Search Quincy Obituary Records

Quincy obituary records go back to the early days of the town's founding in the 1600s, long before statewide vital records began in 1841. If you need to search for a death record or obituary in Quincy, the City Clerk at 1305 Hancock Street is the main place to start. You can also look through the Thomas Crane Public Library for local obituary listings and genealogy files. Norfolk County handles some of the vital records processing for Quincy, and the state archives hold older Quincy death records from 1841 to 1930. This page walks through each of those options so you can find the Quincy obituary records you need.

Quincy City Clerk Obituary Office

The Quincy City Clerk is the first stop for anyone looking for death certificates or obituary records in the city. The office sits at 1305 Hancock Street in downtown Quincy. Staff there can pull certified copies of death records for deaths that took place in Quincy or for Quincy residents who died elsewhere in the state. You will need a valid photo ID when you go in. If the record involves a restricted field like cause of death, you also need proof that you are a close relative or have legal standing to see that part of the file.

Fees for a certified copy of a Quincy death certificate run between $15 and $25. The exact cost depends on the type of copy and how old the record is. In-person requests at the Quincy City Clerk are the fastest way to get what you need. Most walk-in requests are done the same day. If you send a request by mail, plan on 7 to 10 days for the office to process it and mail it back to you.

Death certificates from the Quincy City Clerk are processed through Norfolk County's vital records division. That means the county plays a role in how records are filed and stored, even though you pick up your copy at the city level. This is standard across Norfolk County towns and cities.

Quincy Obituary Records at Local Libraries

The Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy is one of the best local resources for obituary research. The library has a genealogy collection that includes local death notices, family files, and town records that date back well before the state started tracking vital records in 1841. Staff in the local history room can help you search through microfilm, newspaper clippings, and other materials that are hard to find anywhere else.

The Thomas Crane Public Library provides a look at Quincy obituary records through its genealogy and local history collection.

Their local history room holds newspaper clippings and town records going back to the city's earliest days.

The Patriot Ledger is the main newspaper for Quincy and the South Shore area. It has run obituary notices for Quincy residents for decades. If you are trying to find a published obituary rather than an official death certificate, the Patriot Ledger archives are worth checking. Many libraries carry microfilm or digital access to back issues. Some obituary listings may also show up through online newspaper archive sites, though not all years are covered.

Quincy Public Library also holds local history items that can help with obituary research. Between the two library systems, you can access a wide range of Quincy death and obituary records without needing to go through the city or state.

Quincy Death Records Through State Sources

The Massachusetts Archives Vital Records Search is a free tool that covers death records from 1841 to 1910. You can search by name and pick Quincy as the location. Results give you volume and page numbers for the original records. Digital images of Quincy death records from 1841 to 1925 are free to view through the archives site. If you can't find what you need online, the archives staff will email scans of up to five records from 1841 to 1930 at no charge. Send your request to archives@sec.state.ma.us.

For more recent Quincy obituary records, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester holds death records from 1936 to the present. Walk-in copies cost $20 each. You can also order by mail for $32 per copy, which takes about 30 business days to process. The fastest option is through VitalChek, where the first copy is $54 and additional copies are $42 each. VitalChek orders ship in 7 to 10 business days, with next-day options available for urgent needs.

Getting Quincy Death Certificates

There are a few ways to get a copy of a Quincy death certificate. Each method has its own cost and timeline. Here is what you need to know for each one.

In person at the Quincy City Clerk is the quickest path. Bring a valid photo ID to 1305 Hancock Street and ask for the record at the front desk. Staff can pull the file and print a certified copy while you wait. You will pay between $15 and $25, depending on the record. This is the best choice if you need the document right away for estate work, insurance claims, or legal matters.

By mail, send a written request to the Quincy City Clerk at 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169. Your letter should include the full name of the person who died, the date of death if you know it, and your own name and return address. Add a check or money order for the fee. Mail requests take about 7 to 10 business days once the office gets your letter. Make sure your check is payable to the City of Quincy.

You can also go through the state. The RVRS office in Dorchester at 150 Mount Vernon Street handles walk-in requests Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The cost there is $20. If you want to order from home, VitalChek takes phone orders at (866) 300-8535 and online orders through their site. Keep in mind that VitalChek fees are higher than ordering directly from the city or state.

Required information for any Quincy obituary record request includes:

• Full name of the deceased, including maiden name if known
• Date of death (month, day, and year)
• Place of death (Quincy or specific address)
• Your valid government-issued photo ID
• Proof of relationship if requesting cause of death

Quincy Obituary Record Access Rules

Death certificates in Quincy are public records under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46. That means anyone can request a copy for obituary research, genealogy, or other purposes. The main restriction is the cause of death field. Under Section 46-2A, only the surviving spouse, parent, child, sibling, legal guardian, or legal representative can see that part of the record. If you are not one of those people, the Quincy City Clerk will give you a copy with the cause of death left blank.

The Massachusetts Public Records Law under MGL Chapter 66, Section 10, also applies to Quincy obituary records. Government offices must respond to record requests within 10 business days. Standard copy fees are capped at $0.05 per page for black and white copies. For cities over 20,000 people, like Quincy, the first two hours of search time are free. After that, the office can charge up to $25 per hour.

Genealogical research at the state level has its own hours. The RVRS in Dorchester offers walk-in genealogy research on Mondays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Parking at the RVRS costs $2 per hour, up to $6 for the day. The JFK/UMass stop on the Red Line is a five-minute walk from the office.

Quincy Obituary Genealogy Tools

Several online databases can help you track down Quincy obituary records and death notices from your own computer. FamilySearch is a free site run by a nonprofit. It holds Massachusetts death and burial records from 1795 to 1910 and town clerk vital records from 1626 to 2001. You do need to make a free account, but there is no subscription fee to search or view records.

AmericanAncestors.org from the New England Historic Genealogical Society has indexed Massachusetts vital records from 1841 to 1920 across multiple collections. This is a paid subscription service, but it offers deeper search tools than many free sites. Their collection includes the Massachusetts Vital Records Index for 1841 to 1895, plus additional sets that cover up to 1920.

Ancestry.com also has Massachusetts death records. Their collections include town and vital records from 1620 to 1988, a death index from 1970 to 2003, and death records from 1841 to 1915. The Social Security Death Index on Ancestry covers deaths from the mid-1900s forward and can be a useful cross-reference when searching for Quincy obituary records.

Norfolk County Obituary Records

Quincy is in Norfolk County. The county does not keep vital records at the county level. Each city and town in Norfolk County maintains its own death records through the local clerk office. Norfolk County does handle probate records, though, which can come up in obituary and estate research. For more on obituary resources across Norfolk County, check the county page.

View Norfolk County Obituary Records

Nearby Cities

These cities near Quincy also maintain obituary records at their own local clerk offices.