One of the main goals for genealogists is finding death information about their ancestors.
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 Virginia.
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):
- Accomack County Death Notices 1881-1912
- Accomack County Death Register, 1853 – 1896
- Albemarle County, Death Indexes
- Alexandria Gazette Death and Obituary Index
- Bedford County Records
- Bedford County Death Records, 1853-1860, 1868-1880
- Bedford County, Death Indexes
- Bedford County, Deaths
- Botetourt County Death Indexes and Certificates
- Brunswick Co. Deaths (1861-1862)
- Brunswick County, Death Indexes
- Buchanan County Death Certificate Index
- Buckingham County Records, 1786-1858
- Carroll County Deaths, 1855-1896
- Craig County, Deaths
- Cu;peper County, Death Indexes
- Dickenson County Marriage and Death Indexes
- Eastern Shore Death and Obituary Indexes
- Floyd County, Death Indexes
- Franklin County Registers of Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1853-1915 ; Index to Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1853-1898
- Fredericksburg City, Death Records, 1853-1896
- Fredericksburg, Death Records, 1953-1986
- Giles County Marriage Register, 1806-1913, Birth and Death Registers, 1855-1896; Indexes to Birth, Marriage and Death Registers
- Grayson County Death Index
- Halifax County Death Records
- Halifax County, Death Indexes
- Henrico County, Deaths
- Isle Of Wight County Death Indexes
- Isle of Wight County Registers of Marriages 1854-1900, Births 1853-1876, and Deaths 1853-1874 ; Indexes to Registers
- Isle of Wight County, Coroner’s Inquest Records, 1925-1944
- Isle of Wight County, Death Indexes
- King and Queen County, Deaths
- King George County, Death Indexes
- Loudon County Birth and Death Records 1853-1917
- Loudon County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Loudoun County Death Records
- Lunenburg County, Death Indexes
- Middlesex County Christ Church Parish Register 1653 to 1812
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Montgomery and Roanoke County Death Records 1853-1867
- Montgomery County Death Certificates
- Montgomery County, Deaths
- New Kent County Deaths
- Nicholas County Birth Records, 1853-1916; Birth and Death Records, 1890-1967
- Norfolk County Deaths
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Patrick County, Death Indexes
- Pittsylvania County, Death Indexes
- Pittsylvania Death Records
- Portsmouth Deaths 1856-1895
- Portsmouth Vital Records
- Prince William County Vital Records Indexes
- Prince William County, Deaths
- Princess Anne County Vital Records
- Roanoke County Birth Register, 1853-1885; Death Register, 1853-1881
- Rockingham County Death Indexes
- Rockingham County Deaths 1912-1939
- Rockingham County Death Registers, 1862-1894
- Rockingham County Registers of Deaths and Births 1865-1866
- Rockingham County, Virginia Valley Records
- Rockingham County, Virginia Valley Records
- Russell County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Russell County, Death Indexes
- Smyth County, Death Indexes
- Southampton County, Death Indexes
- Stafford County Death Indexes
- Surry County, Death Indexes
- Tazewell County Deaths
- Tazewell County, Annals 1800 -1924
- Tazewell County, Death Indexes
- 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
- Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912
- Virginia Deaths Index 1853-1896
- Virginia Genealogies and County Records
- Virginia Records copied from the Richmond Enquirer, 1831-35
- Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987
- Virginia, Death Records, 1912-1987
- Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007
- Warwick County, Deaths
- Washington County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Westmoreland County Register of Deaths, 1857-1896
- Wise County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Wood County Miscellaneous Records, 1801-1900
- Wythe County Marriages and Deaths
- Wythe County, Death Indexes
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Virginia 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
