Camden Death Records and Death Index
Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. The Camden City Clerk at City Hall serves as the local registrar of vital statistics. This office keeps death, birth, and marriage records for people who died in the city. Camden death index entries cover 1901 to 1903, 1920 to 1929, and 1949 to 2017. The State Archives also holds early Camden death records from May 1848 through 1900. You can search the death index online for free or request copies from the offices that hold the originals.
Camden Death Index Quick Facts
Camden Death Index Year Ranges
The Camden death index has records for 1901 to 1903, 1920 to 1929, and 1949 to 2017. Gaps exist. The years 1904 to 1919 are not in the data. The years 1930 to 1948 are also absent. The state could not find these files when they were asked for them.
The New Jersey Death Index lets you search all of these years at no cost. Type a name and get matches. Each result shows the death date, age, and a file number. Use that number to order the full death record from the state. This is the best place to start a Camden death index search.
For years not in the index, the actual death records may still exist. The State Archives has microfilm for many early years. The Camden City Clerk may also have local files that predate the online death index.
State Archives and Camden Death Records
The New Jersey State Archives holds Camden death records from May 1848 through 1900 in their original form. These are among the oldest vital records in the state. New Jersey began requiring death registration in 1848. The Archives also has microfilm copies of Camden death records through 1963.
Researchers can visit the Archives Search Room at 225 West State Street, Level 2, in Trenton. You can view Camden death records on microfilm in person. You can also write to the Archives or call 609-292-4087 to ask about a record. The lookup fee by mail is $10 per search. The Archives genealogy page shows their full collection.
As of January 2009, the Department of Health moved all vital records through December 31, 1900 to the State Archives. Before that change, getting old Camden death records from the Health Department was costly and slow. Now the Archives handles these searches at a lower fee.
Note: The Archives adds new database entries daily. Check back if you do not find a match for a Camden death on your first search.
Camden City Clerk Death Records
The Camden City Clerk is the local registrar. The office is at City Hall, 520 Market Street, Camden NJ 08102. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Bring your ID. Give the staff the name and date of death. They will search the files. If they find a match, you can buy a copy.
The City Clerk holds records for deaths that took place in Camden. This is useful when you need a local copy fast. The fee may differ from the state rate. Call ahead to ask about costs and what forms you need to bring.
Camden has been the county seat since Camden County was formed in 1844. The city has a long history of record keeping. Many death records exist at the local level that go back well over a century. The City Clerk can point you to the right source if the record you need is not in their files.
How to Get a Camden Death Record
You have three main paths to get a Camden death record. The best one depends on the year of death and what type of copy you need.
The Camden City Clerk is the first stop for deaths that took place in the city. Visit City Hall at 520 Market Street. Bring your ID and the details of the death. Staff will search the local files.
The New Jersey Department of Health holds death records from 1901 to the present. The fee is $25 for one certified copy. Each extra copy at the same time is $2. You can order by mail, in person at 140 East Front Street in Trenton, or online through VitalChek. This covers any Camden death after 1900.
The State Archives holds records from May 1848 to 1900 and microfilm through 1963. The fee is $10 per lookup. This is the best source for old Camden death records.
- Camden City Clerk at 520 Market Street for local death records
- NJ Department of Health for records from 1901 to the present
- State Archives for records from 1848 to 1900 and microfilm through 1963
Who Can Get Camden Death Records
New Jersey law limits who can get a certified death record. The rules are the same in Camden as across the state. Under N.J.S.A. Title 26, only certain people may get a certified copy.
Those who can get one include the spouse, parent, child, grandchild, or sibling. A legal rep or guardian can also get one. State and federal agencies can get copies for work. A court order works too. If you are not on this list, you may get a copy with the cause of death and Social Security number blocked out.
For genealogy, records more than 40 years old have fewer limits. You can get older Camden death records with less proof of your tie to the dead person. The Archives is the best source for these records.
Note: The Camden County Historical Society may have data that ties to death records, such as cemetery records and church logs from the Camden area.
Camden Death Index for Genealogy
Camden has deep roots in New Jersey history. The city sits on the Delaware River across from Philadelphia. Many families crossed the river and settled in Camden. The death index is a key tool for tracing those family lines. Death records list names, ages, dates, and parents. This data ties generations together.
Camden was a major port and factory town. Workers came from across the country and the world. Their death records in the Camden death index may list a birth country or a birth state. This data helps trace a family to its origin. The full death record shows even more than the index entry.
Start at the free death index online. Search by name. Note the file number. Then order the full record. The Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness page for Camden County can help with free lookup aid.
FamilySearch and Ancestry both have New Jersey death indexes that cover years not in the free online death index. The State Archives genealogy page lists more resources for Camden death record research.
Death Registration Law in Camden
New Jersey law governs how deaths are filed in Camden. Under N.J.S.A. Title 26, the local registrar must enforce death registration rules. The registrar checks each record for errors and sends the original to the State Registrar in Trenton. A burial permit cannot come out until the death is on file. This means almost every death in Camden has a record.
The funeral director files the death record. They fill out the form with facts from the family and the doctor. The doctor signs the cause of death part. The funeral director then files it with the Camden City Clerk. This must happen within five days. Late filings may need a court order in some cases.
Death records in Camden are vital records. They are not the same as public records under OPRA. You must use the proper channels to get a copy. The death index is public, but the full death record has rules on who can see it.
Camden County Death Records
Camden is in Camden County and serves as the county seat. The county has 37 municipalities. For more on county resources, fees, and other death record sources across the area, visit the Camden County death records page.