Boston Obituary Records
Boston obituary records date back to 1630, making this one of the oldest death record collections in the United States. You can search Boston obituary records online through the city's free death search tool, request copies from the Registry Division at City Hall, or dig into newspaper archives at the Boston Public Library. The state also holds Boston death records at the Massachusetts Archives for years 1841 to 1930, and through the Registry of Vital Records for 1936 to the present. This page covers all the ways to find and request obituary records for the city of Boston.
Boston Overview
Boston Registry Division
The Boston Registry Division handles all death certificate requests for the city. It sits inside Boston City Hall at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213. The office issues certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates. It also processes marriage licenses and even holds wedding ceremonies at City Hall. For obituary research, this is the first place to start if the death happened in Boston.
You can reach the registry at 617-635-4175 or by email at registry@boston.gov. There are four ways to get a death certificate: walk in, call, email, or mail a written request. In-person visits are fastest. Fees depend on the type of copy and how you order. The office is near the Government Center MBTA station on both the Green and Blue lines.
The Boston city website provides details on how to request obituary records and death certificates from the Registry Division.
The site also has info on other city services handled by the Registry Division.
| Office | Boston Registry Division |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 City Hall Square, Room 213 Boston, MA 02201-2006 |
| Phone | 617-635-4175 |
| registry@boston.gov |
Search Boston Death Records Online
Boston has a free online death record search tool that covers deaths from 1956 to the present. Type in a name and the system checks its database. If a match comes up, it shows the name and year of death on file. This tool won't give you the full certificate, but it confirms whether a record exists. You can then request a certified copy from the Registry Division.
The Boston online death search lets you look up obituary and death records from 1956 onward at no charge.
This is one of the only free city-level death search tools in all of Massachusetts.
For older Boston obituary records, use the Massachusetts Archives Vital Records Search. This free database covers 1841 to 1910. Enter a name, choose Boston as the location, select "Death," and set a year range. Results show volume and page citations. Digital images of death records from 1841 to 1925 are free to view. The State Archives will also email scans of up to five records from 1841 to 1930 at no charge. Send your request to archives@sec.state.ma.us.
Historical Boston Obituary Resources
Boston has some of the deepest obituary resources in New England. The city maintained death records since 1630, though it did not report vital statistics to the state until around 1850. That means the oldest records exist only at the city level through the Registry Division. For colonial-era deaths, the Boston Record Commissioners Reports cover many early records that were transcribed from the original town books.
The Boston Public Library is a major hub for obituary research. Its microfilm collection holds the Boston Globe from 1872 to the present. The library also has Boston Herald American archives, Boston Evening Transcript files, and other historical newspapers. The Boston Transcript Obituary Index covers 1875 to 1900 and is especially useful for that period. The library's Research Services department can help with deeper genealogy work.
Other Boston institutions that help with obituary research include the Boston Athenaeum for genealogical collections, the Massachusetts Historical Society at 1154 Boylston Street, the State Library of Massachusetts, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society at 99-101 Newbury Street. The NEHGS runs AmericanAncestors.org, which has the Boston Jewish Advocate Obituary Index with over 24,500 notices from 1905 to 2007.
Note: Boston death records from before 1841 exist only at the city level and cannot be found in the state archives or RVRS databases.
How to Get Boston Death Certificates
The Registry Division offers several ways to request death certificates. In person is the quickest. Go to City Hall, Room 213, with a valid photo ID. Staff can pull the record and print a certified copy while you wait. Bring cash or check for payment.
By mail, send a written request to the Registry Division at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, Boston, MA 02201-2006. Include the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and your return address. Add a check or money order for the fee. Mail requests take longer than in-person visits but work well if you can't get to City Hall.
You can also order through VitalChek for online or phone ordering. The first copy costs $54 and extra copies are $42 each through VitalChek. Call (866) 300-8535 for phone orders. VitalChek offers next-day shipping for urgent needs. For death records from 1936 to the present, the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester also has copies. Walk-in cost is $20 there.
Boston Obituary Access and Privacy
Death certificates in Boston are public records under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46. Anyone can request a copy for obituary research, genealogy, or other reasons. The one exception is cause of death. Under Section 46-2A, only the surviving spouse, parent, child, sibling, legal guardian, or legal representative can see that part. If you request a death certificate for someone you are not related to, the cause of death section will be left blank on your copy.
The Massachusetts Public Records Law also applies. Government agencies must respond to record requests within 10 business days. Copy fees are capped at $0.05 per page for standard black and white copies. Search time is free for the first two hours for cities over 20,000 people, and after that the maximum charge is $25 per hour.
Suffolk County Obituary Records
Boston is in Suffolk County. The county also includes Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Each city and town keeps its own death records at the local clerk level. For more on obituary resources across all of Suffolk County, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Boston also have their own obituary records at their local clerk offices.