Lackawanna County Death Records
Lackawanna County death records from 1893 to 1905 were recorded by the Clerk of Orphans Court at the county courthouse in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The county offers a rich set of genealogy resources including marriage license indexes from 1885 to 1914, Scranton undertaker records from 1870 and 1902 to 1909, naturalization records from 1851 to 1905, and probate records with wills indexes from 1878 to 1939. Death certificates from 1906 to 1974 are at the Pennsylvania State Archives, and digital copies for 1906 to 1972 are available on Ancestry.com. Scranton has a state walk-in Vital Records office for in-person requests.
Lackawanna County Quick Facts
Lackawanna County Death Records Collection
Lackawanna County offers an unusually rich set of genealogy resources compared to many Pennsylvania counties. Death records from 1893 to 1905 are the primary county-level vital records, recorded by the Clerk of Orphans Court. Beyond these, the county maintains several other sources that document deaths from both before and after this period. The Lackawanna County Pennsylvania GenWeb project has compiled many of these resources into searchable databases available at no charge.
Scranton undertaker records from 1870, 1902, and 1909 provide death information that predates the formal 1893 county death index. These records were maintained by funeral directors and contain details about decedents that complement or predate official county records. Cemetery records and obituaries are available online through the GenWeb project. Naturalization records from 1851 to 1905 document immigrants who settled in Lackawanna County, often dying here as well. Church records including baptisms, marriages, and burials are also available, along with census indexes that include ward-level detail for Scranton.
Wills and probate records including indexes of wills from 1878 to 1939 are part of the Lackawanna County collection. The marriage license records index covers 1885 to 1914. These sources together with the death records make Lackawanna County one of the better-documented counties in northeastern Pennsylvania for genealogy research across the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Note: State Archives staff do not search digitized county records for mail inquiries. Researchers seeking specific records should contact the Lackawanna County courthouse directly or use the online resources available through the GenWeb project.
State Death Certificates for Lackawanna County
Death certificates from 1906 to 1974 are available at the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg. Digital copies for 1906 to 1972 are on Ancestry.com free for Pennsylvania residents. The PA State Archives Death Indices cover 1906 to 1975 and are free to search online. These indices provide name, county, year, and certificate number. Using the free index first saves researchers the cost of ordering a certificate they may not need.
Certified copies of death certificates from 1906 onward 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. Scranton has one of the six Pennsylvania walk-in Vital Records offices. The Scranton office accepts in-person requests Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. This is the most convenient option for Lackawanna County residents who need same-day certificate service.
Statewide registration began in Pennsylvania in 1906, with general compliance by 1915. Some Lackawanna County deaths from 1906 to 1915 may not appear in the state index. Soundex phonetic indexing applies to records from 1920 to 1924 and 1930 to 1951, useful when surname spellings vary across documents. Death certificates are public record 50 years after death. All certificates through 1975 are now accessible to any researcher without restriction.
Lackawanna County Genealogy Context
Lackawanna County grew rapidly in the 19th century due to the anthracite coal industry centered in Scranton. The county attracted large immigrant populations from Ireland, Wales, Germany, Italy, Poland, and other European countries. This diverse heritage means that Lackawanna County death records may involve individuals with varied ethnic backgrounds and name spellings. Naturalization records from 1851 to 1905 document many of these immigrants as they became citizens, providing additional research leads alongside the death records.
Scranton became one of Pennsylvania's largest industrial cities during this era. The city's growth is reflected in the county's records, particularly the undertaker records from 1870 and the early 1900s. These records capture deaths during a period of rapid population growth and industrial activity that predates the formal county death index. Researchers working on Scranton-area families should combine the GenWeb resources, undertaker records, and formal death index for the most complete coverage.
The Lackawanna County Historical Society in Scranton holds additional collections for genealogists. Local church records from Polish, Italian, Irish, and Welsh congregations document many of the county's immigrant families. These church records often provide more detail about cause of death, family members, and place of origin than official government records. Cemetery survey projects for Lackawanna County cemeteries are also available through historical society publications.
Cities in Lackawanna County
Scranton is the county seat and largest city in Lackawanna County. It is also home to one of Pennsylvania's six walk-in Vital Records offices, making it a convenient location for death certificate requests.
Nearby Counties
Lackawanna County borders Wayne, Wyoming, Susquehanna, Luzerne, and Monroe counties. Many neighboring counties have similar death record start dates and holding institutions.