Roanoke Death Index

The Roanoke death index covers death records for the City of Roanoke, Virginia, an independent city and the largest city in western Virginia. Roanoke has its own circuit court, health department, and vital records system, with death records available from 1853 through the present. This page explains where to find Roanoke death records, what sources hold them, and how to request certified copies.

Roanoke City Circuit Court Clerk

The Roanoke City Circuit Court Clerk's Office handles probate records, wills, estate inventories, land records, marriage licenses, and court case files for the City of Roanoke. As an independent city, Roanoke has its own Circuit Court separate from Roanoke County, even though the two jurisdictions are geographically adjacent. The court does not issue certified death certificates; those must come from the Virginia Department of Health. Probate records filed after a death often include the date of death and heirs' information, and they are publicly accessible through the Clerk's office.

Roanoke City is part of the 23rd Judicial Circuit, which also includes Roanoke County and the City of Salem. Online case searches for Roanoke City 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. Researchers should note the distinction between Roanoke City and Roanoke County when searching, as both use similar names but are separate jurisdictions with their own clerks.

The Roanoke Public Library system holds a Virginia Room with extensive local history and genealogy materials. The collection includes Ancestry Library Edition, local newspapers on microfilm, city directories, and family history resources. The library is a good starting point for Roanoke death index research before ordering certified copies from VDH. The library system has multiple branches, and the main branch holds the bulk of the genealogy collection.

Virginia Death Records for Roanoke

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for Roanoke City 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.

Roanoke is served by the Roanoke City Health Department, which is part of Virginia's network of local health departments. The local department can answer questions about vital records and direct you to the correct state office. You can also obtain a certified death certificate at select Virginia DMV locations, where a $2 processing fee applies. Roanoke City DMV offices participate in this program.

Search the Roanoke Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) allows free searching of Roanoke City court records by name or case number. Probate cases connected to deaths appear here and can help confirm approximate death dates when certificates are still restricted. The OCIS covers all Virginia courts statewide. When searching, select Roanoke City rather than Roanoke County, as they are separate entries in the system.

The Library of Virginia holds death register records from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm. For the Roanoke area, early registers would have been filed under Roanoke County before the city was chartered in 1884. These registers are available through interlibrary loan. Each entry includes name, race and sex, date and place of death, cause of death, age, occupation, marital status, and parents' names.

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. For Roanoke City records after 1884, these databases should contain city entries. For earlier records, search under Roanoke County.

The Roanoke Valley area grew explosively after the arrival of the Norfolk and Western Railway in the 1880s, bringing workers and families from across the region. Many of those families settled in both Roanoke City and Roanoke County. When tracing Roanoke families, researchers should check both the city and county records, as well as records from the adjacent City of Salem. Roanoke has a well-developed genealogical research community, and the Southwest Virginia Genealogical Society holds compiled records that supplement the official death index.

Roanoke Death Records: Historical Research

The City of Roanoke was chartered in 1884, growing rapidly from the small town of Big Lick after the Norfolk and Western Railway selected the location as a major junction. Before 1884, the area was part of Roanoke County, and residents' records are found there. The city grew from fewer than 700 people in 1880 to over 16,000 by 1890, one of the fastest growth rates of any American city in that period. This population explosion created substantial vital records from the very beginning of the city's existence.

Death records for the Roanoke area before 1884 are in Roanoke County records. After the city was chartered, it began maintaining its own records within the statewide system. Official registration ran from 1853 to 1896 (under Roanoke County for the pre-charter period), stopped from 1897 through May 1912, and resumed in June 1912. The gap period affects Roanoke as it does all Virginia jurisdictions. During those years, local church records and the Roanoke Times archives are the best sources for death information.

Church records are important for the Roanoke area. Many denominations established congregations in the rapidly growing city, and some burial registers survive. The Library of Virginia holds Roanoke County records on microfilm covering the period before the city was chartered. Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880 cover the Roanoke County area and include information on residents who died in the twelve months before each census.

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. Once you have the certificate number, you can request a copy from VDH with that information to speed up the process. The History Museum and Historical Society of Western Virginia in Roanoke also holds local records and family history materials that can supplement the official death index.

Nearby Jurisdictions

These counties and cities are adjacent to or near Roanoke City. Each has its own Circuit Court and vital records resources.