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(This page's most recent update is June 2025)
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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 is 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: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page, under Film/Digital Notes, is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon to the right of the name (in the Format column), then the collection’s 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. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Note: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but you 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.
Virginia Death Records
- Accomack County Death Notices 1881-1912
- Accomack County Death Register, 1853 – 1896
- Accomack County, Register of Deaths, 1853-1871
- Albemarle County, Death Indexes
- Albemarle County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1861
- Alexandria County, Vital Records, 1850-1896
- Alexandria Gazette Death and Obituary Index
- Amelia County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1871
- Augusta County, Abstract of Death Registers, 1853-1896
- Augusta County, Register of Births, 1853-1874; Register of Deaths, 1853-1878, 1893-1896
- Bath County, Marriage Records, 1790-1899; Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1870
- Bedford County Records
- Bedford County Death Records, 1853-1860, 1868-1880
- Bedford County, Death Indexes
- Bedford County, Deaths
- Bedford County, Register of Deaths, V. 1, 1853-1897; Index to Deaths, 1853-1917
- Botetourt County, Registers of Marriages, 1787-1913, Births and Deaths, 1853-1870
- Brunswick Co. Deaths (1861-1862)
- Brunswick County, Death Indexes
- Brunswick County, Register of Births, 1853-1857; Register of Deaths, 1853-1855
- Buchanan County Death Certificate Index
- Buckingham County Records, 1786-1858
- Calhoun County, Early Calhoun County Records, Births: 1855-1875, Marriages: 1856-1875, Deaths: 1855-1867
- Campbell and Bedford Counties, Vital Records, Taken from the Old Southriver Meeting Book
- Carroll County Deaths, 1855-1896
- Carroll County, Marriages 1853-1929, Births 1853-1896 and Deaths 1853-1870; Indexes to Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Charles City County, Marriage Records, 1762-1931; Birth and Death Registers, 1865-1896
- Craig County, Deaths
- Culpeper County, Death Indexes
- Dickenson County Marriage and Death Indexes
- Dinwiddie County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1865-1896
- Dinwiddie County, Death-Records-1865-1896
- Eastern Shore Death Notices: 1881-1912
- Essex County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1917; Index to Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1804-1921
- Essex County, Marriage Registers, 1804-1934; Index to Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1804-1921
- Fairfax County, Death Index, 1912-1917
- Fauquier County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1896
- Floyd County, Death Indexes
- Floyd County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1872
- Fluvanna County, Registers of Deaths, 1853-1896
- Franklin County Registers of Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1853-1915; Index to Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1853-1898
- Frederick County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1870
- 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
- Goochland County, Birth Register, 1853-1877; Marriage Register, 1852-1901; Index to Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1852-1901
- Grayson County Death Index
- Grayson County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1870
- Greensville County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1859
- Halifax County, Death Indexes
- Halifax County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1871
- Hanover County, Marriage Register, 1863-1897; Birth Register, 1853-1879; Death Register, 1853-1871
- Henrico County, Deaths
- Henrico County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1870
- Henry County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1879; Indexes, 1853-1871
- Highland County, Marriage Register, 1854-1951; Birth Register, 1853-1878; Death Register, 1853-1862
- Isle Of Wight County Death Indexes
- Isle of Wight County Records, 1634-1951
- 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
- Lancaster County, Register of Deaths, 1853-1870
- Lancaster County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1895
- Lee County, Birth Register, 1853-1877; Death Register, 1853-1877, 1888, 1891
- Loudon County Birth and Death Records 1853-1917
- Loudoun County Death Records
- Loudoun County, Registers of Births, 1853-1866; Register of Deaths, 1853-1866
- Louisa County, Register of Births, 1864-1871; Register of Deaths, 1864-1870
- Lunenburg County, Death Indexes
- Lunenburg County, Birth Register, 1853-1889; Death Register, 1853-1870
- Lynchburg, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1868
