West Valley City Death Records Guide
West Valley City is Utah's second-largest city, located in Salt Lake County just west of Salt Lake City. Death records for West Valley City are maintained and issued by the Salt Lake County Health Department. Whether you need a certified death certificate for legal purposes or are researching family history, this page covers the offices, procedures, and online tools available to you. West Valley City was incorporated in 1980, so records before that date are classified under Salt Lake County's unincorporated area records.
West Valley City Quick Facts
West Valley City Death Certificate Office
The closest Salt Lake County Health Department office to West Valley City is the Ellis R. Shipp Public Health Center, located within the city. This office issues certified death certificates for West Valley City and all of Salt Lake County. You can also visit either of the two other county health offices to get the same records. All three offices provide equal service.
| Nearest Office | Ellis R. Shipp Public Health Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 4535 South 5600 West, West Valley City, UT 84120 |
| Phone | (385) 468-3712 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Also Available At | 610 South 200 East, Salt Lake City (385-468-4230) 7971 South 1825 West, West Jordan (385-468-5312) |
| Online Ordering | saltlakecounty.gov/health/vital-records/order |
In-person visits get same-day service. Bring a completed application, a current photo ID, proof of your relationship to the deceased, and your payment. The office accepts cash, check, money order, Visa, and Mastercard for in-person transactions.
How to Request West Valley City Death Records
Three methods are available for requesting West Valley City death records: in person at a county health office, by mail, or online through VitalChek. Each method requires you to show that you are an eligible requestor. As of August 21, 2024, the county requires proof of relationship for all vital records requests. This applies to death certificates along with all other vital records.
For in-person requests, go to the Ellis R. Shipp Public Health Center during business hours. Bring your government-issued photo ID and any documents proving your relationship to the deceased. If you are the spouse listed on the death certificate, no additional proof of relationship is needed. Children must bring their own birth certificate showing the deceased as a parent. Siblings must bring a birth certificate showing a shared parent with the deceased. The office will process your request while you wait.
To request by mail, send a completed application form, a legible copy of your photo ID, legible copies of your proof-of-relationship documents, and a check or money order made out to the Salt Lake County Health Department. Credit cards cannot be accepted for mail orders. Address your envelope to Salt Lake County Health Department, ATTN: VITAL RECORDS, at the location of your choice. Completed mail orders are returned by mail once processed.
Online orders are processed through VitalChek, the authorized online ordering service for Utah vital records. VitalChek accepts credit cards and arranges delivery. The cost is $30 for the first certified copy and $10 for each additional copy requested at the same time.
Note: If you cannot provide acceptable primary photo ID, you may ask an eligible relative who can provide ID to make the request on your behalf. Proof of that person's relationship to the deceased will also be required.
West Valley City Death Records History
West Valley City did not exist as a city until 1980. Before incorporation, the area consisted of unincorporated Salt Lake County communities, including Hunter and Granger. Deaths that occurred in these areas before 1980 were recorded under Salt Lake County rather than any named city. This means that historical death records for West Valley City addresses are found in the broader Salt Lake County archives.
Utah began state-level death registration in 1905. Death certificates for the communities that now make up West Valley City from 1904 through 1966 are available through the FamilySearch Utah Death Records collection. These records are free to search and include scanned images of original certificates. Searching by location may require using older place names like Hunter or Granger rather than West Valley City.
Records from 1966 to the present are held by the Utah Office of Vital Records or the Salt Lake County Health Department. Those older than 50 years are available to the public without a relationship requirement under Utah Code 26-2-22. Records within the last 50 years require proof of relationship or a documented legal interest in the record.
The Ancestor Hunt free Utah death records guide is a useful starting point for navigating the various free indexes covering Salt Lake County death records, including the pre-incorporation West Valley City area.
West Valley City Death Certificate Contents
A certified West Valley City death certificate issued by the Salt Lake County Health Department includes all standard Utah vital records fields. The document carries legal weight and is accepted by courts, financial institutions, and government agencies.
Typical fields include the full legal name of the deceased, date of birth, date and place of death, age, sex, race, marital status, name of surviving spouse if applicable, usual residence, cause of death and contributing conditions, manner of death, name of certifying physician or medical examiner, and place of final disposition. More recent records also include Social Security number and occupation.
Common reasons to obtain a West Valley City death certificate include settling an estate, claiming life insurance, closing bank accounts, transferring vehicle titles, collecting retirement or pension benefits, applying for survivor benefits, and genealogical research. The CDC guide to Utah vital records outlines the various institutions that accept death certificates for these purposes.
Searching Historical West Valley City Death Records
The best free resource for historical death records in the West Valley City area is the FamilySearch Utah Death Records database. This collection covers statewide records from 1904 through 1966 and includes Salt Lake County communities that now fall within West Valley City limits. The collection is fully searchable by name and browsable by county and year.
The Utah Population Database at the University of Utah links death records to birth, marriage, and census data. This makes it especially useful for building family trees and confirming relationships when researching West Valley City death records. Access requires registration through the University of Utah.
For records that fall outside both the FamilySearch collection and the county health department's 50-year window, contact the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service. The division holds older state records that are no longer managed by the county.
Salt Lake County Death Records
West Valley City is part of Salt Lake County. All county death records, ordering procedures, office locations, and related resources are covered on the Salt Lake County death records page. Visit that page for full county-level detail.
Nearby Cities in Salt Lake County
Other Salt Lake County cities use the same county health offices. Find death records information for nearby communities below.