Fayette County Death Records
Fayette County death records from 1893 to 1905 are held by the Register of Wills office at the Fayette County Courthouse in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. The county has maintained vital records since 1893 for births and deaths, and marriage records from 1885 to the present. Estate records go back to 1784. Criminal and civil records from 1700 are also on file. A Records Department was created in late 2003 to manage permanent non-current records. The search fee for a death record is $5, payable by check. Records after 1905 are held by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Fayette County Quick Facts
Fayette County Register of Wills Death Records
The Register of Wills office in Fayette County maintains vital records of birth and death from 1893 to 1905. Marriage records go from 1885 to the present, and estate records cover 1784 to the present. To request a death record, you can mail a letter or a completed Birth or Death Record Application Form to the office. Your letter must include the full name of the record holder, the year of birth or death, and your contact information so the office can respond.
The search fee is $5, payable by check. This is one of the lower fees in Pennsylvania for county-level death record searches. Applicants must be 18 or older to request a death record. Birth record requests require the applicant to be at least 16. These age requirements apply to all requests made to the Fayette County Register of Wills office. Birth and death records after 1905 are held by the Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Vital Records and are not available at the county level.
The Record Archivist at the Fayette County Courthouse can assist with genealogy requests. The archivist can be reached at 724-430-1200 ext. 1507. The office is located on the fourth floor of the courthouse. Contact the Fayette County Record Archivist directly for assistance locating historical records across all departments.
Note: Online orders for post-1905 certified death certificates are available through a third-party vendor for $20 per record plus a $10 processing fee, compared to $20 for direct orders through the PA Division of Vital Records.
Fayette County Historical Records Overview
Fayette County's records department, created in late 2003, manages the permanent non-current records that have accumulated over the county's long history. The Clerk of Courts holds criminal, civil, and juvenile records from 1700 to the present. This is an unusually deep archive reflecting the county's age and importance as a southwest Pennsylvania county. Estate records from 1784, just after the Revolutionary War, show the depth of documentation available for early American settlers in this part of the state.
Researchers working on Fayette County genealogy benefit from the broad scope of available records. Fayette County court records can be searched to locate individuals in various legal proceedings. Marriage records from 1885 provide family connections. Estate records from 1784 document property transfers following deaths. Death records from 1893 to 1905 provide the most direct documentation for deaths in that window. Together, these sources give researchers a strong toolkit for tracing Fayette County families.
The county's location in southwestern Pennsylvania, bordering West Virginia and Maryland, means many Fayette County families had ties to neighboring states. Researchers should consider checking West Virginia and Maryland vital records when tracing families that lived near these borders. Many 19th-century families crossed state lines for work, marriage, and settlement, and death records may appear in a different jurisdiction than expected.
Pennsylvania Death Certificates for Fayette County
Deaths from 1906 onward are recorded by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. The PA State Archives Death Indices cover 1906 to 1975 and are free to search online. The index gives name, county, year, and certificate number. Original death certificates from 1906 to 1974 are at the State Archives. Digital copies for 1906 to 1972 are on Ancestry.com, free for Pennsylvania residents to view.
Certified copies cost $20 each from the PA Division of Vital Records. Orders can be placed online through mycertificates.health.pa.gov via VitalChek, by mail to PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103, or by phone at 724-656-3100 or 844-228-3516. The Pittsburgh walk-in office is the most convenient for Fayette County researchers. That office, along with five others in Pennsylvania, is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. Statewide registration began in 1906, with general compliance by 1915. Soundex indexing applies to records from 1920 to 1924 and 1930 to 1951. Death certificates are public 50 years after death.
Nearby Counties
Fayette County is in southwestern Pennsylvania. Several neighboring counties share similar record structures and time periods. Check these counties if your search in Fayette County does not yield results.