Huntingdon County Death Records
Huntingdon County death records from 1894 to 1905 are maintained by the Register and Recorder's Office at the county courthouse. Birth and death certificates from 1906 to the present are state records held by the Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Vital Records. Public records filed in the Register of Wills are searchable online through Infocon. The office handles marriage licenses, wills, estates, and probate matters. Marriage licenses require a $55 cash payment, must be done by appointment, and carry a three-day wait period.
Huntingdon County Quick Facts
Huntingdon County Register and Recorder Death Records
The Register and Recorder's Office in Huntingdon County maintains records of births and deaths from 1894 to 1905. This office is the correct contact for any genealogy request involving deaths during that period. Birth and death certificates from 1906 forward are state records and must be requested from the Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Vital Records, not the county office. Knowing which office holds which period of records saves researchers time and avoids unnecessary back-and-forth between agencies.
Public records filed in the Register of Wills are available online through the Infocon system. This online access lets researchers search basic record information before visiting in person or submitting a formal request. The Register of Wills handles probate of wills for resident decedents. The office also acts as agent for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for collection of state inheritance taxes. When a Huntingdon County resident died and left a taxable estate, the inheritance tax proceedings created records that often document the date of death and the names of heirs.
Marriage licenses in Huntingdon County require special attention. Both applicants must appear in person with valid photo identification. Appointments are required. The fee is $55 in cash only. No other payment method is accepted. Marriage licenses carry a three-day business wait time after application before they are issued. Once issued, a license is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance. These procedures apply to all marriages in Huntingdon County.
Note: The Huntingdon County Register and Recorder office page provides current contact information, hours, and procedural details for submitting record requests.
State Death Certificates for Huntingdon County
Deaths from 1906 onward in Huntingdon County 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. These indices include name, county, year, and certificate number. Original certificates from 1906 to 1974 are held at the State Archives. Digital copies of Pennsylvania death certificates from 1906 to 1972 are available on Ancestry.com free for Pennsylvania residents.
Certified copies cost $20 each. 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 Harrisburg walk-in office is the most accessible for Huntingdon County researchers and is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. Statewide registration began in 1906, with general compliance by 1915. Some early Huntingdon County deaths between 1906 and 1915 may be missing or incomplete. Soundex indexing applies to records from 1920 to 1924 and 1930 to 1951. Death certificates are public 50 years after death, so all records through 1975 are now accessible.
Huntingdon County Death Records Research
Huntingdon County sits in central Pennsylvania along the Juniata River valley. The county has a rich history tied to early American industry, including iron furnaces and the Pennsylvania Canal. Many families in the region trace their origins to German, Scots-Irish, and English settlers who came in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Church records from these early congregations often provide the only documentation for deaths before the 1894 start of county-level registration.
Probate records and wills are a strong supplement to the 1894 to 1905 death index. When a Huntingdon County resident died and left an estate, the Register of Wills opened a file. Those files typically include the date of death or a date range, names of surviving family members, and an inventory of assets. For deaths before 1894, these probate files are often the primary source. The Infocon online system provides some access to these records, which may help researchers identify relevant files before requesting the full documents.
The county's location in central Pennsylvania means it borders many other counties. Families frequently moved between Huntingdon, Blair, Centre, Mifflin, and Bedford counties. Checking death records in these neighboring counties is a practical step when a specific record cannot be found in Huntingdon County alone. The PA State Archives holds records from all 67 Pennsylvania counties, making it a central resource for cross-county research.
Nearby Counties
Huntingdon County is surrounded by Blair, Bedford, Centre, Mifflin, Fulton, and Juniata counties. Each holds its own set of death records that may be relevant to your research.