This is simply an email sharing my frustrations at the hoops you now need to jump through to get a copy of a relative's death certificate. Thought fellow genealogists would be sympathetic. I have been trying to get a copy of my grandparents' death certificates in New Jersey. Boy, does NJ have problems! Getting any records from the state is extremely expensive ($25 a record), so I have been trying to deal with the local vital records offices. It seems that each one has its own, unique set of requirements that they seem to make up on the fly, despite there being official state rules on this. One office totally refuses to send any record to any relative other than the child of the deceased. If you happen to be a grandchild and no children are surviving you are out of luck. Another office told me that having a copy of my father's death certificate (which names me, the informant, as his daughter, and, of course, names his mother) is not good enough proof that I am the granddaughter of my grandmother. Apparently, they think I provided erroneous information for my father's 2004 certificate as part of a nefarious plot to, four years later, get my hands on my grandmother's 1972 death certificate. Hmmmm... In order to send me the certificate in question they demanded that I provide ALL of the following (I kid you not): my birth certificate, my marriage certificate, my driver's license, a recent bill showing the same name and address as on my driver's license, my father's death certificate, and another document linking my father to his mother (birth certificate, military service records, etc). Not to mention the check. Office number three (luckily the above town turned out to be the wrong one for my grandmother - she died just over the border in the next town) had no problem with me being the informant on my father's death certificate. All they wanted was that certificate, my birth record, and my driver's license. BUT, they wouldn't accept these items with a check and a letter. I had to first go through a formal application process. On the other hand, I have gotten another grandparent's death certificate ( as well as my mother's birth certificate, death records for two great grandparents, and numerous other records) from a fourth town. As long as I sent a copy of my driver's license, they would give me anything my little heart desired. BUT no checks are acceptable for them - it has to be a money order. I think I am going to start keeping notes - this could be a great comedy routine for the next DOGS birthday party. J Ava

Hello Ava,   The reason that ALL OF THE STATES are now so demanding of PROOF  (of who you SAY you are on the telephone)   is-----BAD GUYS steal identities.    It used to be so easy to get any kind of birth/death/marr. records  just saying you were a genealogist.  But, NO MORE.    However, if you say you need any of these documents because of a law suit etc  then they are more likely to work with you---BUT they are still expensive.  THE LDS Family History Center & Library is still your best bet to get records of this type.   Isn't there an LDS FHC in or around Raleigh NC??     They have EVERYTHING.      marty gujda martydar --- On Thu, 12/11/08, Ava H. Nackman <[email protected]> wrote: From: Ava H. Nackman <[email protected]> Subject: [NCDOGS] Getting a Death Certificate To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 12:35 PM This is simply an email sharing my frustrations at the hoops you now need to jump through to get a copy of a relative's death certificate. Thought fellow genealogists would be sympathetic. I have been trying to get a copy of my grandparents' death certificates in New Jersey. Boy, does NJ have problems! Getting any records from the state is extremely expensive ($25 a record), so I have been trying to deal with the local vital records offices. It seems that each one has its own, unique set of requirements that they seem to make up on the fly, despite there being official state rules on this. One office totally refuses to send any record to any relative other than the child of the deceased. If you happen to be a grandchild and no children are surviving you are out of luck. Another office told me that having a copy of my father's death certificate (which names me, the informant, as his daughter, and, of course, names his mother) is not good enough proof that I am the granddaughter of my grandmother. Apparently, they think I provided erroneous information for my father's 2004 certificate as part of a nefarious plot to, four years later, get my hands on my grandmother's 1972 death certificate. Hmmmm... In order to send me the certificate in question they demanded that I provide ALL of the following (I kid you not): my birth certificate, my marriage certificate, my driver's license, a recent bill showing the same name and address as on my driver's license, my father's death certificate, and another document linking my father to his mother (birth certificate, military service records, etc). Not to mention the check. Office number three (luckily the above town turned out to be the wrong one for my grandmother - she died just over the border in the next town) had no problem with me being the informant on my father's death certificate. All they wanted was that certificate, my birth record, and my driver's license. BUT, they wouldn't accept these items with a check and a letter. I had to first go through a formal application process. On the other hand, I have gotten another grandparent's death certificate ( as well as my mother's birth certificate, death records for two great grandparents, and numerous other records) from a fourth town. As long as I sent a copy of my driver's license, they would give me anything my little heart desired. BUT no checks are acceptable for them - it has to be a money order. I think I am going to start keeping notes - this could be a great comedy routine for the next DOGS birthday party. J Ava ************************* Visit the D-OGS web site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncdogs/ Please post all queries using the D-OGS query form: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncdogs/memquery.