Rhode Island Death Records

Are Death Certificates Public in Rhode Island?

No, Death certificates and other vital record documents are not accessible to the public in Rhode Island, these records are considered confidential. Only individuals with a "direct and concrete interest" in the record may access these sensitive papers. Under Chapter 3 of the Rhode Island Health and Safety Code (§ 23-3-23), it is unlawful to disclose information that is contained in a death certificate or any vital record in general, except when exempted by law.

Only the following people may obtain copies of death certificates:

• The mother, father, brother, guardian, or designated representative of the deceased;
• members of legally incorporated genealogical society, attorneys at law, or title examiners performing official tasks;
• A person who requires information in order to establish or defend their own or others' property rights;
• A person who is in possession of a court order instructing the registrar to hand up the paperwork.

What are Death Records in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island death records are official documents prepared by the state to record deaths that occurred within its borders. In Rhode Island, the official death record is the death certificate. This is a Rhode Island vital record that identifies the deceased and the circumstances of the death. Therefore, a Rhode Island death certificates contain the following details:

• Decedent’s full name, including aliases
• Age, race, gender, and other biodata of the decedent
• Decedent's marital status and occupation
• Place and date of death
• Place and date of birth
• Cause of death
• Information about the decedent’s parents and spouse
• Death record registration number
• Certifying the physician’s signature
• Name and address of funeral home handling final arrangements

In confirming the status of the decedent, a death record is required by the descendants and executors named in the will for settling the estate of the deceased. Possible steps involved in such settlement include closing bank accounts, administering the will and estate, claiming insurance benefits, and finalizing pension payments. A death certificate is an official document that is accepted in Rhode Island courts for establishing claims while settling disputes related to the estate of the deceased.

The Rhode Island government also needs death records for its own purposes. These records help the government calculate population growth and age distribution. Such data are required when allocating state resources, formulating policies, collecting vital statistics, and designing public health interventions. State and federal government agencies also use death records to update voters’ databases and passport records and stop payouts of government benefits.

Researchers rely on death records for various genealogical and epidemiological studies. These can help calculate mortality rates and spot mortality trends. Medical researchers relying on the causes of death listed in these records can also track the virulence of infectious agents, morbidity, and other health statistics.

How are Death Records Created in Rhode Island?

When a death is recorded in Rhode Island, it must be registered with the Office of Vital Records of the Department of Health. This must be done quickly and by the person in charge of the remains of the deceased. This person may be the funeral home director tasked with the burial or the firm responsible for cremation. It may also be any other third party saddled with the responsibility of handling the deceased’s final burial arrangement.

Before filing the death certificate, the person responsible must collect the details on the document from all parties involved. These include the family of the deceased as well as the medical officer who certified the death. The physician, medical examiner, or coroner will provide a cause of death as well as a time of death and then sign the certificate.

The completed death certificate may then be filed with the state Vital Records or local officials. Rhode Island allows clerks in its 39 cities and towns to provide vital records. Once registered with Rhode Island Vital Records, the death record is sealed and only those deemed to have direct and tangible interests are allowed to access it. Eligible persons can then order certified copies of this vital document from the state’s Vital Records Office or the offices of clerks of cities and towns.

How to Find Death Records Online in Rhode Island

Rhode Island does not have a publicly accessible online database for finding its death records. While members of the public cannot look up Rhode Island death records online, they can order these vital records. The Office of Vital Records allows eligible persons to order certified copies of death records online through a third-party record provider. This firm processes requests submitted online but the Rhode Island Vital Records provides the actual records requested.

Considered open to citizens of the United States, public records are available through both traditional sources, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:

• The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
• The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government-sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.

Death Record Search by Name in Rhode Island

To perform a Rhode Island death record search by name, interested persons can make an appointment and visit the Center for Vital Records of the Rhode Island Department of Health. They can also go to the clerk's office in any city or municipality. The attending personnel would need the deceased person's first and last name as well as the year of death to search. A single record search is free when searching for the deceased from two possible consecutive years. After that, requestors will have to pay $2 to seek data from any additional years. It's important to keep in mind that before the search can begin, the requestor must show that they are eligible.

How to Find Death Records for Free in Rhode Island

Regardless of the methods of request, Rhode Island Vital Records does not provide death records for free. The clerks of the various towns and cities in the state also charge small fees for providing copies of death records. The Rhode Island State Archives, which holds archived death records that have become publicly available, also charges for access to its vital records.

