How Many Death certificates Do I Need? What are the Differences?

The number of death certificates you will need will vary greatly depending on the amount and number of assets that the person had at the time of death. Most insurance companies, banks, & many creditors will request a death certificate. In addition, you will need a death certificate (short form – one without the cause of death) to open a probate case in Florida. While insurance companies will typically ask for a long version, most other creditors and institutions are ok with a short version. The Probate court will not accept a short version. For this reason it is a good idea to get 3-5 long versions and 5-10 short versions. You can always get more and many companies only need to see a copy of a death certificate.