Union County Death Records and Obituary Notices

Union County sits in northeastern New Jersey. The county seat is Elizabeth. Dense suburbs, older cities, and busy commuter towns make up this county. Death records and obituary notices for Union County residents are held by offices in Elizabeth, by municipal registrars across the county, and by state agencies in Trenton. Researchers searching for Union County obituary records can draw from several sources, including the County Clerk, the Surrogate, local libraries, and online databases. This page covers each source and explains how to access them.

County Clerk Office in Elizabeth

The Union County Clerk is at 2 Broad Street, Room 114, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. The phone number is (908) 527-4787. This office records land deeds, mortgages, and other filed documents. It does not issue death certificates. However, staff can direct you to the right municipal registrar. Each town in Union County has its own registrar who files and issues death certificates for deaths that took place within that town.

The Union County government homepage is shown below.

This site links to county offices in Elizabeth that assist with death records, probate, and other public filings for Union County.

Elizabeth is the largest city in Union County. It has its own registrar. Deaths in Elizabeth are filed with the city registrar's office. Plainfield and Union Township also have their own registrars. If the death took place in one of those towns, start there.

Union County Surrogate for Obituary Records

The Union County Surrogate is at 2 Broad Street, Room 325, Elizabeth, NJ 07207. The phone number is (908) 527-4530. The Surrogate handles probate. When someone dies in Union County and leaves a will, the Surrogate's office processes it. Probate files include the will, letters testamentary, estate inventories, and sometimes a death notice.

These files are public. You can visit in person to review them. Probate records often list the date of death, the names of heirs, and details about the estate. They serve as a solid secondary source when a death certificate is hard to locate. For older deaths in Union County, probate records may be the only detailed record that survives.

The Union County Clerk page is shown here.

This page provides contact details and office hours for the County Clerk in Elizabeth.

Note: Probate records are held by the Surrogate, not the County Clerk. The two offices are in the same building but serve different roles.

State Death Records for Union County

The New Jersey Office of Vital Statistics holds death records from 1951 to the present. If a death occurred in Union County after 1951, this office has it on file. You can order a certified copy for legal purposes or a genealogy copy for family research. The genealogical records page explains how to submit a request. Genealogy copies cost less and still show the key facts.

For older records, the New Jersey State Archives stores death records from 1848 through 1963 on microfilm. Union County deaths from that period are included. The Archives are at 225 West State Street in Trenton. Visits require an appointment. Microfilm is free to view. Copies cost a small fee.

Note: Death records from 1848 to 1950 are only available at the State Archives in Trenton, not online.

Historical Death Records from Union County

The New Jersey State Archives holds two unique sets of records tied to Union County. The first is a collection of physician's death certificates and precepts from 1874 through 1884. These are arranged in chronological order. They predate the state's modern vital records system. Each entry was filed by the attending physician. The records show the name of the deceased, the cause of death, the date, and sometimes the place of burial.

The second set covers Union Township returns of birth, death, and marriage from May 1872 through May 1873. These early civil records capture a brief window of local record keeping. They may list deaths that do not appear in any other source. If you are researching a Union County family from the 1870s or 1880s, these collections are worth checking.

The Union County Surrogate page is shown below.

This page lists the Surrogate's office hours and contact information for probate inquiries in Union County.

Obituary Search Using the Death Index

The New Jersey Death Index is a free online tool. It covers deaths from across the state, including Union County. You can search by name, year of death, or county. Each result shows the name, date of death, and a reference number. That number lets you order the full death certificate from the state.

The death index does not contain the full text of an obituary. It is a lookup tool. Once you find a match, use the reference number to request the death certificate. You can also search local newspaper archives for a printed obituary from around the same date. Union County papers like the Elizabeth Daily Journal and the Plainfield Courier-News printed obituary notices for decades.

Library Obituary Resources in Union County

The Union County Library system has branches across the county. The main branch is in Scotch Plains. Libraries offer free access to Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest. Both tools index death records, obituaries, and family trees from across the country. You must visit in person to use Ancestry Library Edition. HeritageQuest is often available from home with a library card.

Local libraries also hold old newspapers on microfilm. These papers published obituary notices for Union County residents going back many decades. Microfilm obituaries often include details that death certificates lack. They may list surviving family members, church affiliations, and burial locations. Library staff can help you locate the right reel for a given date range.

Union County Obituary Search Tips

Start with the name. Use the full legal name. Try the death index first. It is free. It is fast. If you find a match, write down the reference number. Then decide what you need next.

For printed obituaries, check the library. Union County had several local papers. Elizabeth, Plainfield, and other towns each had their own. These papers ran obituaries within a day or two of the death. If you know the approximate date, narrow your search to that week.

For deaths before 1951, the State Archives is the best source for official records. The physician's death certificates from 1874 to 1884 are especially useful for that era. They predate the state's centralized vital records system.

• Search the New Jersey Death Index for a quick name lookup
• Visit a Union County Library branch for newspaper obituaries on microfilm
• Contact the Surrogate in Elizabeth for probate and estate records
• Request death certificates from the local registrar or state office
• Check the State Archives for Union County deaths between 1848 and 1963

Getting Death Certificates in Union County

There are two main paths. You can contact the local municipal registrar in the town where the death took place. Or you can go through the state Office of Vital Statistics. The local route is faster for recent deaths. The state route works for any New Jersey death from 1951 on.

For genealogy, you do not always need a certified copy. The state offers a genealogy-only copy. It costs less. It still shows the name, date, place, and cause of death. It carries a stamp that reads "not for legal use." These copies work well for family tree research.

Funeral homes in Elizabeth, Plainfield, and Union Township often help families get initial copies at the time of death. If you need extra copies later, go through the registrar or the state office.

Note: Municipal registrars only issue certificates for deaths that occurred within their town limits.

Nearby Counties

These neighboring counties also hold death records and obituary notices that may be relevant to your research.