Death certificates are a matter of public record. Go to the court house of the county where the person resided (or maybe died) and explain to the clerk who you need death certificate for, where they resided or died, and the date of their death. You may have to pay a nominal fee. They will most likely direct you to their computer data base. If you are not marginally computer savvy, take someone with you who is. Then, if you want a copy, you will have to go back to the clerk , pay another small fee, and they will give you a copy then and there.If you live too far away to go the the county court house, then call them and ask them what to do. The cause of death will be written on the death certificate. It can be changed from the initial call to something else, so be sure and check to see if there is an amended certificate.PS. I just read the answers and see that this varies from state to state. What I wrote is true for California and Colorado. To see how your state handles the death certificate, call the county courthouse in the relevant county. You can google this.