Floyd County Death Index

Floyd County death records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in the town of Floyd and by the Virginia Department of Health in Richmond. The Floyd County death index covers deaths from 1853 through the present, with records split between different agencies depending on when the death occurred. This page explains how to get certified copies, access older death registers, and use free online tools for Floyd County death research.

Floyd County Circuit Court Clerk

The Floyd County Circuit Court Clerk's Office in the town of Floyd handles probate matters, wills, land records, marriage licenses, and court case files. The clerk does not issue certified death certificates. Those come from the Virginia Department of Health. However, the court holds probate records that are directly tied to many deaths in the county and can serve as a secondary source for researchers.

Probate filings at the Circuit Court can include the date of death, names of heirs, and details about an estate. When a Floyd County resident dies with property, the family often files these documents with the court. Will books and estate inventories going back to 1831 are held here. For genealogical researchers, these records are particularly useful for deaths before the modern certificate system began in 1912.

The Virginia Online Case Information System provides free access to Floyd County civil, criminal, and probate cases by name or case number. This can help locate probate filings connected to a death when the certificate is still restricted. Floyd County was formed in 1831 from Montgomery County, so deaths before 1831 in this area would fall under Montgomery County records.

Virginia Death Records for Floyd County

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for Floyd County deaths from June 1912 to the present. The 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 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 point, only immediate family may request a copy. Eligible relatives are the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. Photo ID is required with every request.

Online orders can be placed through VitalChek, the state's authorized third-party service. An extra processing fee applies on top of the $12 state fee. VitalChek handles deaths from June 1, 1912 forward. Certified copies are also available at full-service Virginia DMV locations for a $2 processing fee added to the state cost.

Search the Floyd County Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) provides free access to Floyd County court records. Search by name or case number for probate, civil, and criminal filings. Probate cases often follow a death and can help establish a date of death when the certificate is still within Virginia's 25-year privacy window.

The Library of Virginia holds Floyd County death register microfilm from 1853 to 1896. These registers include the name, date and place of death, cause of death, age, sex, race, occupation, and parent names of the deceased. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan. Floyd County was formed in 1831, so the registers covering 1853 forward directly reflect the county's existence.

Virginia residents can use Ancestry for Virginians for free. This includes Virginia Death Records from 1912 to 2014 and Virginia Death Registers from 1853 to 1911. A Library of Virginia card or a card from a participating public library is needed. This is a convenient free way to search the Floyd County death index before paying for a certified copy.

FamilySearch provides free Virginia death databases including Virginia Deaths and Burials from 1853 to 1912. Index data and images from original register pages are available. FamilySearch is a practical free resource for historical Floyd County death research.

Floyd County Death Records: Historical Research

Floyd County was formed in 1831 from Montgomery County. The county sits on the Blue Ridge Plateau in southwest Virginia. Death records follow the standard Virginia timeline: registers from 1853 to 1896, a gap from 1897 through May 1912, and modern certificates from June 1912 forward. For deaths before 1853, church records, cemetery surveys, and estate records at the Circuit Court are the main sources. For deaths before 1831 in this area, researchers should check Montgomery County records, the parent county.

The Virginia Genealogical Society sponsors the Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, which covers Floyd County records and can help identify register entries before requesting microfilm from the Library of Virginia. The Library of Virginia holds a statewide death index through 1954, giving certificate numbers for use in ordering copies from VDH.

Deaths from 2000 and earlier are now public under the 25-year rule. Deaths from 2001 onward remain restricted to immediate family. Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880 are held at the Library of Virginia on microfilm and include Floyd County residents. These schedules list the name, age, sex, race, occupation, cause of death, and month of death, and are a useful supplement to the death registers for the mid-nineteenth century period.

Nearby Counties

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