Kane County Death Index Records
The Kane County death index gives researchers and families access to death records from one of Utah's southernmost counties. Located along the Arizona border, Kane County is known for its sweeping canyon landscapes and its proximity to Bryce Canyon and the Grand Staircase-Escalante region. The county seat is Kanab. Vital records for Kane County are managed through the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, which serves five counties in the region. Death records have been collected since 1905, and historical entries going back to the pioneer era are available free through FamilySearch. This guide explains how to find and request Kane County death records using every available method.
Kane County Quick Facts
What Kane County Death Index Records Include
A Kane County death certificate captures the key facts recorded at the time of death. The full name of the deceased, the date and place of death, the cause of death as stated by the attending physician, the person's age and birthplace, and the name of the informant are all standard fields on a Utah death certificate from 1905 onward. These facts make the Kane County death index useful for legal purposes, estate proceedings, and detailed genealogical research.
FamilySearch includes Kane County in the Utah Death Certificates 1904-1964 collection, which holds over 260,000 indexed entries from across the state. The Utah Death Registers 1847-1966 collection adds more than 300,000 entries that extend back to the pioneer era. Kane County was settled by Mormon pioneers well before formal state death registration began, so the death registers are an important source for early family research in this area. Both collections are free to search and view on FamilySearch without a subscription.
Some Kane County records from before 1905 also exist at the county level and at the Utah State Archives. Remote areas of Kane County were among the last to achieve full compliance with state registration requirements, so some deaths from the early registration period may not appear in the formal state index.
Note: Kane County's border with Arizona means some families in the region may have died in Arizona, where records would be filed with the Arizona vital records system rather than the Utah death index.
How to Search Kane County Death Records
For deaths from 1904 to 1964, FamilySearch is the best free starting point. Visit the FamilySearch Utah Death Certificates page and search by name, filtering to Kane County. When you find a match, you can view a scanned image of the original certificate. The Utah Death Registers 1847-1966 on the same site extend the search window back further and are equally free and open without a subscription.
For certified copies of Kane County death certificates, the Southwest Utah Public Health Department is the designated office. SWUPD serves Kane, Washington, Iron, Garfield, and Beaver counties. Their main office is at 620 S. 400 E., Suite 400, St. George, UT 84770. Online ordering is available through VitalChek for the Southwest Utah Health District. Their website at swuhealth.gov/records lists current ordering instructions and contact details. Application forms are available in English and Spanish.
For records that predate 1905 or that are not found in any online index, the Utah State Archives holds early county materials for Kane County. The VitalRec.com Utah counties page is a useful directory for locating the right office for any Utah county death record request.
Kane County Death Certificate Office
The Southwest Utah Public Health Department is the designated vital records office for Kane County. SWUPD serves Kane County along with Washington, Iron, Garfield, and Beaver counties from their main office in St. George at 620 S. 400 E., Suite 400, St. George, UT 84770. The SWUPD records page provides current ordering information for Kane County death certificate requests. Application forms are available in both English and Spanish at the SWUPD office.
Online ordering through VitalChek is the most convenient remote option for Kane County requestors. The VitalChek page for the Southwest Utah Health District allows you to submit your request and pay by credit card from anywhere. The state Utah OVR in Salt Lake City also maintains Kane County records and can process requests for residents who prefer to work with the state office.
VitalChek is the authorized online ordering partner for Kane County death certificates through the Southwest Utah Health District.
Note: Kane County applicants may contact either the SWUPD office or the state Utah OVR to request certified death certificates, as both offices maintain access to the statewide Kane County death index.
Getting Kane County Death Certificates
The fee for a Kane County death certificate is $30 for the first certified copy. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $10. These fees apply whether you order through SWUPD, the Utah OVR, or VitalChek. The base state fee is non-refundable even if no record is found.
You have several ordering options. Online ordering through VitalChek for the Southwest Utah Health District is convenient for remote requestors. In-person visits to the SWUPD main office in St. George allow you to submit your request and, in many cases, receive same-day service. Mail requests are also accepted. A complete mail request includes a completed application form, a legible copy of your government-issued photo ID, and payment by check or money order for the correct fee amount.
Kane County death records more than 50 years old are public and open to any requestor. Records within the 50-year window are restricted to immediate family members, their legal representatives, and certain government agencies. Immediate family includes a surviving spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased. All restricted-record requestors must present a valid photo ID and provide documentation of their relationship to the deceased, such as a birth certificate, marriage license, or court order.
Historical Death Records in Kane County
Kane County has deep pioneer roots. Mormon settlers arrived in the Kanab area in the 1860s and 1870s, and their deaths appear in the Utah Death Registers 1847-1966 that FamilySearch has digitized and made freely available. These registers contain over 300,000 statewide entries and capture deaths that occurred before the formal state registration system was established in 1905. For Kane County families who lived in the area in the 19th century, the death registers are often the only indexed source of death records available online.
The Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City holds early Kane County materials that are not part of any online collection. Church burial records, cemetery transcriptions, and early county-level records may all contain death information for Kane County residents who died before 1905. Researchers who have exhausted the FamilySearch collections should contact the Utah State Archives directly for help locating alternative sources.
The Utah State Archives preserves Kane County death materials from the pioneer era and the early 20th century that supplement the statewide death index collections.
Death Record Access in Kane County
Utah law controls access to all Kane County death records. The primary statute is Utah Code 26B-8-125, which sets a 50-year restriction on death records from the date of death. Once 50 years have passed, the record becomes part of the public record and any person may request it without providing a reason or documentation.
For records within the 50-year window, access is limited to immediate family members, legal representatives, and qualifying government agencies. A spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased qualifies as immediate family. Each restricted-record requestor must provide a valid government-issued photo ID and submit documents proving their relationship to the deceased. Proof may include a birth certificate, marriage license, or court-issued order granting authority to act on behalf of the estate.
GRAMA provides the broader public records framework in Utah. Under Utah Code 63G-2, any person denied a public records request has the right to appeal to the State Records Committee. This appeals process applies to records held by the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, the Utah OVR, and the Utah State Archives. If your Kane County death record request is denied, GRAMA gives you a clear path to challenge that decision.
The SSA POMS entry for Utah confirms that state death registration began in 1905 and reached general compliance by approximately 1917. Kane County's remote location near the Arizona border means some deaths from the early registration years may not appear in the formal state death index, particularly for deaths that occurred far from Kanab or in communities that did not reliably report to the state.
Note: Researchers who need Kane County death records from the early 1900s should check both the formal certificate index and the death registers on FamilySearch, as these two collections draw from different original sources and may not overlap completely.
Nearby Counties
Kane County is in far southern Utah near the Arizona border. It shares boundaries with several other Utah counties. Always confirm the county where a death occurred before requesting records, as this determines which office holds the record.