Abstract of death

What it means

An abstract carries the fact and date of death without the full contents of a certificate. Where a state recognizes it, it can be produced while a certified certificate is still being issued.

It is not a universal substitute, and most offices still want a certified copy.

Why it matters

Waiting for certified copies is one of the first delays a family hits, and a state that accepts an abstract removes it. Nebraska's small-estate statute names an abstract of death explicitly for the case where the certificate is delayed.

Sending an abstract where a certified copy is required simply restarts the wait.

When you are likely to meet it

• In the first weeks, when copies have been ordered and nothing has arrived.
• On a state form that names it as an alternative.

How this varies by state

Only some states issue or accept one.

Related terms

• Amending a death certificateCorrecting an error on the record after it has been registered — which is done, and is not quick.
• Certified copyA copy issued by the office that holds the original, carrying a seal or stamp that says so. A photocopy is not one.
• Death certificateThe official record of a death, issued by a state or local vital records office, and the document nearly every organization will ask to see.
• Small-estate affidavitA sworn statement a state allows instead of a full probate case for an estate under its ceiling. What it is called, what it reaches and whether a court is involved differ by state.
• Vital records officeThe state or county office that registers births and deaths and issues certified copies of the certificates.

Sahvelo guidance that uses this

• Death certificates