Allegheny County Death Records
Allegheny County is Pennsylvania's second most populous county and home to Pittsburgh. Death records here go back to the 1870s, when Pittsburgh, Allegheny City, and McKeesport began keeping their own local registers. The Register of Wills in the City-County Building holds probate records from 1789 and vital records from 1870 through 1905. The Pennsylvania State Archives covers deaths from 1906 through 1975 in the statewide Death Index. Researchers have multiple access points for Allegheny County death records depending on the time period.
Allegheny County Quick Facts
Allegheny County Register of Wills
The Register of Wills sits in the City-County Building at 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. The phone number is (412) 350-4188. This office holds birth records from 1893 through 1905, death records from 1870 through 1905, marriage records from 1885 to the present, and probate records going back to 1789. Records on microfiche are on the mezzanine floor of the office.
The Death Record Docket covering 1874 through 1903 is on microfilm as Film number 404. The Estate Index covering 1788 through 1971 is on Film number 405. The Marriage License Index for 1885 through 1925 is on Film number 402. Naturalization records from 1798 through 1891 are also part of the Register's holdings. Will Books from 1788 through 1906 are available on microfilm at the Carnegie Library, which serves as a duplicate repository for many of these records. Researchers who cannot visit Pittsburgh in person can often access microfilm copies through the Carnegie Library system or through FamilySearch filming centers nationwide.
The Allegheny County Courts public records portal provides online access to some court and probate records. For death record research specifically, the Register of Wills office is the primary county contact. The Allegheny County Estate Index from 1788 through 1971 is one of the longest-running estate indexes in the state and covers a large portion of the county's history.
Pittsburgh and City Death Registers
Allegheny County had several municipalities that kept death registers before the state took over registration in 1906. City of Pittsburgh Death Registers from 1870 through 1905 are available through FamilySearch.org at no cost. Allegheny City Death Registers run from 1875 through May 1907, covering the period just before Allegheny City was annexed into Pittsburgh in 1907. McKeesport maintained Death Registers from 1887 through 1905.
Smaller communities also have surviving records. Sewickley kept Death Registers from 1894 through 1905. Wilkinsburg has Death Registers from 1899 through 1905. These municipal registers are separate from the county-level records and must be searched individually. FamilySearch has digitized many of these, making them searchable online without a trip to Pittsburgh. The Carnegie Library at 4400 Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh also holds duplicate birth and death registers for 1870 through 1905. Obtaining a copy of a birth or death register entry from the Carnegie Library costs $5.00 per record for the 1870 through 1905 period.
The vitalrec.com county guide for Allegheny lists additional sources and repositories for vital records in the Pittsburgh area. Vital statistics were kept locally from the 1870s in Pittsburgh, Allegheny City, and McKeesport well before the state mandated county-wide registration in 1893. This means coverage for Allegheny County deaths in the 1870s is better than in most rural Pennsylvania counties.
Note: Allegheny City records extend through May 1907 because the city was not annexed into Pittsburgh until that year.
Pennsylvania Death Index and Allegheny County
The Pennsylvania State Archives provides free access to the statewide Death Index for 1906 through 1975 at the PA State Archives vital statistics page. Allegheny County deaths during this period are fully included. The index lists the name, death date, and certificate number. With that number, you can order the full certificate from the Division of Vital Records.
Death certificates from 1906 through 1974 are physically held at the State Archives. Digital copies for 1906 through 1972 are available on Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania residents can access Ancestry free of charge at most public libraries in the state. The Pittsburgh area has multiple Carnegie Library branches where this free access is available. Soundex phonetic indexing covers 1920 through 1924 and 1930 through 1951. When a name search comes up empty for Allegheny County deaths in those ranges, a Soundex search often finds variant spellings. Death certificates become public 50 years after the death date, so any Allegheny County death from 1975 or earlier is now publicly accessible.
Ordering Allegheny County Death Certificates
Certified death certificates for deaths from 1906 forward are available through the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. Each copy costs $20. Order online at mycertificates.health.pa.gov through VitalChek, by phone at 724-656-3100 or 844-228-3516, or by mail to PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Walk-in service is available at the Pittsburgh walk-in office, which is the most convenient option for Allegheny County residents.
For deaths between 1870 and 1905, the Register of Wills is the source. For deaths before 1870, probate records and church registers are the primary sources. The Register of Wills holds probate records from 1789, and the Estate Index makes searching those records manageable. For very early Allegheny County deaths, the Will Books on microfilm at the Carnegie Library provide another access point. The PA Department of Health vital records page has current ordering details for all post-1906 certificates.
What Allegheny County Death Records Include
A death certificate from Allegheny County's state registration era gives the full name, date and place of death, age, birthplace, occupation, cause of death, the attending physician's name, and the names of surviving family members. Many certificates also name the informant, usually a close relative, which can help identify previously unknown family connections. For city death registers from 1870 through 1905, the level of detail varies by municipality and year. Pittsburgh's early registers tend to be more complete than those from smaller communities.
Death certificates become public record 50 years after the death date. All Allegheny County deaths from 1975 and earlier are now accessible to the public. For more recent deaths, eligible requestors include the deceased's spouse, children, parents, siblings, and legal representatives. Certified copies of post-1906 certificates cost $20 each. Order online at mycertificates.health.pa.gov through VitalChek, by phone at 724-656-3100 or 844-228-3516, or by mail to PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. The Pittsburgh walk-in state office is convenient for Allegheny County residents. Soundex phonetic indexing applies to the 1920 through 1924 and 1930 through 1951 periods, which helps with the many immigrant surnames in Pittsburgh's diverse communities. Digital copies from 1906 through 1972 are on Ancestry.com at no cost to Pennsylvania residents at most public libraries. The PA Department of Health vital records page has current ordering instructions and eligibility requirements.
Cities in Allegheny County
Allegheny County contains Pittsburgh along with dozens of boroughs and townships. Death records for Pittsburgh residents during 1870 through 1905 are in both the city registers and the Register of Wills. Post-1906 records for all Allegheny County municipalities are through the state.
Nearby Counties
Allegheny County borders several western Pennsylvania counties. Ancestors who lived near county lines may have records in multiple courthouses.