In Kentucky, death records are available for most public searches. Death records provide important information for many people. For example, if you are trying to build your family tree, you may want to use these records to help with that search. You may also be able to use these searches for additional information such as to determine or verify the ownership of property or a person's address. This information can come in handy for legal inquiries or for many other reasons. No matter why you need them, it is important to know where to get these records from to start with.

In Kentucky, death records were not always kept at the state level. The state began requiring that deaths be reported to the state when a law was put into place in 1852. However, it did not take. In fact, compliance to this death recording law was minimal initially. That specific law stayed in place for only ten years. Then, from the time of 1872 through 1910, only minor maintenance and reporting occurred at this level. This makes it hard to track most death records from this time period. In 1911, the state again put into place a law that required that deaths be recorded at the state level.

So, if you are looking for Kentucky death records, a good place to start is with the state level if you need records that are from 1911 onwards. To do so, the best agency to contact is the Department of Health. If you need death records in the state from 1911 onwards, the best location is the following address:

Department of Health Services

Office of Vital Statistics

375 East Main Street

Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

You can write the agency or visit in person during normal business hours. For those who are in need of death records that are from any year prior to 1911, the search can be performed at the following address. These records remain incomplete, but there are many records available through the archive.

Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives

Public Records Division

300 Coffee Tree Road

PO Box 537

Frankfort, Kentucky 40602

It is not possible to visit this location in person, but you can write to the agency for additional information regarding the details of individuals in the state.

For those who need more detailed information about the death records of individuals in the state, it pays to look at the local level. Sometimes, the counties in the state have more of the information that you may need because the county clerk's offices gathered this information more extensively early on. For many people, it has become one of the best ways to gather information for genealogy reports and for property record searches. It can take some time to gather this information though. Even in limited circumstances, it is possible to get information about these records dating back to the 1800's in Kentucky. Death records can answer questions and provide vital information, if you can find the best resource for obtaining them.

• Kentucky Child Death Rate

• Kentucky Death Certificates & Records

• Kentucky Drunk Driving Death Rate

• Kentucky Fatal Occupational Injuries