Find Death Records in Hanover County

The Hanover County death index includes records from 1853 through the present, covering deaths filed in this county north of Richmond. The Virginia Department of Health holds certified death certificates from June 1912 forward, while the Library of Virginia holds historical registers dating back to 1853. You can search the Hanover County death index online, request records by mail, or visit the state office in Richmond. The county's Circuit Court in Hanover also holds probate records that are useful when researching a death from past decades.

Hanover County Circuit Court

The Hanover County Circuit Court serves the county from the historic courthouse in Hanover, Virginia. The Clerk's Office maintains land records, wills, estate inventories, and court case files. When a Hanover County resident dies and their estate goes through probate, those filings appear in the Circuit Court record system. Probate records often reveal the date of death, the names of heirs, and a list of assets, making them valuable supplements to a death certificate search.

The Clerk's Office handles requests for court documents during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Birth and death certificates are not stored here. Those must come from the Virginia Department of Health or through VitalChek online. However, the court's land records and probate files may contain death references going back to the 1700s for researchers working with the oldest Hanover County families.

You can search Hanover County court cases online through the Virginia Online Case Information System. OCIS covers civil, criminal, and probate cases and is free to use. Probate cases filed after a death sometimes show up here within weeks of the death, which can help confirm a death date before a certificate is available.

Hanover County Death Certificates at VDH

Certified death certificates for Hanover County deaths from June 1912 to the present are held by the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. The office is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227, which puts it conveniently close to Hanover County. Walk-in service runs Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can also apply online, drop off a completed application, or mail a request to P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000.

The fee is $12 per certified copy. Under Virginia Code Title 32.1, Chapter 7, death records are public after 25 years. Before then, only the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased can get a copy. A government-issued photo ID is required. Checks should be made payable to State Health Department. The Customer Care line is 804-662-6200, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For online ordering, VitalChek is the authorized service that handles requests on behalf of VDH. The state $12 fee applies, plus an additional VitalChek processing fee. VitalChek covers deaths from June 1, 1912 forward in all Virginia counties, including Hanover.

Hanover County Death Index: Historical Records

Virginia's first death registration law took effect in 1853. Hanover County death registers from 1853 to 1896 are held on microfilm at the Library of Virginia and can be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan. These registers list name, race, sex, age, cause of death, place of birth, occupation, and the name of the informant. The Virginia Genealogical Society has indexed the 1853-1896 registers and made that index available at the Library of Virginia.

Between 1897 and June 1912, Virginia had no state law requiring death registration, and Hanover County did not keep separate records during that period. Deaths in that 15-year gap are not in official registers. Church records, newspaper obituaries, and family Bibles from Hanover County are often the best sources for deaths in that window. FamilySearch's free Virginia Deaths and Burials 1853-1912 database covers the earlier period and includes digitized images for many entries.

Virginia residents can access the Virginia Death Records index for 1912-2014 free of charge through Ancestry for Virginians. A Library of Virginia card or a participating public library card is required. The Library of Virginia holds death certificates on microfilm from 1912 to 1939 and a death index through 1954 that includes Hanover County entries.

Note: Records for Hanover County from the Civil War years may be incomplete. Researchers should cross-check multiple sources when working with deaths from 1861 through 1865.

Search Hanover County Death Records Online

The fastest route to recent Hanover County deaths is the VDH online system or VitalChek. For older records, FamilySearch provides free access to Virginia death databases that span 1853 through 2014. The Virginia Death Certificates collection includes images for deaths that are more than 25 years old and covers all Hanover County entries filed with the state. You can search by name, year, and county without creating an account.

The Virginia Genealogical Society also maintains research tools and publications that cover Hanover County. Their indexed death records from the 1853-1896 period can be accessed at the Library of Virginia reference desk at 800 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Phone is 804-692-3888. In-person and online access is available for these collections.

Nearby Cities

Hanover County sits north of Richmond. The independent city of Richmond borders the county and has its own vital records office.

Nearby Counties

These counties are adjacent to or near Hanover County, each with its own Circuit Court and death records resources.