Salem Death Index

The Salem death index covers death records for the City of Salem, Virginia, an independent city in the Roanoke Valley with its own circuit court and vital records system. Salem sits adjacent to both Roanoke City and Roanoke County in western Virginia. Death records for the Salem area are available from 1853 through the present, with different agencies holding records from different periods. This page explains where to find Salem death records and how to request copies.

Salem Circuit Court Clerk

The Salem Circuit Court Clerk's Office handles probate records, wills, estate inventories, land records, marriage licenses, and court case files for the City of Salem. As an independent city, Salem has its own Circuit Court separate from Roanoke County and Roanoke City. 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' names, and they are publicly accessible through the Clerk's office.

Salem is part of the 23rd Judicial Circuit, which also includes Roanoke County and Roanoke City. Online case searches for Salem 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. When using OCIS, select Salem City to ensure you are searching the correct jurisdiction, since Roanoke City and Roanoke County are also in the same circuit.

Salem was incorporated as a town in 1836 and remained a town within Roanoke County until it was chartered as an independent city in 1968. Before 1968, Salem records would have been filed under Roanoke County. Researchers working on deaths before that date should look in Roanoke County records at the Library of Virginia as well as in Salem town records, depending on the time period. The transition from town to city status created two distinct record-keeping periods for the Salem area.

Virginia Death Records for Salem

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

Salem is served by the Roanoke City Health District for VDH purposes, which covers the broader Roanoke Valley area. The local health district can assist with vital records questions. You can also get a certified death certificate at select Virginia DMV locations, where a $2 processing fee is added to the $12 state fee. The Salem Health Department can direct you to the correct state and local resources.

Search the Salem Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) allows free searching of Salem 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. Be sure to select Salem City from the jurisdiction list, as Roanoke City and Roanoke County are separate options in the same circuit.

The Library of Virginia holds death registers from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm. For the Salem area, these early registers are filed under Roanoke County before the city's separate incorporation in 1968. These registers are available through interlibrary loan and include name, race and sex, date and place of death, cause of death, age, occupation, marital status, and parents' names. For deaths from 1912 forward, VDH has records under Salem City after it became independent.

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 Salem records before 1968, search under Roanoke County. After 1968, city records appear under Salem.

Salem's proximity to Roanoke City means that many families had connections across both jurisdictions. Researchers tracing Salem families should plan to check Roanoke County, Roanoke City, and Salem City records. The Roanoke Public Library Virginia Room holds genealogy resources for the entire Roanoke Valley area, including Salem-related materials. Salem itself also has a local history collection at its public library.

Salem Death Records: Historical Research

Salem was incorporated as a town in 1836 and remained part of Roanoke County for over 130 years before becoming an independent city in 1968. Before 1968, all death records for Salem residents would have been filed under Roanoke County within the statewide system. This means that for most of Virginia's death registration history, Salem is not a separate entry but falls under the county records. Researchers must navigate this jurisdictional history to find the right records.

Death records for the Salem area follow Virginia's statewide pattern. Official registration ran from 1853 to 1896 (under Roanoke County), stopped from 1897 through May 1912, and resumed in June 1912. Before 1853, no official registration existed. Church records and cemetery surveys are the main alternatives for earlier deaths. Salem has several historic churches, some of which have burial records going back to the early nineteenth century. The Library of Virginia holds Roanoke County records on microfilm covering the Salem area for the pre-city period.

Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880 list residents of Roanoke County, including the Salem area, who died in the twelve months before each census. These schedules are at the Library of Virginia and provide one of the few systematic death sources for the period before official registration. The Southwest Virginia Genealogical Society has compiled cemetery records and family histories for the region that can help trace Salem families from the earliest periods.

For deaths after 1954 and before Salem became a city in 1968, the Library of Virginia's death index by year and certificate number is searchable through Ancestry for Virginians. Those records appear under Roanoke County. After 1968, Salem City records begin in the database. For recent deaths after 2001, the 25-year rule has made those records public. Records from 2002 forward remain restricted to family members. The Roanoke Times archives, available through several genealogy services, provide obituaries for Salem residents going back many decades.

Nearby Jurisdictions

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