Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists (as well as the largest of them all – FamilySearch), a great number of indexes to death collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific death information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual death certificates themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include death information that are not included in the lists below. For example, newspapers and obituaries have death info, but most times obituary indexes include the date of the obituary but not the date of death. To find out which types of other records may include death information, please see:
The lists below are specific death indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state of Kentucky.
Note 1: Many of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. In many cases there is a link to the digital collection in the middle of the page, but also near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. Please also note that I have listed below only BMD databases that are accessible digitally from your computer (or tablet/phone)
Note 2: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription, you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated May 2021; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Adair County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Adair County Deaths, 1852-1859
- Adair County Births, Marriages, Deaths 1852-1859, 1861, 1893-1894, 1903-1904, 1906-1907
- Adair County, Death Indexes
- Afro-American Deaths of Adair thru Bath County 1852-1862
- Afro-American Deaths of Boone thru Boyle County 1852-1862
- Allen County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index 1852-1862
- Allen County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Allen County Deaths, 1852-1862
- Allen County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1914
- Anderson County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Anderson County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859
- Ballard County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Ballard County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1853-1914
- Barren County Deaths of Persons over Fifteen, 1852-1862
- Barren County Births, Marriages, Deaths 1852-1862
- Barren County, Death Indexes
- Bath County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Bath County Births, Marriages, Deaths 1852-1859
- Bath County, Death Indexes
- Bell County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Bell County, Death Indexes
- Boone County Birth, Marriages, Death Indexes 1852-1859, 1861-1862
- Boone County Death Index 1900-1993
- Boone County Birth, Marriages and Deaths Records, 1874-1901
- Boone County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1880-1882
- Boone County, Deaths
- Bourbon County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1859
- Bourbon County Marriage and Death Index 1808-1865
- Bourbon County, Death Indexes
- Boyd County Vital Records
- Boyd County, Deaths
- Boyle County African-American Deaths 1911-1964
- Boyle County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Boyle County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Boyle County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes 1852 – 1904
- Boyle County, Death Indexes
- Bracken County Vital Records
- Breathit County, Deaths
- Breathitt County Birth and Death Indexes
- Breathitt County Deaths of Persons over Fifteen, 1852-1859
- Breathitt County, Death Indexes
- Breckenridge Co., Kentucky Deaths, 1852-1859
- Breckenridge County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Breckinridge County, Death Indexes
- Bullitt County Original Marriage Licenses and Certificates, 1797-1911, Birth and Death Records, 1854, and 1856
- Bullitt County, Death Indexes
- Bullitt County, Kentucky : Deaths of persons over 15 years of age, 1852-1859
- Butler County Vital Records, 1853-1910
- Butler County Births 1890-1897, Deaths 1890-1897; Marriages 1860, 1885, 1900, 1907
- Butler County, Deaths
- Caldwell Miscellaneous Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Calloway County, Deaths
- Campbell County African American Deaths
- Campbell County Deaths 1852-1925
- Carroll County, Death Indexes
- Carroll Miscellaneous Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Carter County, Death Indexes
- Carter County, Deaths
- Casey County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Casey County Death Indexes
- Clark County, Deaths
- Clay County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index 1852-1907
- Clay County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1907
- Clay County Deaths 1880
- Clay County, Death Indexes
- Clinton County Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes, 1852-1859, 1893-1894, 1903,1905-1909
- Clinton County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Clinton County Record of Deaths Marriages and Births 1852-1862
- Covington Death Certificates, 1881-1911; Indexes, 1881-1915
- Crittenden County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index 1852-1907
- Crittenden County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1907
- Crittenden County Death Certificates (transcriptions)
- Crittenden County, Death Indexes
- Crittenden County, Deaths
- Cumberland County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index 1852-1907
- Cumberland County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1907
- Cumberland County, Death Indexes
- Daviess County Vital Records, 1852-1953; Indexes, 1815-1967
- Edmonson County, Deaths
- Elliott County, Death Indexes
- Estill County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Fayette County Death Certificates pre-1911
- Fayette County Death Certificates pre-1911
- Fayette County Births, Marriages, Deaths 1852-1905
- Fayette County, Death Indexes
- Fayette County, Deaths
- Fleming County, Death Indexes
- Floyd County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Franklin County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1903-1905
- Fulton County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1909
- Fulton County Birth, Marriage, Death, and Vital Indexes
- Fulton County, Death Indexes
- Fulton County, Deaths
- Gallatin County Deaths 1900-1999
- Gallatin County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859, 1861
- Gallatin County, Deaths
- Garrard County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859
- Grant County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index
- Grant County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index
- Grant County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1910
- Graves County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1909
- Graves County Death Records, 1852-1859
- Graves County Marriage and Death Indexes
- Graves County, Deaths
- Grayson County African American Births and Deaths
- Grayson County, Deaths
- Grayson Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Green County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1910
- Green County, Deaths
- Greenup County Pioneer Deaths 1800-1850
- Greenup County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859
- Greenup County, Death Indexes
- Hancock County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1910
- Hardin County Death Index 1859
- Hardin County, Death Indexes
- Hardin County, Deaths
- Harlan County, Death Indexes
- Harrison County Funeral Home Indexes (Includes Death Dates)
- Hart County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index
- Hart County, Death Indexes
- Henderson County Obituaries (Includes Death Dates)
- Henderson County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859, 1902-1907
- Henry County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859
- Hickman County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1910
- Hickman County, Deaths
- Hopkins County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index
- Hopkins County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1910
