King and Queen County Death Index

King and Queen County death records are held by the Circuit Court Clerk at the courthouse in the unincorporated King and Queen Court House area and by the Virginia Department of Health in Richmond. The King and Queen County death index covers deaths from 1853 through the present, with records split between the court and the state vital records office based on the year of death. This page explains where to get certified copies, how to access historical registers, and what free online resources cover King and Queen County deaths.

King and Queen County Circuit Court Clerk

The King and Queen County Circuit Court Clerk's Office is located at the courthouse in the unincorporated community of King and Queen Court House, VA. The clerk handles probate matters, wills, land records, marriage licenses, and court case files. The Circuit Court does not issue certified death certificates. Those come from the Virginia Department of Health in Richmond. The court holds estate and probate records going back to 1691 and is one of the older courthouses in Virginia.

When a King and Queen County resident dies with property, the family typically files probate documents at the Circuit Court. Those filings can include the date of death, names of heirs, and details about the estate. The county's long history means will books and estate inventories span more than three centuries. For genealogical researchers, these records are particularly valuable for the colonial and antebellum periods.

For current court case searches, the Virginia Online Case Information System provides free access to King and Queen 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 within the 25-year privacy window.

Virginia Death Records for King and Queen County

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for King and Queen 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 window, only immediate family may request a copy. Eligible relatives are the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the deceased. A government-issued photo ID is required with every request.

Online orders go 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 can also be obtained at full-service Virginia DMV locations for a $2 processing fee added to the state cost.

Search the King and Queen County Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) provides free access to King and Queen County court records. Search by name or case number for probate, civil, and criminal matters. Probate cases often arise after a death and can help confirm a date of death when the certificate is not yet publicly available.

The Library of Virginia holds King and Queen 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. For such an old county, these registers represent just a portion of the full historical record.

Virginia residents can use Ancestry for Virginians at no cost. 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 required. This is a convenient free way to search the King and Queen County death index before requesting 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 also has some colonial-era Virginia records that can be valuable for King and Queen County research going back before 1853.

King and Queen County Death Records: Historical Research

King and Queen County was formed in 1691 from New Kent County. The county lies on the Middle Peninsula between the Mattaponi and Piankatank rivers. Death records follow the standard Virginia pattern for the modern era: registers from 1853 to 1896, a gap from 1897 through May 1912, and modern certificates from June 1912 forward. But the county's history extends back to the seventeenth century. Church records, plantation papers, estate inventories at the Circuit Court, and cemetery surveys are the main sources for deaths before 1853.

The Virginia Genealogical Society sponsors the Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, which covers King and Queen County. This can help identify register entries before requesting microfilm from the Library of Virginia. The Library of Virginia holds a statewide death index through 1954.

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 cover King and Queen County residents. These schedules list the name, age, sex, race, occupation, cause of death, and month of death, and can help fill in the gap between the colonial records and the death register era.

Nearby Counties

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