documentation. The RVRS reviews and approves amendments.
Ordering a Berkshire County Death Certificate
There are three ways to get a death certificate for a Berkshire County death. You can order from the RVRS for any death from 1926 to the present. You can contact the local city or town clerk where the death was registered. Or you can order from the State Archives for deaths from 1841 through 1925.
The RVRS is at 150 Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125. Phone: 617-740-2600. Email: vital.recordsrequest@mass.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:45am to 4:45pm. In-person copies are $20. Mail orders are $32 per copy. VitalChek online orders are $54 for the first copy.
The State Archives is at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston. Phone: 617-727-2816. Email: archives@sec.state.ma.us. Certified copies cost $3 each. Digital images from 1841 through 1924 are free to view online without ordering a formal copy.
To order online or by mail, the state's ordering page has the current forms and step-by-step instructions. Individual Berkshire County town clerks can also issue certified copies for deaths registered in their municipality, which can sometimes be faster than ordering from the RVRS.
Cities in Berkshire County
No qualifying cities in Berkshire County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city records page. Pittsfield is the largest city in the county and the county seat, and North Adams is the second city. Neither reaches the threshold. Both are mentioned here for reference only.
Nearby Counties
Berkshire County borders three other Massachusetts counties, each with death index pages.