Butler County Death Records
Butler County death records at the county level cover the 1893 through 1905 registration period, with Orphans' Court holding both birth and death certificate records from that era. An earlier set of Butler County deaths from 1852 through 1854 survives thanks to the short-lived state registration law of that period. Probate records go back to 1800. Marriage license applications begin in 1885. The Pennsylvania State Archives holds the statewide Death Index for 1906 through 1975, covering all Butler County deaths in that range. The Butler County Library and the Department of Vital Records both serve as additional research resources.
Butler County Quick Facts
Butler County Orphans Court Death Records
The Orphans' Court in Butler County holds the birth and death certificate records from 1893 through 1905. These county-level vital records predate the state system that began in 1906. Death records from 1852 through 1854 also survive courtesy of USGENWeb transcription efforts and the original county registers. The Butler County Death Index from 1894 through 1905 is part of the International Genealogical Index, searchable through FamilySearch.
The Register of Wills holds probate and estate records from 1800 to the present. Marriage license applications go back to 1885. Divorce records are through the Prothonotary. Naturalization records are also available through the courthouse system. Self-made photocopies cost 50 cents per page for records researchers locate on their own. Staff will handle genealogy requests on a limited basis with a minimal research fee, and most research requests are processed within 24 hours. The Butler County genealogy resources page on the official county website lists available collections and how to request records.
The Butler County Library system provides additional research resources for death records. Library holdings include obituary indexes for local newspapers, cemetery transcriptions, and genealogical reference works covering Butler County families. The library is a good starting point for deaths that predate the 1852 registration period, when church records and newspaper notices become the main sources of death information.
Pennsylvania Death Index for Butler County
The PA State Archives provides free online searching of the Death Index for 1906 through 1975. Butler County deaths during that period are fully covered. Search at the PA State Archives vital statistics page. The index result gives the name, death year, and certificate number needed to order the full document.
Death certificates from 1906 through 1974 are at the State Archives. Digital copies for 1906 through 1972 are on Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania residents get free access to Ancestry at most public libraries in the state. Soundex phonetic indexing covers the 1920 through 1924 and 1930 through 1951 periods. Death certificates become public record 50 years after death. All Butler County deaths from 1975 and earlier are now open to the public.
Certified copies of death 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 the nearest option for Butler County residents. The PA Department of Health vital records page outlines who may request non-public records and what supporting documents are needed.
Note: Butler County Deaths from 1852 through 1854 are available through USGENWeb and represent an early registration effort well before the county's 1893 through 1905 records.
Butler County Probate Records and Early Death Research
Probate records from 1800 are the primary source for Butler County deaths before the registration era. When a resident died with property, the estate was opened in the Orphans' Court and a will was probated or letters of administration were granted. These filings name the deceased, list heirs, and often give the date of death or the date the will was signed. The probate index covers 1800 to the present and is searchable by the decedent's name.
Butler County deaths during the gap years of 1855 through 1892 are not covered by any formal death register at either the county or state level. For this period, researchers rely on church burial records, cemetery tombstone inscriptions, newspaper death notices, and family Bible entries. Several cemetery databases cover Butler County burial grounds, and the county historical society maintains a collection of local newspaper issues that include death notices.
Butler County is in western Pennsylvania and was part of Allegheny County before 1800. Researchers tracing Butler County families from before 1800 should check Allegheny County records. Some very early estate filings for families who later moved into Butler County territory may be in the Allegheny County Register of Wills. The dividing line is the creation of Butler County, which occurred in 1800 when it was separated from Allegheny County.
What Butler County Death Records Include
Butler County death certificates from the state registration period give the full name, date and place of death, age, birthplace, occupation, cause of death, the physician's name, and the names of surviving family members. The informant field is especially useful because it often names a spouse or adult child who may not appear in other records. For deaths in the 1893 through 1905 county registration period, the format is similar but less standardized.
Death certificates become public record 50 years after the death date. All Butler County deaths from 1975 and earlier are open to the public. Certified copies 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 PA State Archives provides free online access to the Death Index for 1906 through 1975 at the PA State Archives vital statistics page. Soundex phonetic indexing covers the 1920 through 1924 and 1930 through 1951 periods. Digital copies of Butler County death certificates 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 explains who may request restricted records and what supporting documents are needed.
Nearby Counties
Butler County is surrounded by several western Pennsylvania counties. Families near county lines may have records in more than one courthouse, particularly for the period before Butler County's creation in 1800.