Paterson Death Records Guide
Paterson is the third largest city in New Jersey. Known as "Silk City," it serves as the county seat of Passaic County. Death records for Paterson are kept by the city's Registrar of Vital Statistics and by the state. You can search for Paterson death records through online indexes, request copies from the local registrar, or order from the New Jersey Department of Health. This page explains how to find, search, and obtain death records in Paterson.
Paterson Quick Facts
Where to Get Paterson Death Records
The Paterson Registrar of Vital Statistics handles death records for the city. This office keeps death certificates for deaths that took place in Paterson. You can visit in person to request a certified copy. Bring your photo ID and proof of your link to the person named on the death record. The registrar has long been central to vital records in Paterson. In the 1955 case of Devlin v. Surgent, James A. Young held the post of Registrar of Vital Statistics for the city.
The New Jersey Department of Health is the state-level source for Paterson death records. Their Office of Vital Statistics holds records from 1951 to the present. You can order by mail, phone, or in person at 140 East Front Street in Trenton. Under N.J.S.A. 26:8-25, the Paterson registrar must send all original death certificates to the State registrar. This means the state always has a copy.
The image below shows the Paterson City Clerk office where vital records including death records are handled.
Walk-in visits let you speak with staff who can help you complete your request for Paterson death records.
Note: The Passaic County Surrogate at 71 Hamilton Street, Room 101, Paterson NJ 07505 handles probate and estate matters but does not issue death certificates.
Searching Paterson Death Records Online
The New Jersey Death Index is a free database that covers 1901 to 2017. You can search by name and year. Results show the person's name, year of death, and county. This index does not give you the full death record. It tells you what to order. For Paterson, results will show Passaic County as the filing location.
State Archives databases cover the years 1848 to 1900. Two separate databases split this range. The first runs from May 1848 through May 1878. The second covers June 1878 through December 1900. Both let you search by name. Results for Paterson death records appear under Passaic County. You can order copies of the records you find through the State Archives website.
The Passaic County records page is another resource. It covers public records for the county including court and probate files. While it does not hold death certificates, it can help you find related records. The Passaic County Surrogate can be reached at (973) 881-4760 for estate matters linked to a death in Paterson.
Death Record Eligibility in Paterson
Not everyone can get a certified copy of a Paterson death record. New Jersey law sets strict rules. You must prove who you are and why you need the record. The same rules apply in Paterson as everywhere else in the state.
Certified copies are limited to close family members. A spouse can get one. So can a parent, adult child, or sibling. A legal representative with proper papers may also qualify. State and federal agencies can get certified copies for official use. Under a court order, anyone may receive a copy. These rules protect the privacy of the person named on the Paterson death record.
Certifications are a less restricted option. They lack the raised seal and safety paper. They do not show the cause of death or Social Security Number. Certifications are useful for genealogy work on Paterson families. They are available for death records that are 40 or more years old.
Note: Bring two forms of ID when you request a Paterson death record in person to help speed up the review process.
Historical Paterson Death Records
Paterson has a history that goes back to the 1790s. Death records for the city start in 1848, when New Jersey first required vital record registration. The State Archives holds Paterson death records from 1848 through 1900 on microfilm. These old records are searchable through the archives databases. They are a key tool for anyone tracing Paterson family lines.
After 1900, the NJ Death Index is the main search tool. It covers more than a century of death records. The index was built from data obtained through public records requests by Reclaim The Records. For Paterson, you can search by name and narrow results by year. The index shows enough detail to help you order the full death record from the state.
Paterson was a major industrial city. Thousands of workers came to the silk mills and other factories. Many of their death records are in the state system. These records often list birthplace, parents, and spouse. Such details are gold for genealogy research. The NJ Department of Health can issue genealogy certifications for older Paterson death records at a lower bar of eligibility.
State Resources for Paterson Death Records
The state fallback image below shows the NJ Department of Health portal for death records that serves Paterson and every other city in the state.
This is the main state page for ordering copies of death records from any New Jersey city, including Paterson.
Under N.J.S.A. 26:8-17, the Paterson registrar appoints a deputy who can handle death records when the registrar is away. The deputy can receive death certificates and issue burial permits. This means the Paterson office can serve the public even when the main registrar is not in. The law keeps the system running without gaps. Every death in Paterson gets recorded and sent to the state as required by Title 26.
The state ordering page lets you request death records by mail or through VitalChek. The fee is $25 for one certified copy. Each extra copy costs $2 when ordered at the same time. Make checks payable to "Treasurer, State of New Jersey." Mail orders go to P.O. Box 370, Trenton, NJ 08625-0370. Walk-in service is also available at 140 East Front Street in Trenton for Paterson death records.
Passaic County Death Records
Paterson is the county seat of Passaic County. All death records filed in Paterson are also part of the Passaic County vital records system. The county covers several other cities and towns. For a wider search or more county-level details, visit the Passaic County death records page.