Can a death certificate be issued without the cause of death?

Yes. In many jurisdictions anyone can order a death certificate. Therefore, for reasons of privacy the cause of death is not always recited in a copy or the cause of death is redacted. The death certificate is still valid as proof of death when used for legal purposes where proof of death is required. In that case, one would not know if the cause of death was included in the original death record.

Most jurisdictions require that the cause of death be included in the original record of death for purposes of vital record keeping. However, it is not always included when a copy is ordered. An example of the rules regarding access to the cause of death for New York:

• For all other death certificates, cause of death is available for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2010. You are entitled to the cause of death if your relationship to the decedent is the spouse or domestic partner, child, parent/legal guardian or the person in control of disposition as written on the death certificate. To obtain this information, check the appropriate box (# 20) on the death certificate application.