Your loved one has died, and you discover that you are the personal representative or executor of his or her will. What do you do now? Well, possibly the first thing you should do is order the death certificates; you’re going to need them–in spades:

• To file an estate tax return–if necessary.
• To prove to the life insurance company that the insured has died.
• To transfer ownership of cars, trucks, boats, and any other titled vehicle.
• To the bank.
• To a creditor.
• Etc. etc. etc.

Order multiple copies, maybe 10 or more. Though some will be satisfied with a copy of a death certificate, many will not, and if you don’t have an original at hand, things come to a stop. So place ordering death certificates at or near the top of your to-do list.

In Wyoming, go to the Office of Vital Statistics at the Wyoming Department of Health. The cost is $10.00 per certificate.

In Utah, go to the Office of Vital Records of the Utah Department of Health. The cost is $18.00 per certificate.