How to Find Oregon Death Records

Are Death Certificates Public in Oregon?

No, Oregon death certificates from the state vital records office - state archives and vital records have a fifty years restriction on access. Death certificates for deaths that occurred less than fifty years ago are not accessible to members of the public. Public death records search can be carried out for free at the State Archives. The requestor would need to provide the name of the deceased, the date of death, and the city or county. Obtaining copies of records would cost a fee. Permission to access vital records in the Archives that are restricted must be obtained through the State Registrar.

What Shows Up on Death Records in Oregon?

Oregon death records are vital records that contain information on deaths that occurred within the state, as recorded by the local registrar in the county where the death occurred. A death record contains the deceased’s biodata and necessary information about the death, such as the events that lead to the death. Most Oregon Vital Record information, including death, marriage, and divorce records, is maintained by the State Vital Records Office. The Office makes these records/information available to interested and eligible members of the public. Some of the information included in an Oregon death record are:

Full name of the deceased
Place of death
Date of death, including age
Deceased’s biodata, including sex, color or race, etc.
Date and place of birth
Usual residence before death
Parental details
Marital status, including the number of children
The decedent's social security number
Usual occupation, including kind of business or industry
Cause of death
Medical certification
Informant’s name, contact address, and relationship to the deceased

Death records are useful to the direct family members of deceased persons, their beneficiaries, and even the government. They come in handy when closing bank accounts, transferring real and personal property titles, processing pension claims, motor vehicle transfers, bonds, stocks, and life insurance benefits. The government uses death records to set public health goals, measure health status at local, state, national, and international levels, and as a source for state and national mortality statistics. Government agencies (like the National Center for Vital Statistics) also use death records to update government benefits paid, electoral registers, passport records, etc. In addition, the cause of death information on each death record serves as a guide for decisions on which medical conditions receive research and development funding.

How are Death Records Created in Oregon?

Oregon requires that every death that occurs within the state is registered with the county registrar of the county where the death occurred or the Center for Health Statistics. A death must be registered before final disposition within not more than five calendar days after a death occurs or a deceased’s dead body is found. The Oregon Vital Events Registration System (OVERS) electronically registers vital events, including deaths. However, before using the OVERS, the user must create an account by completing the OVERS Enrollment Form and faxing the completed form and supporting documents to (971) 673-1201. The user will be contacted by an employee of the Center for Health Statistics via email and will be given a username and password for the account.

A death report may also be completed by obtaining a home burial packet from the Oregon Center for Health Statistics by calling (971) 673-1190. The home burial packet contains a blank death certificate with instructions and a report of death form.

Oregon Revised Statutes § 432.133 highlights the death record creation process, which involves the following steps:

Gathering and completion of the deceased’s personal data
This role is usually performed by the funeral service practitioner or any person acting as a funeral service practitioner, who first takes custody of the dead body. The funeral service practitioner obtains the personal data of the deceased from the next of kin or the most qualified person or source available and fills out this information on the OVERS or the certificate obtained from the county’s Vital Record Office.
Medical certification
The funeral service practitioner or any person acting as a funeral service practitioner shall obtain a medical certification from the person responsible for the medical certification of the death within 48 hours after death. The attending medical certifier or their associate carries out the medical certification. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the death, the physician who performed an autopsy on the deceased, or the chief medical officer of the institution where the death occurred may also carry out the medical certification, if the death is due to a natural cause and they have had access to the medical history of the case. It is required that the person completing the cause of death and medical certification attests to its accuracy either by signature or by electronic signature.
However, if the cause or manner of death is not known or investigation is still pending, the cause or manner of death shall be noted as such on the report of death.
Submission of all the required information
After all the information required to complete the death certificate has been completed within the time frame prescribed by the Oregon Center for Health Statistics, the funeral service practitioner or person acting as a funeral service practitioner shall submit the report of death. This may also be done by the medical examiner.

How to Find Death Records Online in Oregon?

The Center for Health Statistics (CHS) does not provide an online database where members of the public can look up death records online in Oregon. State death records can only be accessed by querying the CHS via mail.

Considered open to citizens of the United States, public records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. Persons seeking to order online from third-party aggregate sites and online vendors will be required to provide:

The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government-sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites compared to government sources.

Death Record Search by Name in Oregon

Death record search by name is the most popular type of search carried out when seeking death records from an official record custodian or third-party provider. To conduct a death record search by name, the requesting party must provide or furnish the search engine with the full name of the subject of the record or decedent.

Death Record Search by Address

Where the full name of the deceased record is not known, requestors may attempt a death record search by the last known address of the deceased. However, unless additional information is provided to the custodian, the requester may have to filter down the results provided manually to find the person of interest.

How to Find Death Records for Free in Oregon?

Death records in Oregon cannot be obtained free of charge. The Center for Health Statistics requires requesters to pay the necessary fees to search or purchase death records.

How to Obtain Death Records in Oregon

The Oregon Vital Records office, referred to as the Center for Health Statistics (CHS), maintains records of deaths that occurred in Oregon from 1903 to the present. Death records can also be accessed at the Local Public Health Authority in the county where the death was recorded. With the Local Public Health Authority Directory, identify the county office closest to you and inquire about their services, mode of operation, office hours, and payment options.

