Access Weymouth Obituary Records
Weymouth obituary records go back to the town's earliest days in the 1620s, with formal vital records kept since before 1850. The Town Clerk on Middle Street is the main source for Weymouth death certificates and obituary lookups. You can also search older Weymouth obituary records through the Massachusetts Archives free online database, which covers the years 1841 to 1925. For more recent deaths, the state Registry of Vital Records holds Weymouth records from 1936 to the present. This page walks through all the ways to find, request, and search for obituary records tied to Weymouth, Massachusetts.
Weymouth Overview
Weymouth Town Clerk Office
The Weymouth Town Clerk is the first stop for anyone who needs a death certificate or obituary record from this town. The office sits at 75 Middle Street in Weymouth. Staff there can pull death records for any death that took place in Weymouth or for any Weymouth resident who died elsewhere in Massachusetts. You need a valid photo ID to request a certified copy. The clerk also keeps birth and marriage records on file.
Call the office at 781-340-5012 to check hours or ask about a specific record before you go in person. Most requests can be done at the counter while you wait. Bring cash or a check to pay the fee. The Town Clerk can also help you figure out which office holds a record if the death happened in a different town. In Massachusetts, the town where the death took place keeps the original record, so this step matters for Weymouth obituary research.
Mail requests work too. Send a letter to the Town Clerk at 75 Middle Street, Weymouth, MA 02189. Include the full name of the person who died, the date of death if you know it, and a check for the copy fee. Add your return address and a phone number in case the clerk has questions. Allow two to three weeks for mail requests.
| Office | Weymouth Town Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 75 Middle Street Weymouth, MA 02189 |
| Phone | 781-340-5012 |
Search Weymouth Death Records Online
The Massachusetts Archives Vital Records Search is the best free tool for finding older Weymouth obituary records. The database covers all Massachusetts towns from 1841 to 1910. Type in the name, pick Weymouth as the town, set the record type to "Death," and enter a year range. Results show volume and page numbers that point to the original ledger entries.
Digital images of Weymouth death records from 1841 to 1925 are free to view through the archives site. If you can't find a record in the online search, you can email the archives staff at archives@sec.state.ma.us and ask them to check. They will scan up to five records from 1841 to 1930 at no cost and send the images by email. This is a huge help for Weymouth obituary research when you know the name but not the exact date.
The Massachusetts State Archives vital records page shows how to search for Weymouth and other town death records in the state collection.
The archives site also lists options for certified copies at $3 per certificate for records from 1841 to 1930.
For Weymouth deaths from 1936 to the present, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester holds copies. Walk-in requests cost $20 per copy. You can also order through VitalChek online or by phone at (866) 300-8535. VitalChek charges $54 for the first copy and $42 for each extra one. Mail orders sent to the RVRS at 150 Mount Vernon Street, 1st Floor, Dorchester, MA 02125 cost $32 per copy and take about 30 business days to process.
Weymouth Historical Obituary Sources
Weymouth is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts. It was settled in 1622, just two years after Plymouth. That long history means there are death records and burial entries going back centuries. The Weymouth Town Vital Records to 1850 is a published volume that transcribes early town records including deaths, births, and marriages from the original handwritten books. This is the go-to source for Weymouth obituary research before the state started collecting records in 1841.
The Weymouth Historical Society holds local records, photos, and documents that can help fill gaps in obituary research. They may have funeral home records, church burial registers, and newspaper clippings that the town clerk does not keep. Historical societies like this one are often the only place to find details that never made it into official records.
Newspaper obituaries are another key source for Weymouth. The Patriot Ledger, based in Quincy, has covered the South Shore including Weymouth for decades. Back issues may be on microfilm at local libraries. The Weymouth Public Library and the Tufts Library branch can point you to local newspaper archives and genealogy collections. For broader searches, FamilySearch has free Massachusetts death and burial records covering 1795 to 1910, and the Massachusetts Town Clerk vital records collection goes from 1626 to 2001.
Note: Weymouth death records before 1841 exist only at the town level and will not appear in the state archives online database.
How to Get Weymouth Death Certificates
There are a few ways to get a Weymouth death certificate. The fastest is to go to the Town Clerk at 75 Middle Street in person. Bring a photo ID and cash or check. Staff can usually pull the record and print it while you wait. This works well if you need the certificate the same day for estate settlement, insurance claims, or legal matters.
You can also call 781-340-5012 first to check if the record is on file. The clerk can tell you what you need to bring and what the current fee is. Fees at the local level in Massachusetts typically run between $15 and $25 per certified copy, though this can change. Phone calls save you a trip if the record turns out to be in a different town's files.
For Weymouth deaths after 1936, the state RVRS is another option. Their office at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester takes walk-in requests at $20 per copy. They also accept mail orders at $32 each. If you need it fast and can't visit in person, VitalChek handles phone and online orders with next-day shipping available. It costs more through VitalChek but the speed can be worth it when time matters.
- In person at Weymouth Town Clerk: fastest option, bring photo ID
- By mail to 75 Middle Street, Weymouth, MA 02189: allow 2-3 weeks
- State RVRS walk-in: $20 per copy at 150 Mount Vernon St, Dorchester
- VitalChek online or phone: $54 first copy, $42 additional
- Massachusetts Archives: $3 per certified copy for 1841-1930 records
Weymouth Obituary Access Rules
Death certificates in Weymouth are public records under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 46. Anyone can request a copy. You do not need to prove a family link or give a reason. The one part that is restricted is cause of death. Under the law, only a surviving spouse, parent, child, sibling, legal guardian, or legal representative can see the cause of death on a Weymouth death certificate. If you are not in one of those groups, the clerk will issue a copy with that section left blank.
The Massachusetts Public Records Law gives you extra protections when requesting records. Government offices must respond within 10 business days. For towns like Weymouth with over 20,000 residents, the first two hours of search time are free. After that, the maximum charge is $25 per hour. Standard copy fees are capped at $0.05 per page for black and white copies. These rules apply to the Town Clerk and all other Weymouth government offices that hold records.
Weymouth obituary records from before 1841 may not fall under these same rules since they predate statewide vital record laws. For those older records, you will need to work directly with the Town Clerk or the Weymouth Historical Society.
Norfolk County Obituary Records
Weymouth sits in Norfolk County. One thing that catches people off guard is that Norfolk County does not keep vital records at the county level. All death records stay with the individual town clerks. So for Weymouth obituary records, the Town Clerk is your source, not a county office.
That said, Norfolk County does run a Probate and Family Court in Dedham. Probate records sometimes contain death-related documents like estate filings, wills, and notices to creditors. These can help fill out an obituary search when you need more than just the death certificate. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds at 508-528-1960 may also have property transfer records triggered by a death.
For a full look at obituary resources across all Norfolk County towns, check the county page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Weymouth also have their own obituary records at their local clerk offices.