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 North Carolina.
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):
- Alamance County Death Indexes
- Alamance County Death Records Index, 1913-1962
- Alexander County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, 1913-1966
- Alleghany County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, 1879-1969
- Anson County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1962
- Anson County Miscellaneous Records
- Anson County, Death Indexes
- Ashe County Ashe County Delayed Births and Deaths, 1913-1966; Marriage Records, 1799-1966; Index to Births, 1913-1946, 1799-1966
- Berkeley Births, Deaths and Marriages
- Bertie County Index to Vital Statistics, 1877-1959
- Bladen County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1961
- Brunswick County Births, Marriages, and Deaths Index
- Brunswick County Deaths
- Buncombe County Birth Record of Asheville, 1892-1904; Register of Deaths in Asheville, 1898-1909, 1892-1909
- Buncombe County Coroners’ Inquests 1875-1929
- Buncombe County Index to Births, 1887-1904, 1913-1956; Index to Deaths, 1892-1963; Marriages Registers, 1851-1961; Marriages Records,1851-1889
- Burke County Death Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1963
- Cabarrus County Index to Vital Statistics: Births, 1914-1965; Delayed Births, 1890-1965; Deaths, 1913-1965
- Cabarrus County, Death Indexes
- Caldwell County Index to Vital Statistics, Birth, Death, 1914-1967
- Camden County Genealogical Records of Camden County and Pasquotank County
- Camden County Index to Vital Statistics : Births and Deaths, 1913-1960
- Carteret County Index to Vital Statistics, 1870-1960
- Carteret County, Death Records, 1913-2006
- Caswell County Death Records Index, 1913-1963
- Catawba County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, 1909-1979
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Marriage and Death Indexes
- Chatham County Coroners’ Inquests 1796-1971
- Chatham County Index to Deaths, 1913-1980
- Chowan County Index to Deaths 1913-1958
- Clay County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1913-1970
- Cleveland County Index to Births and Deaths, 1913-1939; Index to Delayed Births, 1908- 1935
- Columbus County Death Indexes
- Columbus County Coroner’s Inquest 1914-1968, 1981
- Columbus County Index to Vital Statistics : Births, Deaths, 1913-1973
- Craven County Coroners’ Inquests 1782-1905
- Craven County, Death Indexes
- Cumberland County Death Records, 1913-1973
- Cumberland County Coroner related Records, 1791-1909
- Cumberland County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1962
- Currituck County Death Certificates
- Currituck County Index to Vital Statistics, 1914-1960
- Davidson County Vital Records, 1867-2006
- Davidson County Births and Deaths Index, 1954-1980
- Davidson County Deaths, 1914-2005
- Davidson County Index to Vital Statistics: Births & Deaths, 1914-1967
- Davidson County Miscellaneous Records, 1822-1946
- Davie County Index to Vital Statistics : Births & Deaths, 1913-1971
- Duplin County Death Index, 1913-1981
- Duplin County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1962
- Edgecombe County Death Records, 1914-1987
- Edgecombe County Death Records Index, 1914-1961
- Edgecombe County Slave Related Documents 1780-1871
- Gaston County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, 1913-1962, Delayed Births, and Deaths, 1913-1962
- Gates County Index to Vital Statistics, Births and Deaths, 1913-1964
- Gates County, Death Records, 1914-2005
- Graham County General Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1913-1969
- Granville County Coroners’ Inquests, 1755-1905, 1920
- Greene County Indexes to Marriages, Births, Deaths, 1876-1966
- Greensboro Death Records from the files of the Greensboro, N.C. Patriot, 1826-1899
- Guilford County Marriage and Death Records, 1771-1899
- Guilford County, Deaths
- Halifax County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1961
- Haywood County Coroner’s Inquests and Reports, 1822-1967
- Haywood County Indexes to Vital Statistics, 1850-1965
- Henderson County Coroners’ Records, 1853-1934
- Henderson County Index to Vital Statistics, 1800-1867
- Hertford County Index to Births and Deaths, 1911-1961
- Hickory Death Index
- Hoke County Vital Statistics, 1911-1970
- Hyde County Deaths 1913-1991
- Hyde County Vital Records Indexes
- Hyde County Index to Vital Statistics, 1877-1958
- Iredell County Funeral Register Index
- Iredell County Coroners’ Inquest, 1854-1968
- Iredell County Index to Vital Statistics, 1872-1965
- Jackson County Coroner’s Inquests 1937-1974
- Johnston County Miscellaneous Death Indexes
- Johnston County General Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1962
- Jones County Index to Vital Statistics, 1914-1961
- Lee County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1876-1969
- Lenoir County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Lenoir County Index to Deaths 1914-1975
- Lenoir County, Death Indexes
- Lexington Dispatch Death and Obituary Indexes
- Lincoln County Vital Records Index; Births and Deaths, 1913-1964, Marriage Index, 1869- 1964, and Marriage Records, 1851-1869
- Macon County Deaths 1913-1978
- Macon County Index to Vital Statistics; Births and Death, 1913-1966
- Madison County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, 1913-1968
- Madison County, Death Indexes
- Martin County Births and Deaths Index, 1914-1957
- Martin County Death Index, 1937-1962
- McDowell County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, 1914-1967; Delayed Births and Deaths, 1850-1975
- Mecklenburg County Births, Marriages, and Deaths Indexes
- Mecklenburg County Death Index, 1992-2012
- Mecklenburg County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1909-1947
- Mecklenburg County, Deaths
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Mitchell County Vital Records