Requesters can obtain certified long-form copies of death records with the cause of death or certified fact-of-death records through the Center for Health Statistics by mail. In-person requests are currently on hold till further notice due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Visit the Center for Health Statistics website for regular updates on the opening of the State Vital Records Counters or contact (971) 673-1190. To request a death record in Oregon, complete the Death Record Order Form or Acta de Defunción de Oregon Formulario de Solicitud with all the required information and mail the completed application, a copy of a current valid driver's license/ID card, or passport, and the required fee to:

Oregon Vital Records Office
800 NE Oregon Street
Suite 205, Portland
OR 97232-2162

Requesters that do not have any of the required IDs can send photocopies of three different documents that contain both their names and current addresses. Note that the documents must be dated within the last 30 days and must show the requester’s current mailing address. The documents must be mailed together with the completed form and fees. Some of the acceptable documents are utility bills (telephone, water, gas, electric, garbage removal, or other bills), medical statement, insurance statement, or paycheck stub.

Other unexpired state-approved documents are also allowed; examples include:

Court or parole documents;
Valid work ID, unemployment statement, food stamp, or other benefit cards (make a photocopy of both sides);
Union membership card
Vehicle registration or title statement
Auto insurance policy
US Immigration or naturalization papers.
Voter registration card issued by a county elections department.
Permit for firearms, hunting, fishing, or other licenses;

A person without any current valid ID or other acceptable documents can get the ID of an immediate family member and order the record. The requested records may also be delivered to a legal representative of a family member or sent directly to a government agency. The office of vital statistics also provides birth, marriage, and divorce records.

Can Anyone Get a Copy of a Death Certificate in Oregon?

According to Oregon Revised Statutes 432.380, only authorized persons can access death records for the first 50 years after the death. Authorized persons include immediate family members, government agencies, legal representatives, and persons with personal or property rights. These persons must present current valid IDs, supporting documents, or identifying documents before access is granted to the records. Legal guardians must enclose a copy of the legal document and valid ID.

If the requester is not qualified to obtain a death record, such person should enclose a written permission note with the notarized signature of an authorized eligible person. However, death records that are 50 years old or older can be accessed by the general public.

How Much Does a Death Certificate Cost in Oregon?

A death certificate costs $25 per copy in Oregon. In accordance with Oregon Administrative Rules (333) 011-0340(1), payment for the first copy is not refundable once the search for the record has been completed. Typically $25.00 covers a five-year search, but if the exact death year is unknown, add $1.00 per year if more than 5 years need to be searched. The fee for in-person requests, although currently unavailable, is $28.00. It includes a $3 security fee for the requestor's identity verification and ID review.

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

The time it takes to get a death certificate in Oregon is not fixed. It varies between five and eight weeks, depending on the CHS’s seasonal workload. For faster processing of a mail request, make payment with a money order instead of a personal check. Paying fees with a personal check may slow down the processing time by three weeks if the check:

Is a temporary check
Is on a new bank account
Has some alterations to the printed name or address
Is from an unrelated third party
Does not include a printed name or address

An additional delay of two to four weeks may also arise if an amendment for the requested record is being processed, the record is not on file, or valid ID or information is missing or in error.

For orders received by priority, certified, or overnight delivery, the processing time ranges from three to five business days, if no record problems are identified. In-person requests, although currently unavailable, take 30 minutes - 1 hour to be processed, if no record problems are discovered.

How Long to Keep Records After Death

In Oregon, the law does not specify how long death records should be kept after death. However, it is necessary to retain possession of death records permanently, as these records are used as permanent official evidence for legal purposes. The Oregon Medical Board recommends medical records of deceased persons be kept for a minimum of ten years after the dead patient's last contact with a health institution or licensee.

How to Expunge Your Death Records in Oregon?

Death records cannot be expunged in Oregon. Expungement is a court-ordered procedure that authorizes the deletion of a record that is considered sensitive or permitted to be deleted after the subject of the record has qualified for an expungement. In Oregon, only criminal records can be expunged. There are no laws authorizing the expungement of death records in the state.

How to Seal Your Death Records in Oregon?

There are no laws authorizing the sealing of death records in Oregon.

How to Unseal Your Death Records in Oregon?

There are no laws authorizing the unsealing of death records in Oregon.

How to Use the Oregon Death Registry

The Oregon death registry contains all records of registered deaths that took place in Oregon. While the state of Oregon does not provide an online registry for deaths in Oregon, some privately owned websites make this data available. Those seeking to access this registry would need to provide the name and date of death of the deceased. The Oregon death index can be accessed online from the website of the government agency in charge of collating the death index, while Oregon death notices can be acquired from newspaper publications.

How to Find an Obituary for a Specific Person in Oregon

Individuals seeking to find an obituary of a specific person can check Oregon death records, death index, state-maintained archives, libraries, newspaper publications, and third-party sites. Requestors can also send a mail to the Oregon Department of Health or visit in person to make inquiries.

How to Conduct a Free Obituary Search in Oregon

Members of the public can conduct a free obituary search in Oregon via newspaper publications, death record inspections, libraries, and third-party sites. The requestor would only need to know the deceased's full name and date of death.

What is Considered a Death Notice in Oregon?

Oregon death notices are published summaries in local newspapers that are usually done by family members of a deceased person to inform the public of their passing. The article usually indicates who the person was survived by as well as details of the services to be held

What is the Difference Between Death Notices and Obituaries?

Death notices and obituaries are primarily distinguished by their brevity. While death notices are brief and intended to notify the public of a person's demise, obituaries are lengthy and provide extensive details of the deceased, their life, accomplishments and surviving family.