Butler County PA Death Records Guide
Butler County death records are held at three main sources: the county Register of Wills in Butler, the Butler County Historical Society, and the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. Local registration began in 1893, covering deaths through 1905. State registration took over in 1906 and continues today. Butler County was created in 1800 from Allegheny County, and its records reflect generations of residents who built a community from western Pennsylvania's agricultural and industrial roots. This guide covers every key repository and how to use each one for death records research.
Butler County Quick Facts
Butler County Register of Wills Death Records
The Butler County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court is the primary local repository for Butler County death records from the pre-state era. The office holds birth and death records from 1893 through 1905, along with marriage records dating to 1885 and probate records spanning the county's full history since 1800. All records held at this office are public, with the exception of adoption records, which remain sealed under Pennsylvania law.
Butler County death records from 1893 to 1905 capture information gathered by local registrars across the county's townships and boroughs. Typical entries include the decedent's full name, residence, date of death, cause of death, age, and the name of the attending physician or informant. For research purposes, these early certificates can confirm dates and causes of death for individuals born in the mid-19th century.
| Office | Butler County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court P.O. Box 1208 Butler, PA 16003 Phone: (724) 285-4731 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Records | Birth and death records 1893–1905; marriage records from 1885; probate records from 1800 |
Note: Adoption records held at the Butler County Orphans' Court are sealed and are not available through standard public records requests.
Butler County Historical Society Archives
The Butler County Historical Society at 123 West Diamond Street in Butler is an extensive repository of objects, images, and original documents related to Butler County history and families. The Society's research holdings include materials that predate formal death registration and cover the full sweep of Butler County history from the early 1800s onward.
Researchers can find newspaper archives, cemetery transcription projects, family histories, and manuscript collections at the Historical Society. Obituaries from Butler County newspapers are particularly useful for adding biographical detail to official death records. These notices often record where a person was born, what church they attended, who their survivors were, and what work they did -- details that official death certificates frequently omit.
The image below, from the Butler County Historical Society website, represents the depth of archival holdings available for Butler County genealogical research.
The Historical Society is a key resource for Butler County death records research, especially for the period before official local registration began in 1893.
The Society does not hold official certified death certificates. Its materials are research tools that complement the official records at the courthouse and the state Division of Vital Records.
Certified Death Certificates for Butler County
For Butler County deaths from 1906 onward, certified copies are issued by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records in New Castle. The fee is $20 per certified copy. Requests can be submitted online through mycertificates.health.pa.gov, by mail to P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103-1528, or through VitalChek.
Access to Butler County death records less than 50 years old is governed by 35 P.S. §450.801. This statute limits access to the decedent's immediate family, legal representatives, and others who can demonstrate a lawful need. Records 50 years old or older are open for genealogical research. Given that Butler County's earliest state-era records date to 1906, any certificate from before 1976 falls within the open-access category as of today.
The state Division of Vital Records phone number is (724) 656-3100. Staff can answer questions about specific record requests and help determine whether a Butler County death certificate exists in the state system before you pay the $20 fee.
Pennsylvania State Archives and Butler County Records
Death certificates held at the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg cover all Pennsylvania counties, including Butler, from 1906 through 1975. The Archives' online death index allows researchers to search by name and verify that a Butler County record exists before submitting a formal request. Index searches are free and available from any location.
Some Butler County genealogical records have been digitized through the state's partnership with Ancestry. The Ancestry PA portal provides access to these digitized collections for subscribers and through free access at participating libraries.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health's official page for death certificate requests, shown below, is the authoritative source for current fees, forms, and procedures for obtaining certified Butler County death records from 1906 onward.
The county government site provides additional context about Butler County records and can direct researchers to the correct office for their specific request.
Butler County Pre-Registration Death Sources
Before death registration began in Butler County in 1893, three main sources provide death data for local families. Church records cover the largest share. Butler County's predominantly Protestant and Catholic congregations kept burial registers, and many have been transcribed or microfilmed. Cemetery records provide another layer, with headstone inscriptions often being the only surviving record of a death date for individuals who died before 1893.
Federal mortality schedules are available for Butler County from 1850 through 1880 through the State Archives and FamilySearch. These schedules were taken every ten years as part of the U.S. Census and list individuals who died in the 12 months before each census date. While not comprehensive, mortality schedules can document deaths for Butler County residents in years when no other official record exists.
The FamilySearch Pennsylvania Vital Records wiki identifies specific Butler County collections available online. These free resources are the best starting point for pre-registration Butler County research.
Note: Mortality schedules from the federal censuses of 1850 through 1880 offer the best pre-registration death data for Butler County researchers working on 19th-century family lines.
Nearby Counties
Butler County is located in western Pennsylvania and shares borders with several surrounding counties. Checking neighboring counties may help when a Butler County death record cannot be located.