How to Obtain Death Records in Rhode Island

All death records prepared in the state are available from the Rhode Island Vital Records, a unit of the Department of Health. Residents that cannot visit this state office may request for death certificates from their local city and town clerks. Note that a clerk is more likely to have and provide death records for the city or town they represent while Vital Records can provide any death record prepared in the state.

For death records older than 50 years, contact the Rhode Island State Archives located at:

33 Broad Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2353

This location is open to the public from Monday to Friday, except on public holidays, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

There are 4 ways to request copies of death records in Rhode Island from the Center for Vital Records. These are:

• Online
• By phone
• In person
• By mail

The Rhode Island Vital Records accepts online and phone requests for death records through a third-party partner. Those wishing to request copies of death certificates in person can visit Vital Records at:

Room 101
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908

There, they will complete and submit the application form. Requesters must bring along a valid government-issued photo identification. One of these will suffice:

• Driver’s license
• Military ID
• Passport
• Alien registration card
• Certificate of naturalization

If none of these is available, a requester must provide two of the following IDs with their names and addresses boldly printed:

• Utility bill
• Car registration
• Income tax return
• Bank statement

These forms of identification are needed to verify the identities of requesters and to confirm that they are eligible to receive requested death records. Rhode Island considers providing false identity with the intention to receive vital records as a crime. This is punishable by up to $1000 in fine, up to 1 year in jail, or both.

To request copies of a Rhode Island death record by mail, send a completed Application for a Certified Copy of a Death Record to:

RI Department of Health
Office of Vital Records
3 Capitol Hill
Room 101
Providence, RI 020908

In lieu of the application form, Rhode Island also accepts a written application for a death record as long as it provides the following information:

• Name on the death record
• Place and date of the event
• Requester’s relationship to the individual named on the record
• Reason for requesting the record
• Name and signature of the requester
• Mailing address and phone number of the requester

A mail request for certified copies of Rhode Island death certificates must also include a copy of an acceptable identification. Two copies of substitute IDs, as listed on the phone, are also accepted. Lastly, the requester must enclose full payment for the number of copies requested.

To request Rhode Island death records that are at least 50 years old, complete and submit the State Archives’ Vital Records Order Form. Send this by email to statearchives@sos.ri.gov. Requesters will be contacted about the amount they need to pay before the records requested are sent.

Can Anyone Get a Copy of a Death Certificate in Rhode Island?

No. Rhode Island considers death records as confidential records for the first 50 years after preparing them. After this period, the records are unsealed and made public records. During the 50-year period when death records are sealed, only certain individuals may request them. Eligible parties who can obtain copies of a death certificate in Rhode Island are those with the following relation to the deceased:

• Children
• Birth Parents and grandparents
• Decedent's Spouse, civil union partner, or registered domestic partner
• Relative
• Attorney or legal representative
• The insurance company holding the deceased’s policy

Death records may also be provided to third parties with court orders authorizing the release of those records. Rhode Island also provides vital records to legally incorporated genealogical societies that submit official requests.

How Much Does a Death Certificate Cost in Rhode Island?

When ordered online or by phone through the third-party provider partnering with the Center for Vital Records, Rhode Island death certificates cost $35. The provider charges an additional fee for anyone requesting a rush order. Requesters can pay the total fees due with checks, debit cards, and credit cards.

Cash is accepted for walk-in requests as well as checks and money orders. When paying with a check or money order, make it payable to the General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island. The Center for Vital Records charges $22 for the first copy of a death certificate requested in person. Each additional copy of the same record requested on the same day costs $18. Vital Records charges no search fee for searching for a name and record for two consecutive years. Requesters unsure of the exact year of death should expect to pay $2 for each additional year searched. A rush order attracts an additional $7 fee.

Rhode Island Vital Records office charges $25 for the first copy of a death certificate ordered by mail. Each additional copy of the same record ordered on the same day costs $18. Only check and money orders are accepted for fee payment for mail orders.

The Rhode Island State Archives has its own fee schedule for vital records. It charges $2 for each certified copy of a death record and accepts payment in cash and check. If paying with a check, make it out to the Office of the Rhode Island Secretary of State.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in Rhode Island?

The Rhode Island Office of Vital Records takes 1 - 2 weeks to process a request for copies of a death certificate. The processing time is the same for online, phone, in-person, and mail requests. Note that processing time starts when the office receives a request. Therefore, it may be longer for online, phone, and mail requests. Requesters can opt for expedited processing. Rush orders take 5 business days to process.

