Search Bland County Death Index

Bland County death records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Bland and by the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records in Richmond. The Bland County death index spans from 1853 through the present, with records split across different agencies depending on the year of death. This guide covers where to look, how to request copies, and what free online tools are available for searching Bland County deaths.

Bland County Circuit Court Clerk

The Bland County Circuit Court Clerk's Office handles probate matters, land records, marriage licenses, and court case files for Bland County. The office is the place to go for wills and estate records connected to deaths in the county. While the Circuit Court does not issue certified death certificates, it holds probate records that are closely tied to many deaths, especially where property or debts were involved.

When a Bland County resident dies and leaves an estate, the family typically files probate documents at the Circuit Court. Those documents can include the date of death, names of heirs, and details about the deceased's assets. Estate inventories and will books going back to 1861, when the county was formed, are kept in this office. These older records can be valuable for genealogical research, especially when modern certificates are restricted under Virginia's privacy rules.

The Circuit Court clerk also maintains records of guardianships, which sometimes arise from deaths when minor children are left without parents. Those records can serve as indirect evidence of a death when a direct death record is not available. For routine court case searches, the Virginia Online Case Information System covers Bland County at no charge.

Virginia Death Records for Bland County

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for Bland County deaths from June 1912 to the present. The office address is 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 is (804) 662-6200.

Each certified copy costs $12. Under Virginia Code Title 32.1, Chapter 7, death records become public 25 years after the date of death. Before that window, only immediate family may request a copy. Eligible relatives include the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. A legible government-issued photo ID is required with any request. Payment can be made by check, money order, credit card, or cash.

For online orders, VitalChek is the state's authorized third-party ordering service. An extra processing fee applies on top of the $12 state fee. VitalChek processes deaths from June 1, 1912 forward. You can also get a certified death certificate at any full-service Virginia DMV location for a $2 processing fee added to the state cost.

Search the Bland County Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) lets you search Bland County court records at no cost. Search by party name or case number to find civil, criminal, and probate cases. Probate cases often follow a death and can help identify a date of death when the certificate itself is not yet publicly accessible.

The Library of Virginia holds Bland County death register records from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm. These registers record the name of the deceased, date and place of death, cause of death, age, sex, race, occupation, and names of parents. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan at many Virginia public libraries. Bland County was formed in 1861, so records from before that date would have been kept under Giles, Tazewell, or Wythe counties, which were the parent counties.

Virginia residents can access Ancestry for Virginians for free. This service includes Virginia Death Records from 1912 to 2014 and Virginia Death Registers from 1853 to 1911. You need a Library of Virginia card or a card from a participating public library to log in. It is a useful starting point before requesting a paid certified copy from VDH.

FamilySearch offers free Virginia death databases, including Virginia Deaths and Burials from 1853 to 1912. The site has index data and, in many cases, images of original register pages. FamilySearch is particularly useful for Bland County researchers looking at deaths in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century before the modern registration system took full effect.

Bland County Death Records: Historical Research

Bland County was formed in 1861 from parts of Giles, Tazewell, and Wythe counties. This means that for deaths before 1861, researchers need to look at records from those parent counties. The county sits in southwest Virginia and has always been a small, rural community. Death records here follow the same statewide timeline. The 1853 to 1896 death register period is covered on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. After 1896, no statewide registration was required until June 1912, creating a gap in official records.

For deaths before 1853, no systematic state registration existed. Researchers must rely on church records, cemetery surveys, and family papers. Bland County has several historic cemeteries, many of which have been indexed by local historical societies and by the Virginia Genealogical Society. The VGS also sponsors the Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, which covers Bland County records from that period.

The Library of Virginia holds a statewide death index through 1954. This index gives you the certificate number and year of death, which you can use to order a copy from VDH. Deaths from 2000 and earlier are now past the 25-year mark and are public records. Deaths from 2001 onward remain restricted to immediate family until the privacy window closes.

Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880 are available at the Library of Virginia on microfilm. These schedules list people who died in the year before each census and include the name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupation, cause of death, and month of death. Note that Bland County did not exist until 1861, so the 1850 schedules would be under the parent county records, while the 1860 schedules capture only a brief portion of Bland County's existence.

Nearby Counties

These counties border or sit near Bland County. Each has its own Circuit Court and vital records resources for deaths in those jurisdictions.