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Reporting of Deaths

The Pennsylvania Vital Statistics Law of 1953 requires that deaths that occur in Pennsylvania be reported to the Department of Health within four days of the date of death. Funeral homes, medical professionals, coroners and medical examiners all have a mandatory role in reporting these deaths. This website outlines our requirements for reporting deaths that occur in Pennsylvania.

ALL DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO COVID-19 MUST BE REPORTED THROUGH the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS).

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INFORMATION ON EDRS:  In 2016, the Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries began to roll out an Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) to report deaths.  EDRS is a web-based application that simplifies the data reporting process while increasing data quality and supports the rapid-reporting of deaths that occur in Pennsylvania.  EDRS is available to funeral directors and medical certifiers, including coroners, medical examiners, and medical professionals who are responsible for reporting deaths.  EDRS is designed so that support staff may complete most of the data entry into EDRS.  The funeral director or medical certifier can then review the case before submitting their certification of the death report.