Note that processing time is not the same as the time taken to receive requested records. After processing, Vital Records mails out the copies produced. Delivery time varies and depends on the location of the requester. Requesters should allow an additional 1 week after processing to receive the records requested.

How Long to Keep Records After Death in Rhode Island

Rhode Island does not rule on how long the family and attorney of a decedent can keep their financial, identity, and property records after their death. Of these, financial records are the ones to keep for a long while after death. The IRS may choose the decedent’s tax returns within 3 years and may require those records. Property records should be kept for as long as possible as they may be required to settle land and estate disputes in Rhode Island courts.

How to Expunge Death Records in Rhode Island

Expungement is a legal term that describes the permanent removal or deletion of all or part of a record. It is most often used for criminal records. Rhode Island courts may rule to expunge the criminal records of persons whose convictions have been overturned or pardoned. The state does not make provisions for the expungement of its vital records including death records.

How to Seal Death Records in Rhode Island

Sealing a record requires a court order to restrict access to the specified record. Rhode Island restricts public access to death records by default for 50 years after preparing them. During this period, only those deemed eligible can access and get copies of these vital records.

How to Unseal Death Records in Rhode Island

Rhode Island makes no provisions for unsealing death records. These vital records become unsealed after 50 years. Members of the public do not have to petition a court to unseal death records after this period elapses. However, if they need to access the records before then, they will need to obtain court orders authorizing the access after demonstrating that they have direct and tangible interests in the sealed records

How to Use the Rhode Island Death Registry

The Rhode Island Death registry is maintained by the Rhode island department of state. Rhode island death registers are merely lists of deaths that have occurred in specific areas in the state. Annual death registration ledgers are created by compiling original municipal returns and duplicating them as official records. One copy is kept locally, and the other is sent to the State. Death registries in Rhode Island include information about the deceased's age, race or color, marital status, occupation, place of birth, parent's names, and the date and location of death. Names of the attending physician, the undertaker, and the site of disposition are listed in volumes starting in 1900. To use these registries, persons can search the data on these departments' websites by the date of death. The names of persons that have died within the selected time range can be searched alphabetically on these Rhode island death registries.

How to Find an Obituary for a Specific Person in Rhode Island

Anyone in Rhode Island who wants to look up an obituary for a specific person can do so by searching an online obituary index or by calling or going in person to the library during open hours. A complete archive of previous regional newspapers is maintained by libraries around Rhode Island. Each might have access to a good deal of genealogical data, including records of obituaries that are available for public viewing. For instance, the Providence Public Library is home to The Rhode Island Collection, which has old issues of the Providence Journal. If the publication date of the story is known, anyone can obtain information by going to the Providence Journal Rhode Island room. Staff will also assist in locating specific obituaries and answering simple queries.

How to Conduct a Free Obituary Search in Rhode Island

Persons can visit Rhode Island libraries to conduct a free obituary lookup. Libraries in Rhode Island have access to larger databases like HeritageQuest and NewsBank, which are frequently accessible online; these databases allow free obituary searches. Such genealogy websites provide numerous archival copies of obituaries and death certificates. A Free obituary search in Rhode island can also be conducted through the Rhode island historical society database. The Rhode Island Historical Society maintains copies of numerous newspapers that date back more than 150 years and stores countless numbers of obituary records crucial to Rhode Island history. In actuality, the archives have hard copies or microfilm of every newspaper ever printed in the state of Rhode Island. Individuals can go to their website and request an obituary search.

What is Considered a Death Notice in Rhode Island?

A brief notification of a death that has occurred in the state is known as a Rhode Island death notice. The deceased's name, age at death, date of death, residence, and surviving family members are all facts that are included in a Rhode Island death notice. This type of statement is the most common way to inform the community about a person's passing.

What is the Difference Between Death Notices and Obituaries?

A notice of death is brief. It simply includes the information required to announce the death (name, age, and date of death) and information about funeral or memorial preparations (date, location, and how to make donations). Due to the amount of information it carries, an obituary is typically several paragraphs longer than a death notice. It contains biographical details regarding the dead person's life. A death notice is normally made by the family and distributed to the newspapers of their choice, whereas a newspaper's staff typically writes an obituary and includes a comprehensive biography of the deceased.