- Jackson County Death Index 1858, 1859, 1904
- Jackson County, Deaths
- Jefferson County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Jefferson County Death Index
- Jefferson County Death Records 1866-1910
- Jefferson County Deaths
- Jefferson County Deaths 1852-1859
- Jefferson County Deaths of Persons over Fifteen, 1852-1862
- Jefferson County, Deaths
- Jessamine County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Jessamine County Deaths
- Jessamine County Public Library Death Index
- Jessamine Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Johnson County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Johnson County Deaths
- Johnson County, Deaths
- Johnson Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Kenton County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Kenton County Church Records Index 1850-2000
- Kenton County Death Certificates 1906
- Kenton County Deaths
- Kentucky Death Index 2000-2013
- Kentucky Death Records Index 1911-1992
- Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1965
- Kentucky Death Records, 1964-1965
- Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970
- Kentucky Deaths Search
- Kentucky Mortality Schedules 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880
- Kentucky, Freedmen’s Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872
- Kentucky, Vital Record Indexes, 1911-1999
- Knott County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Knott County, Deaths
- Knox County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- LaRue County Birth, Marriage, and Death Index 1852-1903
- Larue County, Deaths
- Laurel County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Laurel County Vital Records, 1853-1904
- Lawrence Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Lee County Birth and Death Indexes
- Lee County, Deaths
- Lee Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Leslie County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Letcher Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Lewis County, Death Indexes
- Lewis Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Lexington Certificates of Death 1900-1904
- Lexington Death Certificates 1906
- Lexington Death Certificates 1907-1910
- Lexington Public Library Local History
- Lincoln County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Lincoln County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1860
- Livingston County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1853-1907
- Livingston County Record of Deaths, 1874-1881
- Logan County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1852-1861
- Logan County Vital Record Indexes
- Lyon County Birth, Marriage, Death Indexes 1853-1908
- Lyon County Death Index, 1936-1960
- Lyon County Miscellaneous Vital Records
- Madison County Deaths 1911-2002
- Madison Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Magoffin Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Marion County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Marion County, Death Indexes
- Marion County, Deaths
- Marion Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Marshall County Births, Marriages, Deaths : 1852-1914
- Martin County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Mason County Birth Index and Miscellaneous Death Certificates
- Mason County, Death Indexes
- Mason Births, Marriages, Deaths
- McCracken Births, Marriages, Deaths
- McCreary County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- McLean County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- McLean Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Meade County Death Indexes 1852-1909
- Meade Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Menifee County Death Index
- Menifee County, Death Indexes
- Mercer County Vital Records, 1848-1875
- Mercer County Birth, Death, Marriage Records, 1774-1786
- Mercer County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859
- Metcalfe County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Metcalfe County, Death Indexes
- Metcalfe Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Monroe County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Monroe County, Death Indexes
- Monroe Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Montgomery County Deaths, 1832-1875
- Montgomery Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Morgan County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1910
- Morgan County, Death Indexes
- Muhlenberg County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Muhlenberg Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Nelson County Vital Records, 1852-1907
- Newport Birth and Death Records, 1884-1928
- Nicholas County Vital Records, 1852-1860
- Ohio County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Ohio Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Oldham County Death Indexes
- Oldham County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859, 1861
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Owen County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859
- Owsley County Birth and Death Indexes
- Owsley County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Paducah – Roth Funeral Home Database 1958-1999 (Includes Birth, Death Dates)
- Pendleton County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Pendleton County Vital Records, 1851-1900
- Perry County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Perry County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859
- Perry County, Death Indexes
- Pike County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Powell County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Powell County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859, 1861
- Pulaski County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Pulaski County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Pulaski County, Death Indexes
- Pulaski County, Deaths
- Robertson County, Deaths
- Rockcastle County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Rockcastle County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Rowan County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Russell County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Scott County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Scott County, Deaths
- Shelby County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Shelby County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859, 1861
- Shelby County, Deaths
- Simpson County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1907
- Spencer County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Taylor County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Todd County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859, 1861, 1903-1904, 1908
- Trigg County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1910
- Trimble County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859, 1893-1894
- Trimble County, Deaths
- Union County Death Index 1928-1968
- Union County Deaths 1852-1878, Marriages 1854-1878
- Union County, Death Indexes
- Union County, Deaths
- United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
- United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
- United States Social Security Death Index
- United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
- Warren County Deaths 1911-1929
- Washington County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Wayne County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Wayne County, Death Indexes
- Whitley County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Whitley County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Whitley County, Death Indexes
- Wolfe County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Wolfe County Births, Marriages, Deaths
- Woodford County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1852-1859, 1861
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Kentucky Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
