How to Get a Death Certificate in Delaware & the Delaware Small Estate Limit
When a parent, spouse or relative dies in Delaware, you will need certified death certificates long before you know whether the estate has to go through probate. Below is what Delaware charges for certificates, who issues them, and how the state's small estate shortcut works, with official links for every number.
How to get a death certificate in Delaware
Certified copies in Delaware come from Delaware Division of Public Health, Office of Vital Statistics.
Each certified copy of a death certificate costs $25, including additional copies.
You can order through the Office of Vital Statistics or online through VitalChek, which adds a vendor fee.
In most families the funeral home places the first order, so ask them to include enough copies up front. Additional copies ordered later cost the same or more and can take weeks by mail. See how many death certificates you need for a realistic count.
Delaware small estate procedure: Small estate affidavit from the Register of Wills
Delaware raised its limit in 2026: the affidavit covers solely owned personal property up to $50,000 for deaths on or after June 10, 2026, and up to $30,000 for earlier deaths.
The person must not have owned real estate solely in their own name, and at least 30 days must have passed since the death.
The affidavit is issued by the county Register of Wills, can be used by the named executor or next of kin, and can also transfer vehicles, trailers and boats.
What counts toward the limit
A common mistake is adding up every asset and concluding the estate is too big. In Delaware, as in other states, property that already has a beneficiary or co-owner (retirement accounts, life insurance, POD/TOD accounts, joint accounts with survivorship, trust property) typically passes outside probate. Only what is left counts toward the small estate limit. See how beneficiary designations work.
Step by step in Delaware
- Get several certified copies of the death certificate first; nothing else moves without them.
- Make an inventory: bank accounts, vehicles, investments, real estate, and anything with a named beneficiary.
- Separate out non-probate assets, then total what is left and compare it with the Delaware threshold.
- Wait out any required waiting period and complete the Small estate affidavit from the Register of Wills.
- Collect the assets, pay legitimate debts and final bills, and distribute the rest to the people entitled to it, keeping a written record.
When the small estate route doesn't fit
If the estate is over the limit, includes property the Delaware procedure cannot transfer, or the family disagrees about who gets what, plan on regular probate. The same applies when there is a business, significant debt or a disputed will. Many probate courts run free self-help centers, and a short consultation with a Delaware estate attorney can save expensive mistakes. The executor checklist lays out what a full probate involves.
Quick answers
How much does a death certificate cost in Delaware?
Each certified copy of a death certificate costs $25, including additional copies. Always confirm the current figure with the official source linked below.
What is the small estate limit in Delaware?
Delaware raised its limit in 2026: the affidavit covers solely owned personal property up to $50,000 for deaths on or after June 10, 2026, and up to $30,000 for earlier deaths. Always confirm the current figure with the official source linked below.
After that
After the certificates and the small estate question, the rest is mostly administration: accounts, subscriptions, final bills and taxes. Keep going with who to call when someone dies, getting a free estate EIN and what not to do when someone dies.
Keep it all in one place
The After-Loss Admin Kit is a calm, printable executor workbook: the first 48 hours through closing the estate, a who-to-notify list, 12 letter templates (including bank and agency letters) and an estate tracker spreadsheet for every asset and debt. It works with the Delaware steps above.
See the After-Loss Admin Kit — $19Loss & planning bundle (4 kits) — $34