Virginia · 133 counties
When someone dies in Virginia
Two things matter first: getting certified death certificates, and, if money is short, reaching the burial assistance program in the county where the death happened. Pick your county below for exact contacts.
The paperwork
Death certificates in Virginia
Certified copies come from the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records (official site).
Certified copies cost $15 each from the Health Department, or $17 through a DMV customer service center, and every DMV customer service center in Virginia sells them. The DMV route is often much faster than mail. Mail applications go to the Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, VA 23218-1000, and the Customer Care Center is 804-662-6200, 8:00am to 4:30pm weekdays. Virginia limits records to immediate family only: mother, father, current spouse, child, brother, sister, and grandparents, with valid ID.
Planning ahead
Nobody has died yet? Set up a power of attorney
If someone you love is aging or ill, the cheapest protection your family can get is a power of attorney, and it must happen while they can still sign. We cover Virginia's exact rules and official forms.
Virginia power of attorney rulesPick your county
Virginia counties (133)
Accomack CountyAlbemarle CountyAlexandria CityAlleghany CountyAmelia CountyAmherst CountyAppomattox CountyArlington CountyAugusta CountyBath CountyBedford CountyBland CountyBotetourt CountyBristol CityBrunswick CountyBuchanan CountyBuckingham CountyBuena Vista CityCampbell CountyCaroline CountyCarroll CountyCharles City CountyCharlotte CountyCharlottesville CityChesapeake CityChesterfield CountyClarke CountyColonial Heights CityCovington CityCraig CountyCulpeper CountyCumberland CountyDanville CityDickenson CountyDinwiddie CountyEmporia CityEssex CountyFairfax CountyFairfax CityFalls Church CityFauquier CountyFloyd CountyFluvanna CountyFranklin CountyFranklin CityFrederick CountyFredericksburg CityGalax CityGiles CountyGloucester CountyGoochland CountyGrayson CountyGreene CountyGreensville CountyHalifax CountyHampton CityHanover CountyHarrisonburg CityHenrico CountyHenry CountyHighland CountyHopewell CityIsle of Wight CountyJames City CountyKing George CountyKing William CountyKing and Queen CountyLancaster CountyLee CountyLexington CityLoudoun CountyLouisa CountyLunenburg CountyLynchburg CityMadison CountyManassas CityManassas Park CityMartinsville CityMathews CountyMecklenburg CountyMiddlesex CountyMontgomery CountyNelson CountyNew Kent CountyNewport News CityNorfolk CityNorthampton CountyNorthumberland CountyNorton CityNottoway CountyOrange CountyPage CountyPatrick CountyPetersburg CityPittsylvania CountyPoquoson CityPortsmouth CityPowhatan CountyPrince Edward CountyPrince George CountyPrince William CountyPulaski CountyRadford CityRappahannock CountyRichmond CountyRichmond CityRoanoke CountyRoanoke CityRockbridge CountyRockingham CountyRussell CountySalem CityScott CountyShenandoah CountySmyth CountySouthampton CountySpotsylvania CountyStafford CountyStaunton CitySuffolk CitySurry CountySussex CountyTazewell CountyVirginia Beach CityWarren CountyWashington CountyWaynesboro CityWestmoreland CountyWilliamsburg CityWinchester CityWise CountyWythe CountyYork County