Prince George County Death Index

Prince George County death records are held by the Circuit Court Clerk at 6601 Courts Drive, Prince George, and by the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records in Richmond. Note that many of the county's early records were lost or vandalized during the Civil War, so some pre-1860 records may be incomplete or missing.

Prince George County Circuit Court Clerk

The Prince George County Circuit Court Clerk's Office is at 6601 Courts Drive, Prince George, VA 23875. Mailing address: P.O. Box 98, Prince George, VA 23875. Phone: (804) 733-2640. Fax: (804) 861-5721. The county is in the 6th Judicial Circuit.

The Circuit Court does not issue certified death certificates. Those come from the Virginia Department of Health. The court does hold probate records directly tied to deaths in Prince George County. Wills, estate inventories, and administration records often include the date of death and names of family members. The county was formed in 1702, but many pre-Civil War records were lost or vandalized during the war. No official marriage records remain from before 1854. Researchers should be aware of these gaps when searching early Prince George County records.

For those researching African American family history in Prince George County, FamilySearch holds the Virginia Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records 1865-1872 and Virginia African-American Funeral Programs 1935-2009, both of which can be valuable supplements to the standard death certificate record. The Freedmen's Bureau records can help trace deaths and family movements in the years immediately after the Civil War.

Virginia Death Records for Prince George County

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for Prince George County deaths from June 1912 to the present. The office is at 8701 Park Central Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, VA 23227. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mail requests to P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000. Phone: (804) 662-6200.

Certified copies cost $12 each. Payment is accepted by check, money order, credit card, mobile pay, or cash. Make checks payable to State Health Department. Under Virginia Code Title 32.1, Chapter 7, death records become public 25 years after the date of death. Before that, only immediate family can request: spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent. Photo ID is required.

For online ordering, VitalChek is the state's authorized third-party service. An additional processing fee applies beyond the $12 state fee. VitalChek covers deaths from June 1, 1912 forward. Certified copies are also available at full-service Virginia DMV locations with a $2 convenience fee.

Search the Prince George County Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) lets you search Prince George County court records at no cost. Search by party name or case number. The system covers civil, criminal, and probate filings. Probate records are useful when a death certificate is restricted under the 25-year rule, since estate filings often indicate an approximate date of death.

The Library of Virginia holds death registers from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm, including Prince George County records. These can be borrowed through interlibrary loan. The registers list name, race, sex, date and place of death, cause, age, occupation, marital status, and parents' names. Given the Civil War record losses in Prince George County, the 1853 to 1896 death registers at the Library of Virginia may be the best source for deaths before the modern registration period.

Virginia residents can access Ancestry for Virginians at no cost. This program provides free access to Virginia Death Records from 1912 to 2014 and Virginia Death Registers from 1853 to 1911. A free Library of Virginia card or participating library card is required.

FamilySearch has free Virginia death databases and also holds the Virginia Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records 1865-1872 and Virginia African-American Funeral Programs 1935-2009, both of which are especially relevant for Prince George County research.

Prince George County Death Records: Historical Research

Prince George County was formed from Charles City County in 1702. It sits along the Appomattox River in the lower Piedmont region, adjacent to the City of Petersburg. The county's records were heavily damaged during the Civil War. No official marriage records survive from before 1854, and many other early records were lost or destroyed. Death records follow the statewide Virginia pattern: no systematic registration before 1853, registers from 1853 to 1896, a gap from 1897 to May 1912, and continuous state registration from June 1912 forward.

The death registers from 1853 to 1896 are held on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. The Virginia Genealogical Society sponsors the Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, which covers Prince George County entries. Federal mortality census schedules from 1850 to 1880 are at the Library of Virginia and can supplement county death records for those census years.

For African American genealogy research in Prince George County, the Freedmen's Bureau records held on FamilySearch are a critical source for the 1865 to 1872 period. The Library of Virginia also holds a death index through 1954 that shows the year of death and certificate number, which you can use to order a copy from VDH. Before 1853, the county's probate records are the primary source, though Civil War losses mean some pre-1860 estate files may be missing.

Nearby Counties

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