Each state in the United States has separate local governments and their own way of doing things. This includes procedures, regulations and fees that deal with death records and obtaining copies of death records. For example, New York rules specify that if the death of a person is considered a “natural death” it is listed as a natural death under cause of death on a death certificate. To New York, a natural death is any death that is not associated with an accident, homicide or suicide. States also have different requirements for getting a hold of death records. These requirements include specific forms of identification and legal documents.

The procedures, regulations and fees associated with death records are also different over seas in different countries than they are in the United States. International records are different in every country, not only in language but in format as well. This is because no two countries are identical and each country has its own unique way of dealing with death. The death process is a huge part of local cultures and therefore the procedures that deal with death are different in different cultures.