Colorado Death Records

Colorado's mortality rate of 725.3 per 100,000 residents is lower than the U.S. average of 793.7 per 100,000 total population. The state has experienced a rising trend of deaths recorded over the last few years, with an estimated average of 43,980 deaths each year. While other early death records exist, statewide records of deaths were not officially registered in Colorado until 1908.

A Colorado death record generally provides details about the death of a person within the state's boundaries. Such details often include the deceased person's personal information, the place and date of death, and the cause of death. The primary type of death record in the state is the death certificate, and there are three types of them:

• Standard Death Certificate - A standard death certificate in Colorado includes all the legal information and medical details about the death.
• Legal Death Certificate - This death certificate lists all the legal items regarding a death event, but does not include any medical information.
• Verification Certificate - A death certificate verification in Colorado lists limited legal information but has no medical details regarding the death.

In Colorado, an original death certificate is prepared by a funeral home, after which it is electronically sent to either an attending physician, primary care physician, or the coroner for medical certification. Once the death certificate is signed, it is sent back to the funeral home, and the funeral director has only a few days to file the original certificate with the local or state vital records office. Interested/eligible persons may then obtain certified copies of the original certificate, which are verified copies of the original document, from the vital records office.

How Do I Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate in Colorado?

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), through the Vital Records Office, issues certified copies of death certificates in the state. Eligible individuals may request copies either by mail or in person.

• Mail Application - The following steps are required to receive a certified copy of a Colorado death certificate from the Vital Records Office:
• Complete the Application for Certified Death Certificate Form with all the necessary information

• Make a copy of a valid identification card, which can be a Government work ID, certificate of U.S. citizenship, temporary resident ID, foreign passport, Colorado Department of Corrections ID, or jail temporary inmate ID. Others include Job Corps ID card, driver's license, employment authorization card, Colorado Department of Human Services Youth Corrections ID, current state's temporary driver's license/ID, current school, university, or college ID, U.S. military ID, and U.S. certificate of naturalization. Any two of the following documents may also be accepted as valid means of identification, provided they have not expired for over 6 months:

  • Divorce decree (U.S. only)
  • Applicant's birth certificate (U.S. only)
  • Colorado gaming license
  • Medicaid card (Colorado only) or Medicare card
  • Current motor vehicle title or registration (U.S. only)
  • Social Security card
  • Acknowledgment of parentage document (Colorado only)
  • Marriage license/certificate (U.S. only)
  • Work ID, W2, or paycheck stub
  • Craft or trade license (Colorado only)
• Pay the applicable fee (non-refundable) by check or money order. The first certified copy costs $20, while each additional copy of the same certificate requested at the same time costs $13.

• Mail the completed application form, a copy of valid ID/ID documents, and the applicable fee to the Vital Records Office at:

  Vital Records Mail Services

  Attn: Colorado Vital Records

  P.O. Box 222130

  El Paso, TX 79912

  Processing time for a mailed request may take up to 21 to 25 business days.

• In-Person Application - The Vital Records Office accepts in-person applications for certified copies of Colorado death records by appointment only; walk-in services are not available. Interested persons may schedule an appointment by contacting the Vital Records Office at (303) 692-2200 or by email. Once the appointment is scheduled, submit a completed application form, fees, and all required documents to the Vital Records Office on the appointed date at:

  Vital Records Office

  4300 Cherry Creek Drive South

  Denver, CO 80246

  Alternatively, eligible and interested persons may submit their requests in person at the nearest Colorado Vital Records Office location.

Are Colorado Death Records Public?

Per Section 25-2-117 of the Colorado Code, death records are confidential and are not public records. They are exempt from the state's Public Records Act. As a result, the public has no right to inspect or copy Colorado death records. Only individuals with a direct or tangible interest in a death record can obtain certified copies of the record in the state.

Who Can Request an Original Death Certificate in Colorado?

Original death certificates in Colorado are not available for issuance, as they are maintained permanently on file by the state's Vital Records Office. However, eligible individuals may request certified copies of such certificates. Under state law, the following individuals and entities are eligible to request certified copies of death certificates:

• A decedent's parent, current spouse, ex-spouse, stepparent, children, stepchildren, and siblings/half siblings
• Genealogists
• Creditors
• Insurance companies
• A decedent's legal representative
• Funeral directors
• Opposing counsel
• Probate researchers
• Employer
• Nursing home. Hospital, physician, or hospice
• A decedent's aunts, in-laws, cousins, nieces, uncles, or nephews
• Consulate offices or consular corps
• Informant

An eligible requester must be able to prove their relationship with the deceased person by providing any relevant document (as required by law) and/or proof of a direct or tangible interest in the death certificate.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in Colorado?

It takes anywhere between 21 and 25 working days to get a copy of a death certificate in Colorado once it has been filed with the state's Vital Records Office. However, in some instances, particularly when someone dies under an unusual circumstance, filing the original death certificate with the Vital Records Office may take a while, as an autopsy is usually required. This generally delays the preparation of the original death certificate and subsequent filing with the Vital Records Office.

In Colorado, the Coroner's Office handles autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death that occurred under suspicious circumstances. Autopsies are performed when it becomes challenging to substantiate the cause of death by other means and when a case requires forensic documentation for prosecution.

Typically, depending on case complexity and the need for other tests, it may take between 10 and 12 weeks to complete an autopsy report. The shortage of personnel and a high volume of autopsy requests being handled by the Coroner's Office may also lead to a delay. Once all the required tests are completed, a final death certificate is issued and filed with the Vital Records Office. Afterward, eligible individuals may request certified copies of the death certificates.

Can I view Colorado Death Records online for free?

Generally, Colorado vital records, including death records, are not searchable online because access is solely restricted to eligible individuals. However, the State Archives holds a collection of death records for certain counties for death events that occurred before 1908. These records may be accessed online through the Archives Search system. Generally, the Colorado State Archives holds death records like death certificates, burial permits, register of deaths, burial records, and coroner's accounts.

Furthermore, resources like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org may offer the public digital versions of Colorado death records, especially for deaths that occurred before statewide registration of deaths began. Also, third-party websites like Coloradopublicrecords.us may have digital versions of some Colorado death records, but users may have to pay a small fee to access such records.

Interested individuals may also check substitute records to find information regarding unregistered or unrecorded death events in Colorado. Typically, sources like obituaries, cemetery records, newspapers, probate records, church records, tax records, Social Security Death Index, and census mortality schedules may provide vital information about someone's death.

When Would You Require A Death Certificate in Colorado?

Certified copies of a death certificate are needed for several purposes in Colorado, including the following:

• Accessing benefits such as veterans' benefits, pension benefits, and other retirement income sources.
• Settling deceased persons' estates.
• Canceling decedents' credit cards and subscriptions to utility services
• Making arrangements for the disposition of decedents' bodies.
• Getting married (for a widower or widow who needs to prove that their previous spouse has passed away).
• Claiming life insurance.
• Transferring ownership of deceased persons' assets, such as real estate and vehicles, to another individual.
• Gaining access to decedents' financial accounts and closing them.
• Notifying relevant government agencies.

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in Colorado?

It is often recommended to obtain several certified copies (typically between 8 to 12 copies) of a Colorado death certificate when a loved one passes away in the state. The size of a deceased person's estate and the specific purposes for which copies of the death certificate are needed will help determine the actual number of copies to request from the Vital Records Office.

Typically, it is always helpful to have a checklist of agencies or entities requiring copies of a death certificate when planning to request copies. Entities such as insurance companies, the probate court, financial institutions, the Social Security Administration, creditors, the Veterans Affairs Office, pension providers, and employers will need a copy of a Colorado death certificate.