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I know exactly what you mean abt getting vital record - tis much harder than working on much older generations - I've tried to have living descendants who are directly related provide the needed work and then I usually spring for the fee and it does get pricey. A written account state by state and or county by county is unbelievable - -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Martha Gujda Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 2:21 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [NCDOGS] Getting a Death Certificate Hello Ava,   The reason that ALL OF THE STATES are now so demanding of PROOF  (of who you SAY you are on the telephone)   is-----BAD GUYS steal identities.    It used to be so easy to get any kind of birth/death/marr. records  just saying you were a genealogist.  But, NO MORE.    However, if you say you need any of these documents because of a law suit etc  then they are more likely to work with you---BUT they are still expensive.  THE LDS Family History Center & Library is still your best bet to get records of this type.   Isn't there an LDS FHC in or around Raleigh NC??     They have EVERYTHING.      marty gujda martydar --- On Thu, 12/11/08, Ava H. Nackman <[email protected]> wrote: From: Ava H. Nackman <[email protected]> Subject: [NCDOGS] Getting a Death Certificate To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 12:35 PM This is simply an email sharing my frustrations at the hoops you now need to jump through to get a copy of a relative's death certificate. Thought fellow genealogists would be sympathetic. I have been trying to get a copy of my grandparents' death certificates in New Jersey. Boy, does NJ have problems! Getting any records from the state is extremely expensive ($25 a record), so I have been trying to deal with the local vital records offices. It seems that each one has its own, unique set of requirements that they seem to make up on the fly, despite there being official state rules on this. One office totally refuses to send any record to any relative other than the child of the deceased. If you happen to be a grandchild and no children are surviving you are out of luck. Another office told me that having a copy of my father's death certificate (which names me, the informant, as his daughter, and, of course, names his mother) is not good enough proof that I am the granddaughter of my grandmother. Apparently, they think I provided erroneous information for my father's 2004 certificate as part of a nefarious plot to, four years later, get my hands on my grandmother's 1972 death certificate. Hmmmm... In order to send me the certificate in question they demanded that I provide ALL of the following (I kid you not): my birth certificate, my marriage certificate, my driver's license, a recent bill showing the same name and address as on my driver's license, my father's death certificate, and another document linking my father to his mother (birth certificate, military service records, etc). Not to mention the check. Office number three (luckily the above town turned out to be the wrong one for my grandmother - she died just over the border in the next town) had no problem with me being the informant on my father's death certificate. All they wanted was that certificate, my birth record, and my driver's license. BUT, they wouldn't accept these items with a check and a letter. I had to first go through a formal application process. On the other hand, I have gotten another grandparent's death certificate ( as well as my mother's birth certificate, death records for two great grandparents, and numerous other records) from a fourth town. As long as I sent a copy of my driver's license, they would give me anything my little heart desired. BUT no checks are acceptable for them - it has to be a money order. I think I am going to start keeping notes - this could be a great comedy routine for the next DOGS birthday party. J Ava ************************* Visit the D-OGS web site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncdogs/ Please post all queries using the D-OGS query form: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncdogs/memquery.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ************************* Visit the D-OGS web site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncdogs/ Please post all queries using the D-OGS query form: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncdogs/memquery.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message