Martinsville Death Index

The Martinsville death index covers death records for the City of Martinsville, Virginia, an independent city in southern Virginia surrounded by Henry County. Certified death certificates are available through the Virginia Department of Health Office of Vital Records, and the Martinsville Circuit Court handles local probate and estate records.

Virginia Department of Health: Martinsville Death Certificates

Certified death certificates for the City of Martinsville 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. Martinsville became an independent city in 1928. Deaths before that year in the current city area would be in Henry County records. Specify "City of Martinsville" when ordering to ensure the state office searches the correct jurisdiction.

The Piedmont District Health Department serves the Martinsville area and provides local public health services. Certified death certificates, however, must be ordered from the state office in Richmond. The local health office can refer you to the right state forms and answer general questions, but the actual certified copies of death records come only from the Virginia Department of Health in Richmond.

Martinsville Circuit Court and Probate Records

The Martinsville Circuit Court handles probate cases, wills, estate administration, land records, and marriage licenses for the City of Martinsville. It does not issue death certificates. Those must come from the state Office of Vital Records. When a person dies in Martinsville with an estate to settle, the executor files with the Circuit Court Clerk to open probate. The clerk qualifies the executor and maintains the estate records.

You can search court case records for free through the Online Case Information System (OCIS). For older records not in the online system, contact the Martinsville Circuit Court Clerk directly. The clerk's office holds original wills, deed books, and fiduciary records going back to 1928 when the city was established, and some records absorbed from Henry County at that time.

For deaths before 1928 in the current city area, records are in Henry County. The Henry County Circuit Court holds those pre-city records. Henry County formed in 1776, and its records from the late 18th century through the early 20th century are a resource for deep genealogical research in this region. Land records at the Martinsville clerk's office track property transfers after a death. These deeds often name the deceased and identify heirs.

The Blue Ridge Regional Library serves Martinsville and Henry County with library resources including local history materials. The library system has local newspaper archives, city directories, and other materials that can supplement official death records. Marriage records at the clerk's office are needed for establishing family relationships when requesting restricted vital records.

Martinsville Death Index: Historical Research

Martinsville became an independent city in 1928. For deaths before that year in the current city area, records are in Henry County. Virginia's statewide death registration ran from 1853 to 1896. Deaths from that period in this area are indexed under Henry County in the Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by the Virginia Genealogical Society. These registers are on microfilm at the Library of Virginia.

From 1897 through June 1912, Virginia had no statewide death registration. For deaths in the Martinsville area during that gap period, church records, probate filings, and newspaper notices are the main alternatives. Henry County has a number of historic churches with burial records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of those records are available through FamilySearch or on microfilm at the Library of Virginia.

Virginia residents can access many records for free through Ancestry for Virginians at lva.virginia.gov. FamilySearch at familysearch.org has free Virginia death and genealogical databases. Henry County records are available through both platforms. The Blue Ridge Regional Library system at brrl.lib.va.us provides local access to library resources and some local history collections for the Martinsville and Henry County area.

Cemetery records for Martinsville-area cemeteries have been indexed and are available through FindAGrave. Obituaries in the Martinsville Bulletin can provide additional death information. The library holds some newspaper archives on microfilm. For very old records going back to Henry County's formation in 1776, the Library of Virginia holds the county's historical records including early deed books, will books, and order books that document colonial and post-colonial deaths through estate proceedings.

Nearby Records Resources

Martinsville is surrounded by Henry County. Deaths before 1928 in the current city area are in Henry County records.