Cape May County Death Records

The Cape May County death index covers death records from 1901 through 2017. Cape May County sits at the southern tip of New Jersey and has kept vital records since the mid-1800s. You can search the death index by name or year to find records tied to this county. The County Clerk and Surrogate in Cape May Court House hold local death records. State sources add more options for your search. This guide shows where to look and how to get copies of Cape May County death records.

Cape May County Death Index Sources

Cape May County was created in 1685 from West Jersey. The county seat is Cape May Court House. Death records here go back to 1901 in the state death index. The County Clerk holds birth, marriage, and death records from 1849 to 1880. For death records after 1901, the free online death index is the best place to start your search in Cape May County.

The Cape May County Surrogate handles probate and estate matters. When a person dies in Cape May County, the Surrogate may hold records tied to the estate. These can include wills, letters of administration, and other papers that name the deceased. The Surrogate is at 7 North Main Street in Cape May Court House, NJ 08210. This is the same address as the County Clerk.

The Cape May County death index on the free New Jersey Death Index site has records for 1901 to 1903, 1920 to 1929, and 1949 to 2017. You can search by name to find a match. Each entry shows the name, date of death, and a reference number. This is an index, not the full death record. Once you find a match, you can order the actual death certificate from the state.

The lead-in below links to the Cape May County Surrogate page on the county site.

The Surrogate can help you find records tied to an estate when you know the name of the deceased in Cape May County.

Note: The County Clerk has marriage records from as far back as 1849 and land records from 1692 in Cape May County.

How to Search Cape May Death Records

Start with the free online death index. Go to newjerseydeathindex.com and type the name you want to find. The site lets you search all of New Jersey, but you can narrow your results to Cape May County. If the death took place between 1901 and 1903, 1920 and 1929, or 1949 and 2017, the index should have it. Gaps exist for 1904 to 1919 and 1930 to 1948 because those index files were lost at the state level.

For deaths before 1901 in Cape May County, check the New Jersey State Archives. They hold death records on microfilm from 1848 to 1963. You can visit the Archives at 225 West State Street in Trenton. Their online databases also have searchable entries. The Archives adds new records on a regular basis.

You can also visit the Cape May County Clerk in person at 7 North Main Street in Cape May Court House. The Clerk has older birth, marriage, and death records from 1849 to 1880. Court records go back to 1685, and land records go back to 1692. These older files can help fill in gaps for deaths that are not in the state index.

Cape May County Death Index Years

The death index for Cape May County covers these year ranges:

• 1901 to 1903
• 1920 to 1929
• 1949 to 2017

The years 1904 to 1919 are missing from the index. The state could not find those files when they were requested under the Open Public Records Act. The years 1930 to 1948 are also not in the index. The actual death certificates for those years may still exist on microfilm at the State Archives in Trenton. If you need a death record from a missing year in Cape May County, contact the New Jersey Department of Health to ask about their holdings.

For the 1920s, death records are grouped in five-year blocks. They are sorted by county, then by year, then by last name. About half of the 1920 to 1924 block is missing across all counties, including Cape May County. The 1925 to 1929 block is more complete.

Note: Under N.J.S.A. Title 26, local registrars in Cape May County must register all deaths and send the originals to the State Registrar.

Cape May County Death Certificates

A death certificate is the full record of a death. It shows the name, date, place, and cause of death. It also lists the parents of the deceased. The doctor who certified the death and the funeral director who filed it both sign the form. A certified copy has a raised seal and is printed on state safety paper.

You can get a certified copy from the New Jersey Department of Health. The state charges $25 for the first search and one certified copy. Each extra copy of the same record costs $2 when ordered at the same time. You can order by mail to P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625-0370. You can also visit the walk-in center at 140 East Front Street in Trenton. Local registrars in Cape May County towns also issue certified copies.

The image below links to the RAOGK volunteer lookup page for Cape May County.

The Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness page for Cape May County lists volunteers who may help with local record lookups.

Death Records by Municipality

Cape May County has 16 municipalities. Each one has a local registrar who keeps death records for that town. When a death happens in a Cape May County town, the local registrar files the record and sends the original to the state. You can contact the town clerk in any of these places to ask about death records.

The 16 municipalities in Cape May County include Avalon, Cape May, Cape May Point, Dennis Township, Lower Township, Middle Township, North Wildwood, Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Stone Harbor, Upper Township, West Cape May, West Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and Woodbine. Ocean City and the Wildwoods see large seasonal populations, which means more death records may be filed there during summer months. All death records from these towns are part of the Cape May County death index at the state level.

Note: Cape May County death records filed by local registrars are sent to the State Registrar and added to the statewide index.

Cape May County Death Index for Genealogy

The Cape May County death index is a key tool for family history research. Death records can show parents' names, birthplaces, and last known addresses. For records before 1878, the certificates list the names of parents, the exact date of death, and the age at death. Records from 1878 to 1900 may show parents' names on the certificate but not on the register.

FamilySearch has indexes for New Jersey deaths and burials from 1720 to 1988. Ancestry has a New Jersey deaths and burials index for 1798 to 1971. The Reclaim The Records death index covers 1901 to 2017 with free online access. The State Archives databases also have searchable entries for Cape May County death records.

For deaths before 1848 in Cape May County, no statewide civil records exist. You would need to check church records, family Bibles, cemetery listings, or probate files. Cape May County has some of the oldest churches in South Jersey. Their registers may hold death and burial records that predate civil registration. The Cape May County Historical Society is another good source for older records.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Cape May County. If you are not sure where a death was recorded, check each county. The death may have been filed in a nearby county if the person died in a hospital or facility across the county line.