North Carolina death records are open to the public. Like many other states, though, the region did not always report the deaths of locals especially during the early portion of the establishment of the region. This does not mean that these records are not available, though. Many of these records are available and because of that, it is important to know where to look for these records. Death records can contain a great deal of information, but in North Carolina, the state only requires a registration of data, not full information provided.

North Carolina began requiring the registration of deaths in March of 1913. At that time, the county clerk's and town offices sent the notations of a death to the state level for recording and registration. However, it took until 1920 for compliance to this change. During that period of time, there are some areas of the state that reported death information quite well and others that did not. If you are looking for any death records dating from March of 1913, the first place to gather this information is through the Vital Records Section of the state.

You can write or visit this location. For all North Carolina death records from 1913 onwards, the best location to start your search is through the following address.

North Carolina Department of Environment

Health and Natural Resources

Vital Records Section

225 North McDowell Street

PO Box 29537

Raleigh, North Carolina 27626

There is a minimal fee that you will need to pay in order to get this information. The agency states that a records search for informal or non-legal documentation of deaths can take several weeks to complete. This information could take up to several months in some searches for very old or hard to find data.

Prior to 1913, death records were not kept at the state level. This means that in order for you to find these records, you will need to turn to the local county and township offices. These offices gather data at the time of the death and record it in the county health department. This still occurs today. In fact, if you need an immediate death record for someone who has died within the recent past, it is this location you will go to get the record from. Township clerks originally kept this information. For those records from prior to the 1800's, you can also look to the religious organizations present at the time. These organizations kept some of the best records up and down the Atlantic coast during the early years of the founding of this area.

It can be a challenge to find some of the North Carolina death records from very old records searches. You may find some information, though, at the local level. Once you obtain this information, it can be a great way to answer questions about family history, property records and even about the places that a person lived prior to their death. Death records searches can take time but are often worth it.

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