Richmond City Death Index

The Richmond death index covers death records for the City of Richmond, Virginia's state capital and one of its largest independent cities. Richmond has its own circuit court, health department, and vital records system, and death records for the city go back to 1853. This page explains where to find Richmond death records, what sources hold them, and how to request a certified copy.

Richmond City Circuit Court Clerk

The Richmond City Circuit Court Clerk's Office handles probate records, wills, estate inventories, land records, marriage licenses, and court case files for the City of Richmond. As an independent city and Virginia's state capital, Richmond has its own Circuit Court separate from any surrounding county. The court does not issue certified death certificates. Those come from the Virginia Department of Health. Probate records filed after a death often include the date of death and heirs' names, and they are accessible to the public through the Clerk's office.

Richmond is part of the 13th Judicial Circuit. Online case searches for Richmond court records are available through the Virginia Online Case Information System at no cost. The system can be searched by party name or case number and covers civil, criminal, and probate cases. Land records for Richmond City may also be searchable online through the Virginia Judiciary's land records portal.

Because Richmond is the state capital and home to the Virginia Department of Health, VDH's main office is in Richmond itself. Researchers who want to visit in person can go directly to 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, where walk-in service is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Library of Virginia, also located in Richmond, holds historical death records and is an important resource for genealogical research. The main library building at 800 East Broad Street is open to the public and holds extensive Virginia death records on microfilm and in digital form.

Virginia Death Records for Richmond

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for Richmond deaths from June 1912 to the present. The state office is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227. Walk-in hours run 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.

Each certified copy costs $12. Payment can be made by check, money order, credit card, mobile pay, or cash in person. Under Virginia Code Title 32.1, Chapter 7, death records become public 25 years after the date of death. Before that point, only immediate family members may request a copy. Eligible family members include the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. A legible government-issued photo ID is required. VitalChek handles online orders with an extra processing fee.

The Richmond City Health Department serves as a local resource for public health services. Richmond is its own health district for VDH purposes. Because VDH's main office is in Richmond, residents have the advantage of being able to walk in without traveling far. The Richmond Public Library system also maintains genealogy resources including Ancestry Library Edition and local newspaper archives with obituaries going back to the nineteenth century.

Search the Richmond Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) allows free searching of Richmond City court records by name or case number. Probate cases connected to deaths in the city appear here and can help confirm approximate death dates when certificates are still restricted under the 25-year rule. The OCIS covers all Virginia courts statewide.

The Library of Virginia holds Richmond City death registers from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm, available through interlibrary loan. Because the Library of Virginia is in Richmond, researchers can also visit in person. The death registers list name, race and sex, date and place of death, cause of death, age, occupation, marital status, and parents' names. For the gap period from 1897 to June 1912, Richmond newspapers are an especially rich source, since the city had multiple active daily papers during that period.

Ancestry for Virginians is free for Virginia residents with a library card and includes Virginia Death Records 1912-2014 and Death Registers 1853-1911. FamilySearch has free Virginia Deaths and Burials 1853-1912 and Virginia Death Certificates 1912-1987. The Virginia Genealogical Society Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, includes Richmond City entries and can help narrow a search before ordering a microfilm copy.

As Virginia's largest urban center for much of its history, Richmond has an especially rich documentary record. The Valentine museum holds an extensive collection of local history materials. Church records from Richmond's many historic congregations, including several that date to the early 1800s, are held at the Library of Virginia and at the Virginia Historical Society. African American genealogical research in Richmond is supported by resources at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, which holds materials related to the city's large Black population and the records generated during and after slavery.

Richmond Death Records: Historical Research

Richmond was chartered as a city in 1742 and became Virginia's capital in 1780. It served as the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War and was largely destroyed by fire when the Confederate government evacuated in April 1865. Courthouse records and vital records survived to varying degrees, and the post-war period saw significant reconstruction of the city's administrative record-keeping. The death registers from 1853 to 1896 that survive are at the Library of Virginia on microfilm.

Death records in Richmond City follow the standard Virginia pattern. Official registration ran from 1853 to 1896, stopped from 1897 through May 1912, and resumed in June 1912. Before 1853, no official state registration existed. Church records and burial registers are the main alternative for earlier deaths. Richmond had many active congregations by the early nineteenth century, and records from those churches are an important source. The Library of Virginia holds a large collection of church records, and the Virginia Historical Society holds manuscript collections relevant to Richmond families.

Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880 list Richmond residents who died in the twelve months before each census and are available at the Library of Virginia. The Civil War period left a particular documentary mark on Richmond, with records of deaths related to the fighting, the prison camps, and the wartime population boom. Military records from that period are held at the National Archives and can supplement local death records. The Hollywood Cemetery and Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond both have extensive burial records that have been transcribed and indexed.

For deaths after 1954, the Library of Virginia's death index by year and certificate number is searchable through Ancestry for Virginians and covers deaths through 2014. Richmond's urban size means that record volume was always high, and the combination of LVA holdings, church records, cemetery transcriptions, and newspaper archives makes it possible to trace most Richmond families from at least the mid-nineteenth century. The Richmond Times-Dispatch archives, available through several genealogy services, include obituaries going back many decades.

Nearby Jurisdictions

These counties and cities border Richmond City. Each has its own Circuit Court and vital records resources.