Search Brockton Obituary Records
Brockton obituary records go back well over a century, with published vital records reaching as far as 1850. The Brockton City Clerk at 45 School Street is the main source for death certificates and obituary record searches in the city. You can request copies in person or get them through mail and online ordering. The state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics also holds Brockton death records from 1936 to the present. Plymouth County courts and the Brockton Public Library add more layers of obituary research for those looking into older or harder to find records. This page walks through every way to search for and get Brockton obituary records.
Brockton Overview
Brockton City Clerk Office
The Brockton City Clerk is the primary office for all obituary record requests in the city. It sits at 45 School Street in downtown Brockton. The clerk registers all deaths that happen in the city, issues certified copies of death certificates, and handles corrections or amendments to existing records. In fiscal year 2024, the office registered 451 deaths and processed certified copy requests for those and older records alike.
Getting a certified copy costs $10. The clerk accepts credit cards, which is helpful if you don't have cash or a check on hand. You can walk in during business hours, or you can send a request by mail or fax. The fax number is 508-583-6424. If you have questions before you visit, call 508-580-7117 or send an email to jmcgarry@cobma.us. Staff can tell you what they need from you to pull the right record.
The clerk also handles affidavits and vital record corrections for Brockton obituary records. If a death certificate has a wrong date, a misspelled name, or other errors, the clerk can walk you through the correction process. You will need supporting documents and sometimes a notarized affidavit. These fixes matter for estate work and legal filings where the record has to be right.
| Office | Brockton City Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 45 School St Brockton, MA 02301 |
| Phone | 508-580-7117 |
| Fax | 508-583-6424 |
| jmcgarry@cobma.us | |
| Fee | $10 per certified copy |
Brockton Obituary Records Through the State
The Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) keeps copies of Brockton death records from 1936 to the present. This is a backup option if the local clerk is slow or if you need the state seal on the certificate. The RVRS office is in Dorchester. Walk-in copies cost $20 there, which is more than the $10 fee at the Brockton clerk. But the state office can be useful when you are not sure which city the death was registered in.
The state RVRS portal shows how to order Brockton obituary records through their office and lists all accepted payment methods.
You can also order from RVRS through VitalChek online. The first copy runs $54 and each extra copy is $42 through that service. It costs more because VitalChek adds its own processing fee on top of the state fee. Phone orders go through (866) 300-8535. This is best for people who need rush delivery or live far from both the Brockton office and the state office in Dorchester.
Note: The Brockton City Clerk charges $10 per copy while the state RVRS charges $20, so request locally when you can to save money.
Historical Brockton Obituary Resources
Brockton has a rich set of historical obituary resources that go well past what the city clerk keeps on file. The book "Vital Records of Brockton to 1850" was published in 1925 and covers the earliest death records from when the area was still part of the town of North Bridgewater. This book is a key source for genealogists tracing Brockton families back to the early 1800s. Some libraries and archives hold copies, and digitized versions can be found through genealogy databases.
The Brockton Public Library has a Historical Room that holds local newspapers, city directories, and other materials useful for obituary research. Old issues of the Brockton Enterprise and its predecessors carry death notices and funeral announcements going back decades. The library staff can help you search microfilm and archived papers for specific names and dates. This is the best free option for finding Brockton obituary records that never made it into official databases.
For older state-level records, the Massachusetts Archives Vital Records Search covers 1841 to 1910. Set the town to Brockton (or North Bridgewater for pre-1874 records), choose "Death," and enter a year range. Results give you volume and page numbers. Digital scans of death records from 1841 to 1925 are free to view through the archives. You can also email archives@sec.state.ma.us to request scans of up to five records from 1841 to 1930 at no cost.
The New England Historic Genealogical Society runs AmericanAncestors.org, which has Massachusetts vital record indexes and other databases that can help track down Brockton obituary records from various time periods. A membership or day pass gives you full access to their search tools.
Brockton Cemetery Records
Cemetery records are a useful secondary source for Brockton obituary research. They often list the date of death, age at death, and sometimes the cause. Melrose Cemetery is the largest public cemetery in Brockton. It sits at 88 North Pearl Street. Call 508-580-7833 for burial record lookups. Staff can search by name and give you the plot location, burial date, and other details on file.
Brockton has several other cemeteries as well. Each one keeps its own burial logs. These records can fill in gaps when the city clerk's files are incomplete or when a death certificate is hard to find. For older burials, sexton records and church burial registers sometimes hold info that was never filed with the city. Plymouth County probate records can also help, since estate filings often reference the date and place of death.
How to Get Brockton Death Certificates
There are a few ways to get Brockton obituary records and death certificates. The fastest is to go in person to the City Clerk at 45 School Street. Bring a valid photo ID. Tell the staff the full name of the person and the date of death if you have it. They will search their records. If they find a match, you pay $10 and get a certified copy on the spot. Credit cards are accepted.
By mail, send a written request to the Brockton City Clerk at 45 School St, Brockton, MA 02301. Include these details in your letter:
- Full name of the deceased
- Date of death (or best estimate)
- Your name and return address
- A check or money order for $10 per copy
- Your phone number in case the clerk has questions
You can also fax your request to 508-583-6424. Make sure to include all the same details you would put in a mail request. Email requests can go to jmcgarry@cobma.us, though you may still need to pay before the copy ships. The clerk will let you know how to send payment.
Note: Brockton accepts credit cards for in-person requests, which not all Massachusetts city clerks do.
Brockton Obituary Access and Privacy Rules
Death certificates in Brockton are public records under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46. Anyone can request a copy. You do not need to be a family member or show a reason for your request. The one restriction is cause of death. Under state law, only close family members and legal representatives can see the cause of death on a certificate. If you are not related, your copy will have that field left blank.
The Massachusetts Public Records Law backs up this access. City agencies have to respond to record requests within 10 business days. Standard copy fees are capped at $0.05 per page for basic black and white copies, though certified vital record copies have their own fee set by statute. For Brockton, that is $10 per certified death certificate. These rules apply the same way across all Massachusetts cities with populations over 20,000, and Brockton falls well within that group.
Plymouth County Obituary Records
Brockton is in Plymouth County. The county covers a large section of southeastern Massachusetts and includes dozens of towns and cities. Each municipality keeps its own death records at the local clerk level, but Plymouth County probate and family court handles estate filings that often reference obituary records. For more on obituary resources across all of Plymouth County, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Brockton also have their own obituary records at their local clerk offices.