# Death Records online for free ?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-records-online-for-free/510498 "2009-09-17T21:00:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-records-online-for-free/510498/1 "2009-09-17T21:00:23Z")
I am trying to look up a death date in Massachusetts in 1996, and I would expect to find something public online. But all I am finding are commercial web sites where you have to pay to get the info. I did find one with a 14-day free trial but I don’t want to mess with that and don’t think I should have to. I also tried searching newspaper obituaries. So is this stuff available publicly online for free? If not, why not? ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-records-online-for-free/510498/2 "2009-09-17T21:44:02Z")
I don’t need this info anymore, can a mod please lock this? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-records-online-for-free/510498/3 "2009-09-17T21:46:34Z")
How much info do you need about the death? You can search the [Social Security Death Index online for free.](http://www.deathindexes.com/ssdi.html) When I searched for my grandfather, just as a test, I also got links to two different newspaper obituaries of him. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-records-online-for-free/510498/4 "2009-09-17T21:51:54Z")
Your public library probably subscribes to a bunch of good databases. Just for a death date, the Social Security Death Index is available in a million places. Here’s just [one](http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/). Don’t lock it, a lot of people may want the same information. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-records-online-for-free/510498/5 "2009-09-17T22:08:03Z")
Those are great! Thanks everyone!!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-records-online-for-free/510498/6 "2009-09-17T22:21:20Z")
Remember not states consider death records as public records, for instance they are not public records in Illinois. I might add to check local papers for obituaries, they can help find info too. Often you can get the info free from a library holding the paper’s archives ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-records-online-for-free/510498/7 "2009-09-19T16:38:35Z")
Most persons legally in Massachusetts in 1996 would have an SS number. Just Google SSDI and enter the name to get a free date and, I believe, a place of death. Sometimes a bit of other information too before you have to subscribe to something.