Tazewell County Death Index

Tazewell County death records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Tazewell and by the Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records in Richmond. This guide explains how to find death certificates, historical registers, and probate records for deaths that occurred in Tazewell County from the 1800s through today.

Tazewell County Circuit Court Clerk

The Tazewell County Circuit Court Clerk's Office is located in Tazewell, the county seat. The clerk handles probate filings, land records, marriage licenses, wills, and court case files for the county. Office hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Contact the clerk's office before visiting to confirm hours and copy fees.

The Circuit Court does not issue certified death certificates. Those come from the Virginia Department of Health. The court does hold probate records tied to deaths in Tazewell County. Wills, estate inventories, and administration records often include the date of death and names of heirs. Records go back to the county's founding in 1799. Tazewell County is one of the larger counties in southwest Virginia by population, and the courthouse holds a substantial set of older records.

Tazewell County is in the 29th Judicial Circuit, which includes Russell County as well. The county is in the Clinch Valley area of southwest Virginia, near the West Virginia and Kentucky borders. Some residents near those state lines may have used medical facilities in neighboring states. The clerk can help identify the right jurisdiction for border-area probate matters.

Virginia Death Records for Tazewell County

The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records holds certified death certificates for Tazewell 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. Accepted payment forms include check, money order, credit card, mobile pay, and 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 records from June 1, 1912 forward. Certified copies are also available at full-service Virginia DMV locations with a $2 convenience fee. The Tazewell area's distance from Richmond makes online ordering through VitalChek a practical option for many requesters.

Search the Tazewell County Death Index Online

The Virginia Online Case Information System (OCIS) lets you search Tazewell County court records at no cost. Search by party name or case number. The system covers civil, criminal, and probate filings. Probate records often show up in OCIS after a death, and they can help establish an approximate date when the certificate is still restricted under the 25-year rule.

The Library of Virginia holds death registers from 1853 to 1896 on microfilm, including Tazewell 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. For the Clinch Valley and Bluefield area, these registers cover a period of significant coal mining and industrial activity that affected the local population.

Virginia residents can use 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 a participating library card is required. This is particularly convenient for Tazewell County residents given the distance to the state archives in Richmond.

FamilySearch has free Virginia death databases covering 1853 to 1912. Searching here before contacting VDH can help confirm the right certificate number for your request.

Tazewell County Death Records: Historical Research

Tazewell County was formed from Russell and Wythe counties in 1799. It covers a large part of the Clinch Valley in southwest Virginia. Death records follow the statewide Virginia pattern: no formal registration before 1853, registers from 1853 to 1896, a gap from 1897 through May 1912, and continuous state registration from June 1912 forward. The 1897 to 1912 gap is a challenge for all Virginia counties. In Tazewell, church records and family papers are the main supplementary sources for that period.

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

The Library of Virginia holds a death index through 1954. Use that index to find the certificate number before ordering from VDH. Coal mining activity in Tazewell County in the late 19th and early 20th centuries means that mine records, including accident reports, may document deaths not captured in the official registers. The Library of Virginia and state archives hold some of these records. Before 1853, the county's probate records at the Tazewell courthouse are the primary source for death information.

Nearby Counties

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