Suffolk County Death Index and Records

Suffolk County is home to Boston, which holds one of the longest continuous death record series in the country, stretching back to 1630. The Suffolk County Death Index covers records for Boston, Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop, with multiple agencies maintaining records at both the city and state levels. This guide shows you where to find Suffolk County death records, how to order certified copies, and which offices hold related documents like probate files and deeds.

How Death Records Work in Suffolk County

Suffolk County death records follow the same basic system as the rest of Massachusetts, with one important difference. Boston maintained its own death records long before the state began collecting them. The city has death records going back to 1630, making them among the oldest continuous death records in the United States. Boston was not included in the statewide index until 1850, so early Boston records are held separately from the general state collection.

For deaths that happened in Boston, the Boston Registry Division maintains records both from the city's own archives and alongside the state system. For deaths in Revere, Chelsea, and Winthrop, records follow the standard Massachusetts model: city or town clerks file locally, and the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) collects statewide records from 1926 forward.

Pre-1926 Suffolk County death records, except for early Boston records, are at the Massachusetts State Archives. The Archives has digitized images from 1841 through 1924 and made them free to view online. MGL Chapter 46 governs vital records statewide, but Boston's city-level registry operates in parallel with the state system for much of its history.

Boston Registry Division Death Records

The Boston Registry Division is the primary source for Boston death records and a key part of the Suffolk County Death Index. The office is at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201. Phone is (617) 635-4175. Email is registry@boston.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The registry's main information page is at boston.gov.

The Boston Registry holds death records from 1630 to the present. That is nearly 400 years of continuous records. Records from 1956 forward are available in person at $12 per copy. Records before 1956 must be ordered by mail at $14 per copy. For records before 1870, an additional $10 research fee applies.

Boston's records are unique in several ways. Because the city began keeping records so early, the older files often include details not found elsewhere. The informant's name, the specific neighborhood of death, and sometimes the names of attending clergy are recorded in ways that the state's standardized system does not always capture. For anyone researching Boston ancestors from the colonial period through the nineteenth century, the Boston Registry is an essential stop.

The Boston Registry Division also handles birth, marriage, and other vital records for the city. Death certificate requests can be submitted in person, by mail, or online through third-party services. Verify current procedures on the city's website before visiting.

Suffolk County Probate and Family Court

The Suffolk Probate and Family Court shares space with the Suffolk Registry of Deeds at 24 New Chardon Street, Boston, MA 02114. Phone is (617) 788-8650. Full contact information is at the Suffolk Probate and Family Court page on mass.gov.

Probate records are valuable companions to Suffolk County death records. Estate files often contain the exact date of death, a list of heirs, and sometimes medical records attached as exhibits. For families with property in Boston or other Suffolk County towns, the probate file can confirm death details when a certificate is hard to locate or is damaged. Wills, estate inventories, and administrator appointments are all part of the public probate record.

Boston families from the 1700s and 1800s often appear in probate records even when their death certificates are incomplete. The court's older files go back well before statewide vital registration began. Those early estate papers are a rich source for genealogists working on Boston families from the colonial and early American periods. Guardianship and adoption records are also held here, though some adoption files have restricted access.

The screenshot below is from the official Suffolk Probate and Family Court page:

The image shows the official court listing page with the courthouse address, phone contact, and a link to hours and directions at the New Chardon Street location in Boston.

Searching the Suffolk County Death Index Online

FamilySearch Massachusetts Vital Records is the best free starting point. FamilySearch has indexed and digitized many Suffolk County and Boston death records. Boston's records are well-covered due to the city's early registration history. The Tan Books that transcribe vital records through 1850 include Boston records from that period, and those are all searchable for free on FamilySearch.

The Massachusetts State Archives holds records from 1841 to 1925 for the statewide collection, but remember that Boston was not in the statewide index until 1850. Free digital images cover 1841 through 1924. Certified copies are $3 each. For Suffolk County deaths from 1926 forward, the RVRS processes all requests. You can order on the state's order page. In-person copies at RVRS cost $20. Mail requests are $32. Online through VitalChek is $54 for the first copy.

For Boston-specific records, especially before 1926, the Boston Registry Division is often the most direct route. Ancestry.com also has indexed Massachusetts death records, including Boston, and may have images not available elsewhere. Many Boston Public Library branches offer free in-library Ancestry access.

Suffolk County Death Certificate Contents

Massachusetts death certificates follow a uniform statewide format under MGL Chapter 46 Section 12. A standard certificate includes the full name of the deceased, date of death, place of death, date of birth, age, occupation, parents' names, spouse's name, cause of death, the certifying physician, and the place of burial or cremation. Section 2A of Chapter 46 requires that deaths be reported within 24 hours.

Boston certificates from before the state standardized the format may look different from modern ones. Very old Boston death records sometimes appear as handwritten entries in ledger books rather than the form-based certificates used since the late 1800s. The content may be similar, but the presentation is different. Modern certificates issued under the current state system are standardized and machine-readable. MGL Chapter 46 Section 13 allows for amendment of a death record when information is found to be incorrect, which can result in a corrected version of the certificate being filed alongside the original.

Getting a Suffolk County Death Certificate

Where you order depends on the location and time period. For deaths in Boston, contact the Boston Registry Division at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201, phone (617) 635-4175. For deaths in Revere, Chelsea, or Winthrop from 1926 forward, the RVRS at 150 Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125 handles requests. Phone is 617-740-2600. Email is vital.recordsrequest@mass.gov.

For Suffolk County deaths outside of Boston from 1841 to 1925, the State Archives at 220 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston handles requests at $3 per copy. Pre-1841 records, if they exist, are held by the town clerk. For very old Boston records before 1841, the Boston Registry Division is the right contact.

MGL Chapter 46 Section 9 makes all Massachusetts death certificates public records. No relationship to the deceased is needed to order a certified copy. That policy applies to Boston records as well as to the state-level records. The open-access nature of these records has made Suffolk County, and especially Boston, one of the most researched locations for genealogy work in the entire country. Four hundred years of continuous death records is a rare resource, and it is fully accessible to any researcher willing to request them.

The image below is from the Boston city website:

The screenshot shows the main Boston city portal, which serves as the gateway for accessing Boston Registry Division services including death certificate requests.

Cities in Suffolk County

Suffolk County contains two qualifying cities with their own death records pages on this site.

Nearby Counties

Suffolk County is bordered by Middlesex to the north and Norfolk to the south, both with extensive death record resources.