- Middlesex County Christ Church Parish Register 1653 to 1812
- Middlesex County, Register of Marriages, Deaths, and Births, 1663-1715, 1754-1763
- Middlesex County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1897; Indexes to Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Montgomery and Roanoke County Death Records 1853-1867
- Montgomery County Death Certificate Index
- Montgomery County, Deaths
- Nelson County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1872
- Nicholas County Birth Records, 1853-1916; Birth and Death Records, 1890-1967
- Norfolk County Deaths
- Norfolk County, Death Register, 1853-1870
- Norfolk, Death Registers, 1853-1871, 1892-1897
- Northampton County, Register of Births and Deaths, 1853-1870
- Northern Virginia Slavery Database Record Search
- Northumberland County, Birth Register, 1853-1896; Death Register, 1853-1895
- Northumberland County, Marriage, Divorce, and Vital Statistics, Lists of Births and Deaths, 1853-1894
- Old Lick, Death Index from First Baptist Church & City Farm Cemeteries, 1912-1960
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Page County, Death Notices
- Page County, Register of Births, 1865-1872; Register of Deaths, 1864-1872
- Patrick County, Death Indexes
- Patrick County, Birth Register, 1853-1896, and Death Register, 1853-1870; Index to Births, Marriages, Deaths 1853-1912
- Petersburg, Marriage Registers, 1854-1910, 1963-1975; Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1896
- Pittsylvania County, Death Indexes
- Pittsylvania County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1896; Indexes to Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1853-1896
- Portsmouth Deaths 1856-1895
- Portsmouth Vital Records
- Portsmouth, Death Register, 1858-1896
- Powhatan County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1870; Marriage Register, 1853-1935
- Prince Edward County, Register of Births, 1853-1896; Register of Deaths, 1853-1867 (1868?)
- Prince William County Vital Records Indexes
- Prince William County, Deaths
- Prince William County, Birth and Death Registers, 1864-1870
- Princess Anne County Vital Records
- Princess Anne County, Birth Register, 1853-1870; Death Register, 1864-1870
- Richmond County, Parish Baptism and Death Records, 1672-1801
- Roanoke County Birth Register, 1853-1885; Death Register, 1853-1881
- Rockingham County Death Indexes
- Rockingham County Death Registers, 1862-1894
- Rockingham County, Death Records
- 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
- Russell County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1866
- Scott County, Death Records, 1853-1870
- Scott County, Death Register, 1853-1870
- Shenandoah County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1871
- Smyth County, Death Indexes
- Smyth County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1896; Indexes to Births and Deaths, 1853-1917
- Southampton County, Death Indexes
- Southampton County, Death Records, 1853 – 1890
- Southampton County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1870, Marriage Records, 1850-1872; Index to Births, Marriages & Deaths, 1853-1872
- Stafford County Death Indexes
- Staunton, Register of Births, 1854-1896; Register of Deaths, 1853-1893
- Surry County, Death Indexes
- Surry County, Marriage Registers, 1853-1974; Birth Register, 1853-1896; Death Register, 1853-1896
- Sussex County, Marriage Records, 1754-1901; Birth Register, 1853-1869; Death Register, 1853-1869
- Tazewell County Deaths
- Tazewell County, Annals 1800 -1924
- Tazewell County, Death Indexes
- Tazewell County, Registers of Births and Deaths, 1853-1871
- 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 Military Dead
- Virginia Records Copied from the Richmond Enquirer, 1831-35
- Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009
- Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Records, 1853-1912
- Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987
- Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987
- Virginia, Death Records, 1853-1896
- Virginia, Extracted Vital Records, 1660-1923
- Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007
- Virginia, World War I American Expeditionary Forces, Deaths, 1917-1919
- Virginia, Death Registers, 1853-1906
- Warren County, Birth Registers and Index, 1853-1895, 1912-1916; Death Register, 1853-1874
- Warwick County, Deaths
- Warwick County, Records of Births and Deaths, 1880-1896, 1901
- Washington County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Washington County, Birth and Death Registers, 1853-1892; Marriage Registers, 1785-1902
- Westmoreland County Register of Deaths, 1857-1896
- Wise County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Wise County, Register of Births, 1856-1871; Register of Deaths, 1856-1894
- Wood County Miscellaneous Records, 1801-1900
- Wythe County, Death Indexes
- Wythe County, Birth Register, 1853-1872; Death Register, 1853-1871
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!