- Mitchell County Marriages, 1861-1969; Indexes to Births, Delayed Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1860-1970
- Mitchell County, Death Indexes
- Montgomery County Vital Statistics Index, Births and Deaths, 1913-1964
- Moore County Miscellaneous Records, 1785-1818
- Nash County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, Deaths, and Delayed Births, 1913-1962
- New Hanover County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- New Hanover County Death Notices from Various Newspapers
- New Hanover County Coroner’s Inquest Records 1768-1880
- New Hanover County Miscellaneous Records, 1843-1863
- New Hanover County Record of Births and Deaths 1903-1910
- New Hanover County Vital Statistics Index, 1913-1960
- North Carolina Deaths and Burials, 1898-1994
- North Carolina Deaths, 1906-1930
- North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994
- North Carolina Digital Collection – Deaths and Obituaries
- North Carolina Federal Census Record Mortality Schedules 1850-1860 by County
- North Carolina Death Certificates,1906-1994 and Indexes 1906-1967; Still Births,1914-1953; Fetal Death Indexes,1950-
- North Carolina. County Court Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1964
- Northampton County Death Records 1913 – 1916
- Northampton County Coroner’s Inquests, 1793-1905
- Northampton County Coroner’s Inquest 1793-1905
- Northampton County Indexes to Births and Deaths, 1870-1960
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Onslow County Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Onslow County Abstracts of Records 1734-1850
- Onslow County Death Records, 1912-1933; Index to Vital Statistics, 1914-1960
- Orange County Coroner’s Inquest 1785-1911
- Orange County General Index to Deaths, 1913-1962
- Orange County, Death Indexes
- Pamlico County Vital Record Indexes
- Pamlico County Vital Statistics; Index to Births, Deaths, 1913-1968
- Pasquotank County Deaths Index, 1903-1959
- Pasquotank County Vital Records 1691-1822
- Pender County Coroner’s Inquest, 1876-1968
- Pender County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, Delayed Births, 1913-1968
- Perquimans County Birth, Death, Marriage Records 1659-1739, Vital Statistics Index, 1913-1960, 1659-1960
- Perquimans County Coroner’s Inquest 1794-1892
- Person County Marriage and Death Records, 1851-1966
- Pitt County Coroners’ Inquests 1861-1960
- Pitt County Deaths, Index, 1913-1962
- Raleigh Register and North Carolina State Gazette Marriage and Death Notices
- Randolph County Death Index
- Randolph County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1964
- Richmond County Marriage and Death Indexes
- Richmond County Index to Vital Statistics (Births and Deaths), 1914-1963
- Richmond County, Coroner’s Inquests, 1906-1967
- Robeson County Index to Vital Statistics, 1911-1965
- Robeson County Coroner’s Inquest, 1857-1965
- Robeson County, Death Indexes
- Rowan County Historical Records
- Rowan County Index to Vital Statistics-Deaths, 1913-1962
- Rutherford County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Rutherford County Vital Statistics Index, Births, 1914-1946, Delayed Births, 1880-1932, and Deaths, 1913-1963
- Rutherford County, Miscellaneous Records, vol. II, 1750-1970
- Sampson County Index to Deaths, 1913-1964
- Scotland County Coroner’s Inquest, 1902-1946
- Scotland County Funeral Register 1904-1914
- Scotland Neck Deaths
- Stanly County Vital Records
- Stanly County Index to Vital Statistics, Birth, Death, 1913-1953
- Stanly County, Coroner’s Inquests, 1781-1964
- Stokes County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
- Stokes County Coroners’ Inquests 1805-1916
- Stokes County Index to Vital Statistics; Birth and Death, 1913-1964
- Surry County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Surry County Death Register Index, 1909-1962
- Transylvania County Death and Obituary Index
- Transylvania County Death Certificates
- Transylvania County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1913-1969
- Transylvania County, Death Records, 1913-1995
- Tyrrell County Death Certificates
- Tyrrell County Death Index
- Tyrrell County Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1961
- Tyrrell County, Death Records, 1913-1986
- Union County Index to Vital Statistics, 1869-1968
- Union County, Death Records, 1960-1981
- 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
- Vance County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Vance County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1881-1969
- Vance County, Birth and Death Indexes, 1881-1969
- Wake County, Death Records, 1900-1909
- Warren County Deaths
- Warren County Index to Deaths, 1914-1977
- Warren County, Coroner Records, 1800-1848, 1902-1967
- Warren County, Death Records, 1914-1991
- Washington County Death Index
- Washington County Index to Vital Statistics, Births, ca. 1901, 1910-1966; Deaths, ca. 1911-1966
- Washington County, Death Records, 1912-1986
- Watauga County Index to Vital Statistics; Births, Deaths, 1880-1969
- Watauga County, Death Records, 1914-1984
- Wayne County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Wayne County Index to Births and Deaths, 1913-1965; Index to Delayed Births, 1891- 1914, 1891-1965
- Wayne County, Death Records, 1944-1970
- Wilkes County Deaths, Index to Vital Statistics, 1913-1964
- Wilkes County, Death Records, 1913-1994
- Wilson County Coroner’s Inquest 1859-1915
- Wilson County Index to Births, 1913-1958; Index to Deaths, 1913-1960
- Wilson County, Death Records, 1948-1988
- Yadkin County, Death Records, 1943-1993
- Yancey County Index to Vital Statistics: Delayed Births, 1865-1975; Deaths, 1913- 1986; Births, 1913-1940
- Yancey County, Death Indexes
- Yancey County, Death Records, 1913-1986
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free North Carolina 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
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