Lexington Death Index

The Lexington death index covers death records for the City of Lexington, Virginia, an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley home to Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. Certified death certificates are available through the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records, and the Lexington Circuit Court handles probate and estate records for deaths in the city.

Virginia Department of Health: Lexington Death Certificates

Certified death certificates for the City of Lexington come from the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. The office is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000. Phone: (804) 662-6200. Online orders go through VitalChek.

Each certified copy costs $12. Under Virginia Code Title 32.1, Chapter 7, records less than 25 years old are restricted to immediate family: spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. Photo ID is required. Records 25 years and older are public. Lexington is an independent city, and deaths within city limits are recorded as city events, separate from Rockbridge County records even though the county surrounds the city.

The Central Shenandoah Health District serves the Lexington area and provides public health services. However, certified death certificates are issued only by the state Office of Vital Records in Richmond. For researchers in the Lexington area, the two-hour drive to Richmond for in-person service may be less convenient than a mail request. Mail orders are straightforward: send a completed application form, a copy of your photo ID, a check or money order for $12 payable to "Virginia Department of Health," and a return address.

Lexington Circuit Court and Probate Records

The Lexington Circuit Court handles probate cases, wills, estate administration, land records, and marriage licenses for the City of Lexington. It does not issue death certificates. When someone dies in Lexington with property to settle, the executor files papers with the Circuit Court Clerk to open probate. The clerk supervises the estate settlement process and maintains all related filings.

Lexington's Circuit Court has records going back to the city's incorporation in 1778. These historical records include some of the oldest continuous wills and deed books in the Shenandoah Valley. Both Washington and Lee University and VMI have had prominent figures buried in Lexington, and estates associated with notable historical figures have been processed through this court. For genealogical research, the historical probate records are a rich resource.

You can search court case records for free through the Online Case Information System (OCIS). For older records not in the online system, the clerk's office can provide access. Rockbridge County's Circuit Court handles county-level matters separately. Deaths in Rockbridge County that occurred outside the city limits would be filed there, not in the city court.

Land records at the Lexington Circuit Court Clerk's office track property transfers after a death. When real estate changes hands through an estate, the deed gets recorded here. These transfers can confirm death dates and identify heirs. Marriage licenses also go through the clerk, not the health department. If you need a marriage certificate to establish family relationships for a restricted death record request, contact the Circuit Court Clerk.

Lexington Death Index: Historical Research

Lexington has records going back to its incorporation in 1778. Virginia's statewide death registration ran from 1853 to 1896. Deaths from that period in Lexington are indexed in the Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by the Virginia Genealogical Society. These death registers are on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Virginia residents can access them for free through Ancestry for Virginians at lva.virginia.gov.

From 1897 through June 1912, Virginia had no statewide death registration. For deaths in Lexington during those years, church records, probate filings at the Circuit Court, and newspaper notices are the main options. Lexington Presbyterian Church and other congregations in the area have burial records from this period. Robert E. Lee was buried in Lexington in 1870, and Stonewall Jackson in 1863. The Chapel at Washington and Lee University and the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery have records of notable burials that drew widespread documentation.

Washington and Lee University maintains its own archival collections, including records of faculty, staff, and alumni deaths going back to the early 19th century. VMI's archives also hold records of cadets and staff. These institutional records can supplement official vital records for researchers tracing individuals associated with those institutions. The university library is a useful resource for Lexington death research beyond the official state system.

FamilySearch at familysearch.org has free Virginia death and genealogical databases. Rockbridge County and Lexington records are available through that platform. The Rockbridge Area Library Corporation maintains local history materials at the main library in Lexington. For pre-statehood deaths, estate papers from the Lexington Circuit Court and church records are the primary sources. The Library of Virginia holds microfilm copies of many of these older records.

Nearby Virginia Cities

These independent cities are in the Shenandoah Valley region near Lexington.