The Freedom of Information Act has mandated the government to let the public access their personal records. One of the states that have implemented such laws is Virginia. Virginia death records along other public documents can be accessed by the residents of the state.
The death of an individual may be a very emotional event that we encounter. However, the said incident has to be properly documented in order to respect the deceased and to notify people about the incident. This documentation is usually made in the form of a death certificate. Without the said certificate, the immediate family members of the deceased would not be able to process any transaction since the government that concerns the person who passed away. This includes the claiming of insurance as well as the benefits of the dependents and beneficiaries. In addition to that, the widowed souse cannot remarry without presenting the death certificate of the late partner.
Information about the person who died is indicated on the file. This includes when and where the person died as well as the cause of death of the individual. One would also know about the details of the funeral and interment services. The names of the immediate family members of the deceased are also indicated on the file.
The state of Virginia has kept registered death records since June 14, 1912 except for Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Richmond which have records since 1896. Retrieval of the record can be done with a processing fee of $12. The state of Virginia allows only the relatives of the deceased to access the death certificate. Just like any other public document, has to be able to provide the information about the deceased along with the personal information of the one who filed the request.
Knowing about the death of an individual can be done at the public library of the state. One can check out the obituary section of the newspapers that can be found on the library. This is very tedious and time consuming. The certificate can be obtained at the office of the Vital Statistics in Virginia. Going to the county clerk office is also one option in order to obtain a copy of the death certificate. Retrieval of the document would take several days. With this, the Internet has been utilized to shorten the wait time.
There is no need to go to any office just to request for a death certificate. It can now be requested online. This can save time and it is very convenient and easy to do even those who are new to the Internet can do this. Some websites even offer to do a free death records search. The results of such search may not be as accurate compared to a paid search. This is why many would still prefer the paid search.
Looking for paid or Free Public Death Notices? We have the information and insight to help you pick the right Death Notices.