Waynesboro Death Index

The Waynesboro death index covers death records for the City of Waynesboro, Virginia, an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley adjacent to Augusta County and the Staunton area. Waynesboro has its own circuit court and vital records system, with death records available from 1853 through the present. This page explains what records exist, where they are held, and how to get certified copies.

Waynesboro Circuit Court Clerk

The Waynesboro Circuit Court Clerk's Office handles probate records, wills, estate inventories, land records, marriage licenses, and court case files for the City of Waynesboro. As an independent city, Waynesboro has its own Circuit Court separate from Augusta County. 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.

Waynesboro is part of the 25th Judicial Circuit, which covers Waynesboro, Staunton, Augusta County, Bath County, Highland County, Rockbridge County, Buena Vista City, and Lexington City. Online case searches for Waynesboro court records are available through the Virginia Online Case Information System at no cost. Search by party name or case number and select Waynesboro City from the jurisdiction list.

Waynesboro was incorporated as a town in Augusta County in 1834 and became an independent city in 1948. Before 1948, residents' records were filed under Augusta County. Researchers working on deaths from before that date should look in Augusta County records at the Library of Virginia, since Waynesboro was part of the county throughout the statewide death registration period from 1853 to 1948. The transition to independent city status created two distinct jurisdictional periods for the area's death records.

Virginia Death Records for Waynesboro

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for Waynesboro deaths from June 1912 to the present. For deaths before Waynesboro became an independent city in 1948, the certificates would have been issued under Augusta County. 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.

Waynesboro is served by the Central Shenandoah Health District, which covers the broader Augusta County region including Staunton and Waynesboro. The local health district can assist with vital records questions. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park are nearby, and some historical deaths related to those areas may be documented in federal records in addition to state vital records.

Search the Waynesboro Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) allows free searching of Waynesboro City court records by name or case number. Probate cases connected to deaths in the city appear here and can confirm approximate death dates when certificates are still restricted. When using OCIS, select Waynesboro City. For deaths before 1948, search under Augusta County.

The Library of Virginia holds death registers from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm. For the Waynesboro area during this period, the registers are filed under Augusta County, since the town did not become an independent city until 1948. 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.

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 Waynesboro records from before 1948, search under Augusta County in both databases.

Waynesboro sits at the eastern end of Rockfish Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where I-64 and the Blue Ridge Parkway cross. The town was an industrial center in the early twentieth century, particularly after DuPont established a large plant there in 1929. That industrial history brought workers and their families to the area and generated substantial vital records through the mid-twentieth century. The Augusta County Historical Society and the Waynesboro Public Library hold local history and genealogy resources that can supplement the official death index.

Waynesboro Death Records: Historical Research

Waynesboro was incorporated as a town in Augusta County in 1834 and remained part of that county until 1948, when it became an independent city. Throughout the entire statewide death registration period from 1853 to 1948, Waynesboro deaths were recorded under Augusta County. This means researchers looking for pre-1948 records need Augusta County materials, not Waynesboro City records. After 1948, the city has its own entries in the VDH system.

Death records for the Waynesboro area follow Virginia's statewide pattern. Official registration ran from 1853 to 1896 (under Augusta County), stopped from 1897 through May 1912, and resumed in June 1912. Before 1853, no official registration existed. Church records are the main alternative for earlier deaths. Several historic congregations maintained active burial registers in the Waynesboro and Augusta County area. Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Methodist churches are particularly well documented. The Augusta County Historical Society has compiled significant amounts of church and cemetery records.

The Shenandoah Valley experienced significant Civil War activity, and the Waynesboro area saw fighting in the final year of the war, including the Battle of Waynesboro in March 1865. Some deaths from that period are documented in military records rather than civilian vital records. The Library of Virginia holds Augusta County records on microfilm, covering the Waynesboro area for the entire period before city incorporation.

Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880 list Augusta County residents, including those in the Waynesboro area, who died in the twelve months before each census. These are at the Library of Virginia and provide one of the few systematic death sources for the period before official registration. 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.

Nearby Jurisdictions

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