When you die, there are a lot of possibilities as to how your estate might be administered: Will you have a Will? A trust? Will there be a probate? Or will all your assets pass by beneficiary designation? Regardless all of these options, one thing is for certain: a death certificate will be issued and most likely needed to help administer your estate.
Issuance of a Death Certificate
As discussed in detail in Jill Sauber’s post, Pre-Planning for Death: Part 2 – When, Not If, in Minnesota, death certificates are issued by a mortician, funeral director or other person in charge of the disposition of the body. Personal data for the decedent is provided by the person best qualified to supply it (usually a family member) and that person signs the certificate as informant. The personal data provided typically includes the decedent’s:
- social security number,
- birth date,
- place of birth,
- marital status,
- date of death and
- place of death.
The physician last in attendance or coroner having jurisdiction over the decedent’s body certifies the cause of death for the death certificate. Since the funeral director files the death certificates, to correct an error in a death certificate, contact the funeral home.
Certified Copies
A certified copy of the death certificate is not required for probate administration. Instead, if a certified copy of a death certificate is not available, then a copy of the decedent’s obituary or receipt for a funeral can be provided to prove death. Regardless, one way or the other, it is almost always necessary to obtain a handful of certified copies of death certificate because copies will be required for non-probate assets like life insurance or joint tenancy assets. Therefore, it generally good practice to secure at least 10 certified copies.
In Minnesota, those that can apply to obtain a certified copy of a death certificate are:
- A Personal Representative of the estate of the decedent
- Spouse
- Child
- Grandchild
- Parent
- Grandparent
- Licensed attorney
For more information, visit the Minnesota Department of Health.
For those that die outside the state of Minnesota, contact the Minnesota Department of Health to determine the proper contact in other states. And for those that die outside the United States, contact the Department of State to learn the best contact to obtain a death certificate.
