Daily AncestorKnow your state's starting date
For one ancestor's death, look up when the state where it happened began statewide birth and death records, and decide where the record should be.
Each state started on its own date, from 1841 in Massachusetts to 1919 in Georgia and later in some places. Before that date, the record is usually with a county or town, if it exists at all.
Your steps this week
- Write down the date and place of the death as closely as you know them.
- Open the state's guide and find the date statewide births and deaths began.
- If the death came after that date, note where the guide says certificates are kept and any waiting period it gives.
- If it came before, check the guide for county or town registers and for free indexes.
- Note any lost census years for the state, so you know which gaps to expect.
Pages that help
- Records state by state
- Massachusetts genealogy records
- Georgia genealogy records
- Ohio genealogy records
- Death certificates explained