Search Montgomery County Obituary Records

Montgomery County obituary records and death certificates are managed through a county vital records office in Silver Spring, the Maryland Division of Vital Records, and the Maryland State Archives. As the most populous county in Maryland with over one million residents, Montgomery County processes a high volume of death certificate requests. In-person service requires an appointment. This page covers how to request records in person, how to apply online, what fees apply, and where older historical death and obituary records are held.

Montgomery County Vital Records Office

Montgomery County's in-person vital records service operates at the Dennis Avenue Health Center. The address is 2000 Dennis Avenue, Suite 27, Silver Spring, MD 20902. The phone number is 240-773-1207. An appointment is required before visiting. Do not show up without one. Call 240-773-1207 to schedule, and when you arrive, check in at the security desk before going to the Vital Records office. Walk-ins are not accommodated at this location.

The office serves the public on a limited schedule. Current hours for in-person appointments are Monday and Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM, and Friday from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. This office handles death records for deaths that occurred since January 1, 2015. For deaths before that date, you need to contact the Maryland Division of Vital Records or the Maryland State Archives depending on the year. More detail on those options is in the sections below. The county's vital records page at montgomerycountymd.gov/hhs/leftnav/vitalrecords.html has current hours and any schedule updates.

Montgomery County Death Certificate Fees

As of September 2, 2025, the fee for a death certificate at the Montgomery County Vital Records office is $18 for the first copy. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $20. These fees are set by the Maryland Department of Health Vital Statistics Administration and apply to in-person requests at the Dennis Avenue office. Fee amounts can change, so confirm the current rate when you call to schedule your appointment.

Montgomery County accepts several forms of payment at the vital records office. Cash is accepted, as are credit cards and Apple Pay. You can also pay by check or money order. Checks and money orders must be made payable to "Montgomery County, MD." Do not make them payable to an individual name or another agency. Bringing the exact amount in cash can speed up the process if card readers are slow during busy periods. The county's vital records website at montgomerycountymd.gov may also have updated fee information if you want to check before your appointment.

Note: The $18 fee structure took effect September 2, 2025, per the Maryland Department of Health Vital Statistics Administration. Earlier visits may have had a different rate.

What to Bring to Your Appointment

When you visit the Montgomery County Vital Records office, you must have a valid government-issued photo ID. This can be a driver's license, passport, state ID card, or similar document. The ID confirms your identity as the requestor. Beyond your own ID, you may also need to show entitlement documents that prove your relationship to the deceased. The most common examples are a birth certificate showing you are a child of the deceased, a marriage certificate showing you were their spouse, or a copy of the obituary itself if it lists you by name. Having these documents ready before your appointment avoids any delay.

Access to certified death records in Montgomery County is governed by COMAR 10.03.01.08, the Maryland regulation that limits who can receive certified copies. Eligible requesters include surviving relatives, authorized representatives, funeral directors, individuals with a proven legal need, and courts. If you believe you qualify but are unsure what documents to bring, call 240-773-1207 before your appointment. Staff can tell you exactly what is needed for your specific situation so you are prepared when you arrive at the Dennis Avenue Health Center in Silver Spring.

The following documents are commonly used to prove eligibility for Montgomery County death records:

• Your own valid government-issued photo ID
• Birth certificate showing your relationship to the deceased
• Marriage certificate if you were the spouse
• A copy of the obituary listing your name
• Legal documents showing authorized representative status

Historical Montgomery County Death Records

For deaths before January 2015, the Montgomery County office in Silver Spring does not hold those records. Requests for older death certificates go to the Maryland Division of Vital Records at 6764B Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215, phone 410-764-3038. Their website at health.maryland.gov/vsa/ has the full ordering process for mail and online requests. You can also use VitalChek at vitalchek.com, which is an authorized third-party platform that adds a service fee but provides online convenience and card payment for Maryland vital records.

The Maryland State Archives in Annapolis holds Board of Health death records for Montgomery County spanning 1898 to 1947, cataloged as MSA C1123. These records predate the modern death certificate system and contain entries for many families who lived in the county during the early 20th century. The Archives also hold compiled genealogical data from local newspapers. Two key newspaper abstract collections for Montgomery County are "Abstracts of Marriages and Deaths from Newspapers of Frederick and Montgomery Counties (1831-1840)" and "Marriages and Deaths from Newspapers of Frederick and Montgomery Counties (1820-1830)." Both are useful for tracing 19th-century deaths when no formal certificate exists. The Maryland State Archives at msa.maryland.gov can be reached at 350 Rowe Blvd., Annapolis, MD 21401, phone 410-260-6400.

The online death records index at vitalrec.msa.maryland.gov allows you to search by county and name before ordering anything. This is a good first step when you are not certain whether the Archives hold the specific record you need. The catalog will tell you which series it belongs to and whether copies can be ordered remotely or require an in-person visit.

Montgomery County Historical Society

The Montgomery County Historical Society, located in Rockville, maintains local historical records that include obituary notices, newspaper clippings, family papers, and other primary sources. Their research library is a good resource for deaths and obituaries that are not found in government databases. The Historical Society focuses on collecting what is local and hard to find elsewhere. Researchers looking for older obituary notices that were published in county newspapers will find that the Historical Society holds materials not duplicated in state databases.

The Historical Society's website is at montgomeryhistory.org. Their collections are accessible to the public through their research library, and staff can help you identify which holdings are relevant to your search. For genealogical work on Montgomery County families from the 19th and early 20th centuries, combining the Historical Society's newspaper holdings with the Archives' vital records is often the most effective approach. The Circuit Court for Montgomery County is at 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850, and can be a source of historical probate and estate records that sometimes contain obituary-related information as well.

Cities in Montgomery County

Montgomery County is the most populous county in Maryland and includes several major cities and communities. All death records for residents throughout the county are processed through the same Silver Spring vital records office for recent deaths. Qualifying cities in Montgomery County with dedicated records pages are listed below.

Other communities in Montgomery County include Chevy Chase, Kensington, Poolesville, Damascus, and Olney. All death records for residents in these areas are processed through the same county vital records system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Montgomery County. Death records are tied to the county where the death occurred, so checking the correct jurisdiction is the first step in your search.