Garfield County Death Records
Garfield County death records are issued through the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, which serves Garfield along with Washington, Iron, Beaver, and Kane Counties in southern Utah. The county seat is Panguitch, near Bryce Canyon National Park. Certified death certificates for events that occurred in Garfield County are available from the Southwest Utah Public Health Department from 1969 forward. Earlier Garfield County death records, going back to 1904, are preserved in the Utah State Archives collection on FamilySearch.
Garfield County Quick Facts
Southwest Utah Public Health and Garfield County Death Certificates
The Southwest Utah Public Health Department is the regional health authority that manages vital records for Garfield County. This department serves a wide area of southern Utah that includes Washington, Iron, Beaver, Kane, and Garfield Counties. The department's offices are spread across the region, with the main administrative hub in the St. George area. For Garfield County residents, the Southwest Utah Public Health Department is the local option for obtaining certified death certificates for deaths that occurred after 1969.
Garfield County occupies a large and scenic area of southern Utah. The county includes portions of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and borders Bryce Canyon National Park near Panguitch. With a small and spread-out population, vital records access is mostly handled through regional offices and state-level systems rather than a county office. Researchers and families should plan accordingly when requesting records.
| Regional Office |
Southwest Utah Public Health Department Serving Garfield, Washington, Iron, Beaver, and Kane Counties swuhealth.gov/records/ |
|---|---|
| State Office |
Utah Office of Vital Records 288 North 1460 West Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1012 Phone: (801) 538-6105 |
| Local Records | Garfield County deaths from 1969 to present |
| Historical Records | 1904-1966 via FamilySearch (Utah State Archives) |
Note: Contact the Southwest Utah Public Health Department directly at swuhealth.gov/records/ to confirm current hours and fees before making a trip to a Garfield County area office.
Requesting Garfield County Death Records
To obtain a certified Garfield County death certificate, start by identifying the year the death occurred. For deaths from 1969 to the present, contact the Southwest Utah Public Health Department. For deaths before 1969 but after 1904, the Utah State Archives collection on FamilySearch is the best free resource. For certified copies of records from any period, the Utah Office of Vital Records in Salt Lake City can assist.
Mail requests to the Utah Office of Vital Records should include the full name of the deceased, date of death, county where the death occurred (Garfield), your full name, your relationship to the deceased, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and payment for the applicable fee. The state charges $30 for the first certified copy and $10 for each additional copy requested at the same time. Mail your request to 288 North 1460 West, PO Box 141012, Salt Lake City UT 84114-1012.
Online ordering through VitalChek is available for Garfield County death certificates. VitalChek is the officially authorized service for Utah vital records and accepts major credit cards. Service fees apply in addition to the certificate fee. This is often the most convenient option for people who live far from Panguitch or Salt Lake City. The Utah health department directory has current contact information for local offices in the region.
Historical Garfield County Death Records on FamilySearch
The most comprehensive free resource for historical Garfield County death records is the Utah State Archives death certificate collection on FamilySearch. This collection covers the years 1904 through 1966 and includes over 260,000 death certificates from counties across Utah, including Garfield. The collection is fully searchable by name, and digital images of the original certificates are available at no charge.
Garfield County was established in 1882, and early settlement in the area brought farming and ranching families to the Panguitch Valley and surrounding towns. The FamilySearch collection includes death certificates from communities such as Panguitch, Escalante, Tropic, and Cannonville. Early certificates often contain more personal detail than modern forms, including the names of parents, place of birth, and the name of the person who provided the information to the registrar.
For Garfield County deaths that occurred between 1967 and 1968, the period between the FamilySearch collection's end date and the Southwest Utah Public Health Department's 1969 start date, the Utah Office of Vital Records at (801) 538-6105 is the appropriate contact. The state holds records for this period even when the regional health office does not.
Utah Vital Records Law and Garfield County
All death records in Utah, including those from Garfield County, are governed by state law. Utah death registration began in 1905 and has been mandatory since that time. The Utah Code Section 26-2-22 establishes that death certificates older than 50 years are available to the general public. More recent records have access restrictions and can only be obtained by authorized individuals such as immediate family members or legal representatives.
Under Utah Code Section 26-2-13, the state registrar is responsible for maintaining the official record of each death in Utah. Local health departments like the Southwest Utah Public Health Department serve as collection agents, but the state office in Salt Lake City holds the authoritative record. Both offices can issue certified copies with the same legal standing.
Under Utah Code Section 26-4-9, the manner and cause of death must be certified on every death record. This applies to all Garfield County deaths. Certified copies are required for most legal purposes, including estate settlement, insurance claims, and Social Security applications. Informational copies from genealogical databases are not a substitute for official certified copies in these contexts.
Garfield County Genealogy and Death Research
Garfield County is an excellent subject for Utah genealogical research. Pioneer families who settled in the Panguitch area and surrounding communities left detailed records in church registers, cemetery records, and family histories. Death records from the early 20th century reflect the rural agricultural lifestyle of the county and often note occupations like farming and ranching.
The FamilySearch collection for Utah includes Garfield County cemetery records and death certificates across multiple databases. Researchers can search by name and find linked records across several collections in a single session. The collection is particularly strong for the towns of Panguitch, Escalante, and Hatch, where pioneer families settled in the 1870s and 1880s.
The Utah Population Database at the University of Utah includes linked vital records that connect Garfield County death certificates to census records and birth data. This database helps researchers trace family lines across generations and is especially useful for studying mortality patterns in small rural communities like those in Garfield County.
Note: The Ancestor Hunt website provides a free guide to online Utah death records including links to indexes that cover Garfield County. These indexes can help researchers confirm details before ordering a certified copy from the Southwest Utah Public Health Department or the state vital records office.
Southwest Utah Public Health Clinical Services
The Southwest Utah Public Health Department provides a range of health services in addition to vital records. Their clinical services include public health programs that affect death reporting and registration in Garfield County. The department works with local physicians, hospitals, and the county coroner to ensure that deaths in the county are properly reported and recorded.
Because Garfield County is rural and has limited medical facilities, some deaths occur outside of a hospital setting. The department coordinates with the Utah Office of Vital Records to ensure that these deaths are properly registered. Families dealing with a death in Garfield County who have questions about the registration process can contact the Southwest Utah Public Health Department for guidance on next steps.
The CDC's guide to Utah vital records explains the statewide registration system and how local health departments like Southwest Utah Public Health fit into that system. This resource is helpful for out-of-state requesters who need to understand how Garfield County death records are organized and where to direct their requests.
Nearby Counties
Garfield County is surrounded by other southern Utah counties. Death records for neighboring counties are handled through their respective regional health offices and the Utah Office of Vital Records.