Death Certificates

Death Certificates:  Death occurred in Deschutes County within the past 6 months

Death Certificates can be ordered by eligible persons (see eligible persons list below) at Deschutes County Health Services for all deaths that occurred in Deschutes County within the past 6 months. Requests may be made in person or by mail. The fee for each certificate is $25. To order a death certificate:

1. Fill out the Death Record Order Form (see supporting documents below). 
2. Mail or bring in your completed order form, a copy of your current photo ID and payment to:   2577 NE Courtney Drive, Bend, OR 97701. (Additional evidence documents may be requested by Vital Records staff.)
3. If the record is registered with the state and ready to issue, the county will process the order in 3 business days (excluding weekends and holidays).
4. Please let us know if you want the certificates mailed to you or if you would prefer to pick the order up at our office counter.

Short-form death certificates are used for proof of death, contain demographic information, and are used for:​

• Bank accounts
• Property transfers
• Title companies
• Claims or interest in land
• DMV (Dept of Motor Vehicles) for titles of vehicles, RVs, boats
• Social Security survivor benefits

Long-form death certificates are used for proof of death, contain demographic information, cause of death and medical information protected by federal HIPAA laws, and are used for:

• Genealogy or family history purposes
• Insurance benefit claims (where cause/manner of death can change the benefit)

Eligible Persons:  Oregon is a closed record state.  Access to death records is restricted for 50 years following the date of death.

This is a list of people who are eligible to order certificates:

• Current spouse
• Parent
• Child (over 18 years of age)
• Grandparent (short form only unless additional documentation provided to support ordering a long form)
• Grandchild (short form only unless additional documentation provided to support ordering a long form)
• Sibling (can order short form only unless additional documentation provided to support ordering a long form)
• Domestic partner who is registered by the state
• Legal guardian (with documentation of legal guardianship)
• Next of kin (with notarized document stating they are next of kin)
• Government agency (with documentation and reason for order)
• Legal representative of an immediate family member (with documentation of who they represent and reason for order)
• An agency or person who demonstrates a personal or property right reason for order (short form only)
• Non-eligible person with a notarized permission note from an eligible person
• Companies paying death benefits (long form only)
• Funeral home representative

For reference, see ORS 432.380 (2)(c)(B)(iii).

Orders for Deaths That Occurred More Than 6 Months Ago or Outside of Deschutes County

Death certificates for deaths that occurred in the state of Oregon more than 6 months ago or outside of Deschutes County can be ordered in 1 of these 4 ways:

1. In person by appointment 9:00 am - 3:30 pm Monday through Friday at the State Vital Records Office (971-673-1190) 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 205, Portland, OR 97232-2187. 

2. By mail through the State Vital Records Office, 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 205, Portland, OR 97232-2187.

3. Online through www.vitalchek.com or by telephone 1-888-896-4988.  

4.  Contact the funeral home who took care of the decedent's remains.  They may be able to place an order for you.

Other Death Certificate Information

If you have additional questions regarding death certificates or your order, please contact the Vital Records Clerk at (541) 322-7498 or vitalrecords@deschutes.org.