Certified Copy of a Death Certificate

An official copy of a death certificate that has been issued by a government agency, such as a state or local vital records office.

Because it is issued directly from a government agency, it will likely have a government seal and additional designs that cannot be faked, forged, or copied.

These seals are used as proof of a person's death, and are likely required for a variety of high profile processes, like settling the deceased person's estate, claiming life insurance benefits, or applying for survivor's benefits.

This is in contrast to a "unofficial photocopy" of a death certificate, which is one you can produce yourself using an everyday photocopier or home printer.

Because these copies do not have anti-counterfeiting design features, they are used to manage smaller administrative tasks such as cancelling recurring bills, or updating memberships.