Recording Death Certificates

How Do I Record a Death Certificate?

A death certificate is an official document issued by the government, which declares cause of death, location of death, time of death and other personal information about the deceased. Typically, certified copies of Death Certificates are recorded in conjunction with owning or having a claim or interest in real property (land).

Oregon Death Certificates

  • Oregon Short Form Death Certificate (without cause of death information). An unaltered certified copy of an Oregon SHORT FORM death certificate may be accepted for recording in Wasco County. In order to record, you will need to attach the unaltered certified copy to a completed coversheet.
  • Oregon Long Form Death Certificate (with cause of death information). If the death occurred on or after January 1, 2014, we cannot accept Oregon Long Form death certificates showing cause of death. Please contact Oregon Vital Records (after 6 months of passing) or your local health department (within 6 months of passing) to order a short form death certificate. If the death occurred prior to January 1, 2014, you will need to attach the unaltered certified copy to a completed coversheet. Do not alter the death certificate in any way, including redacting the Social Security Number.
How Do I Locate a Death Certificate?
If the death occurred within the past 6 months, a certified copy of the death certificate can be ordered from your local health department. After 6 months from the passing, you'll need to contact Oregon Vital Records.