Utah Death Certificate Index, 1904 to 1956

The Utah Death Certificate Index ranges from 1904 through 1956 and holds 263,811 death certificates. These death records were taken from the Utah State Archives, which maintains these records for Utah. To learn more, visit them online at the Utah State Archives .

Information Available In This Collection

The records within the Utah Death Certificate Index typically feature the following data: full name of the deceased, gender, birth date and date of death, age and location of death. Some information might be missing, such as a year entered for birth date instead of the full birth date, which is due to an incomplete or damaged source record.

About the Utah State Archives

The Utah State Archives works with several state agencies, including the Office of Vital Records and Statistics, to store and maintain historic records for the state. This included creating a death certificate index based on historic death certificates older than 50 years that features an online searchable database for researchers or anyone interested in finding a death certificate from this time period. The Bureau of Vital Statistics was created in 1905 to take over from the county clerks in compiling death and birth certificates.

The early 1900s in Utah meant trying to improve the census by keeping track of deaths in the state and standardizing the reporting of deaths. A death certificate found in this collection will usually include the full name of the deceased, date of death, where the death happened, race, gender, birth place, marital status, residence, occupation and details like time of death, burial place and date, and a description of illness if applicable. After 1919, autopsy information was included, and after 1935, information about any violent death was included. Finally, after 1940, social security numbers started appearing on death certificates, along with veteran status.

The Utah State Archives makes researching genealogy easier with the wide variety of historical records available, and the many online indexes help cut down on research time. The death certificate index is organized first chronologically by year, then alphabetically by county, then by date. If more than one death occurred on a single day, they are randomly sorted. Other types of historic records offered include marriage and divorce records, birth certificates, probate, land records and military records.

Utah State Archive welcomes visitors to perform their own research or make requests for death certificates in person. Individuals may also request death certificates using the online request form or by mail or telephone. To learn more about the Utah State Archives or about requesting death certificates, use the following contact information.

Utah State Archives
300 South Rio Grande
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
801-533-3535