Pittsburgh Death Records and Vital Records

Pittsburgh death records reach back to 1870, making the city one of the earliest in Pennsylvania to maintain formal death registration. As the second largest city in the state and the seat of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh offers researchers several distinct record collections spread across multiple repositories. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Register of Wills, and the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records each hold different time periods. Knowing which office serves which era is the first step toward finding the record you need.

Pittsburgh Death Records at Carnegie Library

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh holds what many consider the most important early death records collection for the city. Pittsburgh City Death Registers covering 1870 through 1905 are on file in the library's Pennsylvania Room at 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. These registers predate Pennsylvania's statewide death registration system by 23 years. No other repository holds city-level Pittsburgh death records from this early period.

The library also holds Allegheny City Death Registers from 1875 through 1907. Allegheny City was a separate, independent city until it was annexed into Pittsburgh in 1907. Its residents lived in what is now the North Side of Pittsburgh. If you are researching a death on the North Side before 1908, you must check the Allegheny City registers separately from the Pittsburgh city registers. Treating them as the same collection will cause you to miss records.

Beyond the registers themselves, the Carnegie Library maintains a newspaper death notice index covering 1787 through 1913 and again from 1969 to the present. That gap between 1914 and 1968 is important to know before you start. The library charges $5 to $17 for search and copy services and limits mail orders to four names per request. In-person visits allow broader searching without the four-name cap.

The image below is from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's website, which describes its genealogy resources including Pittsburgh death records and historical registers.

The Carnegie Library's Pennsylvania Room is the primary destination for Pittsburgh death records research covering the period from 1870 through 1905.

Note: Mail orders to Carnegie Library are limited to four names per request; researchers needing broader searches should plan an in-person visit to the Pennsylvania Room.

Allegheny County Register of Wills Records

The Allegheny County Register of Wills holds the county-level birth and death registrations from 1893 through 1905. Its office is in the City-County Building at 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. For deaths in Pittsburgh or anywhere else in Allegheny County during those years, this office is the official county custodian. The Register of Wills also maintains probate records and marriage records that can help researchers build fuller family timelines.

Researchers who find a gap between the Carnegie Library's city registers and the county records should note that overlap exists. Pittsburgh City Death Registers at Carnegie cover 1870 to 1905, while the county held death records starting in 1893. Both collections may have entries for the same death in some cases. Cross-checking both sources can resolve gaps or confirm details.

Pittsburgh Death Certificates After 1906

All Pittsburgh death certificates from 1906 forward are held by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. That office processes requests by mail and online. You can order certified copies through the state's MyCertificates portal or through VitalChek. The state charges $20 per certified copy.

The mailing address for the Division of Vital Records is PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Phone inquiries can be directed to (724) 656-3100. When ordering, you will need the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and the county where the death occurred. Allegheny County should be specified for all Pittsburgh deaths.

Under 35 P.S. §450.801, death certificates in Pennsylvania are restricted records. Direct family members and legal representatives may obtain certified copies. The PA State Archives also holds Pittsburgh death certificate indices from 1906 forward for genealogical research purposes.

This image from the Pennsylvania Department of Health website illustrates the state's vital records program, which handles all Pittsburgh death certificates issued after 1906.

The state vital records office processes Pittsburgh death certificate requests for all years from 1906 to present through its online portal and by mail.

Note: For deaths between 1906 and roughly 1910, researchers sometimes find that both the PA Division of Vital Records and the PA State Archives hold copies or indices; checking both sources can help if one record is incomplete.

Allegheny City: Pittsburgh North Side Death Records

One of the most commonly overlooked facts in Pittsburgh death records research is the independent history of Allegheny City. Before 1907, Allegheny City was a separate municipality with its own death registration system. It occupied what is now the North Side neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. When Allegheny City was annexed into Pittsburgh in 1907, its older records were not merged with Pittsburgh's. They remained a distinct series.

Researchers with ancestors who lived in Manchester, Allegheny Center, Perry Hilltop, or other North Side neighborhoods before 1907 must search the Allegheny City Death Registers at Carnegie Library. The registers cover 1875 through 1907. If you search only the Pittsburgh City registers, you will not find deaths that occurred in Allegheny City during those years even though those addresses are now inside Pittsburgh's boundaries.

This is one case where knowing the pre-1907 municipal map of Pittsburgh matters. The annexation happened on December 7, 1907. Deaths before that date in Allegheny City went into the Allegheny City register, not the Pittsburgh register.

Note: The Allegheny City registers at Carnegie Library cover the period 1875 to 1907 and are a separate collection from the Pittsburgh City Death Registers that begin in 1870.

Pittsburgh Genealogy and Historical Death Research

The PA State Archives death indices are available online and cover decades of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County death records. These indices give researchers a way to confirm names, dates, and certificate numbers before ordering a full certified copy. The archives are run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

For researchers using online databases, FamilySearch hosts digitized Pennsylvania vital records collections that include Allegheny County materials. Many pre-1906 death entries for Pittsburgh and Allegheny City have been indexed and are searchable by name. FamilySearch access is free.

The City of Pittsburgh does not maintain its own vital records office for current death certificates. All current-year deaths go directly into the state system. The city's role is limited to modern administrative functions. For historical research, Carnegie Library remains the primary city-specific resource.

The image below comes from the Allegheny County Government website, which provides information about county offices and services relevant to Pittsburgh death records.

Allegheny County offices in downtown Pittsburgh serve as the county-level hub for vital records, probate filings, and administrative functions connected to Pittsburgh death records research.

Note: The PA State Archives death indices at the PHMC website are searchable online at no cost and are a useful first step before ordering certified copies from the state vital records office.

How to Request Pittsburgh Death Records

Requesting Pittsburgh death records depends on the year of death. For deaths from 1870 to 1892, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is your only source, since county registration did not begin until 1893. For 1893 to 1905, both the Carnegie Library and the Allegheny County Register of Wills hold records. For 1906 forward, contact the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records.

When contacting any office, have the following details ready: full name of the deceased, approximate date of death, age or date of birth, and the address where the person lived at time of death. For Allegheny City deaths before 1907, noting that the address was in Allegheny City (now North Side) will help staff locate the correct register.

This image from the Pittsburgh city government website provides context on city resources and administrative offices.

The City of Pittsburgh's website at pittsburghpa.gov provides contact information for city departments, though vital records for current deaths are managed through the Pennsylvania state system.

Pittsburgh Allegheny County Death Records

Allegheny County is the primary county resource for Pittsburgh vital records research. The county's Register of Wills holds death records from 1893 through 1905, and the county's connection to the Carnegie Library collection makes Allegheny County one of the most well-documented counties in western Pennsylvania for this period.

View All Pennsylvania Cities