Search Springfield Obituary Records

Springfield obituary records go back to 1638, making this one of the longest-running death record collections in Western Massachusetts. You can search Springfield obituary records by visiting the City Clerk on Court Street, ordering copies through VitalChek, or browsing historical indexes on FamilySearch. The Republican newspaper has also published Springfield obituary notices for well over a century. Whether you need a recent death certificate or are tracing a family line through old Springfield death records, this page walks through every method and resource that is available to you right now.

Springfield City Clerk Office

The Springfield City Clerk is the main office for death certificates and obituary records in the city. It is on the ground floor of 36 Court Street, Room 8, in downtown Springfield. The clerk keeps vital records for births, deaths, and marriages that took place in Springfield. If someone died in the city limits, this office has the record on file. Walk-in requests are the fastest way to get a copy.

Call 413-787-6190 to check on hours or ask about a specific record before you visit. Staff can tell you if a death record is on file and what you need to bring. Have the full name of the person and the date of death ready when you call. A valid photo ID is needed for in-person pickups. The clerk also handles mail requests if you send a written letter with a check or money order for the fee.

The Springfield city website has details on how to contact the City Clerk and request obituary records or other vital records.

The site also lists other city departments and services tied to public records in Springfield.

Order Springfield Obituary Records Online

You can order Springfield death certificates through VitalChek's Springfield ordering portal. This is the authorized online vendor for the City of Springfield. Select death certificate as the record type, fill in the name and date of death, and pay with a credit or debit card. VitalChek adds a service fee on top of the base cost. Expedited shipping is also an option if you need it fast.

The VitalChek page for Springfield walks you through the full online ordering process for obituary and vital records.

This is the easiest way to get a Springfield death certificate if you can't visit the clerk in person.

Phone orders are another choice. Call VitalChek at (866) 300-8535 to place a request over the phone. Give them the same details you would put on the online form. They process it through the Springfield City Clerk just like the web portal does. Keep in mind that VitalChek fees are higher than what you pay at the clerk window. If cost matters more than speed, go in person or send a mail request instead.

For death records from 1936 to the present, the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester also holds copies. Their walk-in fee is $20. You can request by mail or online through VitalChek at the state level too.

Historical Springfield Obituary Resources

Springfield has deep historical death records. The city was founded in 1636 and began keeping vital records just two years later. That means Springfield obituary records stretch back nearly four centuries. The earliest records are handwritten entries in old town books. Some of these have been transcribed and indexed over the years, but the originals sit with the City Clerk.

FamilySearch hosts the Springfield Vital Records Index covering 1638 to 1887. This free database lets you search by name and find death entries from the colonial and early American periods. It is one of the best tools for genealogy work in Springfield. The site also has Springfield Death Records from 1880 to 1897 and death indexes from 1870 to 1924. These overlap with the vital records index but add more detail for those specific year ranges. All of these collections are free to search and view.

The Massachusetts Archives Vital Records Search covers 1841 to 1910 statewide. Set the location to Springfield and the record type to death. Results show volume and page numbers. Digital images of death records from 1841 to 1925 are free to view on the site. The State Archives will also email scans of up to five records from 1841 to 1930 at no charge if you write to archives@sec.state.ma.us.

Springfield Newspaper Obituary Archives

The Republican is the main newspaper for Western Massachusetts. It has published Springfield obituary notices for well over 100 years. If you are looking for an obituary that ran in print, The Republican is the first place to check. The paper covers Springfield and the surrounding Hampden County area closely. Many families placed paid death notices and full obituaries in this paper.

The Springfield City Library has a local history room with newspaper archives on microfilm. Staff can help you search old issues of The Republican and other local papers for obituary listings. The library also holds city directories, cemetery records, and other genealogy materials. It is a strong resource for Springfield obituary research that goes past what you can find in the clerk's records alone. Bring dates and names if you have them, as it speeds up the search by quite a bit.

Online newspaper databases like Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank also carry scanned issues of Springfield papers. These are paid services but they let you search from home. Some public libraries give free access to these databases with a library card. Check with the Springfield City Library to see what they offer.

How to Get Springfield Death Certificates

There are three main ways to get a Springfield death certificate. Each has its own cost and speed. Pick the one that fits your needs.

• In person at the City Clerk, 36 Court St, Room 8. Bring a photo ID and cash or check. This is the fastest option.
• By mail to the City Clerk. Include the full name of the deceased, date of death, your return address, and a check or money order.
• Online through VitalChek. Pay with a credit card. VitalChek adds a service fee but offers expedited shipping.
• By phone through VitalChek at (866) 300-8535.
• Through the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics for deaths from 1936 to the present.

For genealogy requests involving older Springfield obituary records, the City Clerk may need extra time to search through older books. Call ahead if your request involves a death before 1900. The clerk staff can let you know what they have on file and whether the record has been indexed. Some very old records may take a few days to locate since they are stored in different formats than modern files.

Springfield Obituary Access and Privacy

Death records in Springfield are public under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46. Anyone can request a copy for obituary research, genealogy, legal matters, or personal use. You do not need to be a family member to get a death certificate. The one part that is restricted is the cause of death. Under Section 46-2A, only the surviving spouse, parent, child, sibling, legal guardian, or legal representative can view that section. If you are not in one of those groups, the cause of death will be left blank on your copy.

The Massachusetts Public Records Law sets rules for how government offices respond to record requests. Agencies must reply within 10 business days. Standard copy fees are capped at $0.05 per page for black and white copies. For cities with more than 20,000 people, the first two hours of search time are free. After that, the maximum charge is $25 per hour. Springfield falls well over the 20,000 mark, so that free search time applies here.

Hampden County Obituary Records

Springfield is in Hampden County. The county includes cities like Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield. Each city and town keeps its own death records at the local clerk level. For more on obituary resources across all of Hampden County, visit the county page.

View Hampden County Obituary Records

Nearby Cities

These cities near Springfield also have their own obituary records at their local clerk offices.