How Do I Get a Death Certificate in Utah?
In Utah, certified death certificates come from the Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsUtah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source; the first copy costs $35Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, additional copies $10Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source each.
In Utah, the first certified copy costs $35Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, and each additional copy ordered at the same time $10Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source. Copies ordered together cost less than separate orders placed later. The Utah estate settlement plan lists the accounts and institutions that each want a certified copy.
Death certificates in Utah are issued by the Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsUtah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source. Online ordering is available. Most funeral homes also place the first order for the family at the time of death.
Standard processing in Utah takes At least 6 weeks for mail ordersUtah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source. Expedited service takes Next business day for online orders before 1:00 PM MT with expedite feeUtah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an additional $25Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source. A funeral home's order at the time of death usually arrives first.
In Utah, a certified copy can be ordered by: Registrant, Immediate family: spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild, Guardian of the subject, Designated legal representative: attorney, physician, funeral service director, genealogist, or other agent of the subjectUtah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source. A requester shows One current primary photo ID (e.g. driver license, state ID, passport), or two secondary IDs and Mail orders: a photocopy of the front and back of the IDUtah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source.
The Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsUtah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source holds death records from 1905Utah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to the present. Public records (50+ years) searchable at Utah State Archives. A record becomes public 50 yearsUtah Office of Vital Records and StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source after the date of death.
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Death of a Parent
A step-by-step guide to what happens after a parent dies: the documents to find, the certificates to order, and whether probate is even required.
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Loss of a Spouse
What a surviving spouse needs to do: death certificates, survivor benefits, whether probate is even required, and the tax election that expires.
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Named as Executor
What an executor actually does: getting appointed, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and where personal liability starts.
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Named as Trustee
Being named trustee means managing trust assets and carrying out the grantor's wishes. Your duties, timeline, compensation, and how to get started.
Learn moreForms for Settling an Estate in Utah
Free forms for settling an estate in Utah: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Notice to Creditors
In Utah, creditors have 3 monthsUtah Code § 75-3-801Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication to present claims.
Small Estate Affidavit
In Utah, the Small Estate AffidavitUtah Code § 75-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source covers estates valued at $100,000Utah Code § 75-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less, 30 daysUtah Code § 75-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death, presented directly to the bank or other holder, not filed with a court.
Estate Inventory
In Utah, the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysUtah Code §§ 75-3-705, 75-3-706, 75-3-707Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment.
Estate Closing
In Utah, the personal representative is discharged automatically once the statutory period runsUtah Code §§ 75-3-1003(2), 75-3-1005Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and a final accounting is required unless it is waived.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Utah
Free tools for settling an estate in Utah: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
Do I Need Probate?
In Utah, estates valued at $100,000Utah Code § 75-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Small Estate AffidavitUtah Code § 75-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysUtah Code § 75-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Utah requires a final state income tax return for the decedent alongside the federal Form 1040Utah Code Ann. § 59-10-104(2)(b) (Amended by Ch. 250, 2026 General Session / S.B. 60)Verified Sep 20, 2026View source; a federal estate tax return (Form 706) is required only for estates above $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Utah: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysUtah Code §§ 75-3-705, 75-3-706, 75-3-707Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsUtah Code §§ 75-3-801, 75-3-803, 75-3-805, 75-3-806Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
After a death in Utah, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $100,000Utah Code § 75-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or goes through probate, where creditors have 3 monthsUtah Code § 75-3-801Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to file claims after notice.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Utah levies no estate or inheritance taxNo state estate, inheritance, or gift tax. Utah's pick-up inheritance tax (Utah Code Title 59, Chapter 11, Inheritance Tax Act) produced $0 for deaths after December 31, 2004 — it was measured by the IRC § 2011 state death tax credit, which EGTRRA phased out — and the entire chapter (§§ 59-11-101 through 59-11-115) was repealed outright effective May 6, 2026 by H.B. 77, 2026 General SessionVerified Sep 15, 2026View source; only the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?
Utah imposes no inheritance or estate taxNo state estate, inheritance, or gift tax. Utah's pick-up inheritance tax (Utah Code Title 59, Chapter 11, Inheritance Tax Act) produced $0 for deaths after December 31, 2004 — it was measured by the IRC § 2011 state death tax credit, which EGTRRA phased out — and the entire chapter (§§ 59-11-101 through 59-11-115) was repealed outright effective May 6, 2026 by H.B. 77, 2026 General SessionVerified Sep 15, 2026View source; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate.
How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?
Inherited assets in Utah take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death26 USC § 1014Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the gain on a later sale faces ordinary income tax at the state's regular rates.
Hire an Utah Probate Attorney
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Utah Estate Settlement Resources
In-depth guides covering Utah probate, estate administration, and settling an estate.