Effective January 1, the state of North Carolina will require all death certificates to be submitted electronically using its new online system, the NC Database Application for Vital Events (NC DAVE)
Clinicians who sign death certificates or could need to sign one in future must register with NC DAVE to certify deaths. Anyone who has not yet registered for a free account with NC DAVE should act now to be ready for the Jan. 1 deadline. Under state law, physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners may certify deaths. Individuals who sign death certificates are referred to as “medical certifiers”.
The NC Office of Vital Records rolled the NC DAVE system out on a pilot basis statewide over the past year. Some medical certifiers are using the online system, but state officials are concerned that many still are not aware of NC DAVE and may not be ready for the impending deadline.
The state Office of Vital Records has created a portal for all medical certifiers to use to access NC DAVE, and browse resources and training modules. The portal includes several short (5-6 minute) video tutorials that cover specific aspects of the death certification process.
The online NC DAVE system is intended to make the process of certifying deaths faster, easier and more accurate. The Web-based system incorporates time savers such as built-in error checking and real-time verification of the decedent’s Social Security Number and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Please direct questions about the new electronic death registration system to NC Vital Records Field Services at (919) 792-5991.
Register to use NC DAVE
TNC Vital Records has created an online learning portal for medical certifiers (anyone who signs death certificates. To register for an account and access training, please follow the steps below.
1. Go to
this website.
2. Enter username NCDAVE and password NCDEATHS to login.
3. Click on the green NCDAVE Login button at the right of the page. Select New User Enrollment to register for your account.
Listen to the podcast!
NCMB discussed the clinician obligation to sign death certificates in the June 2021 episode of its podcast, MedBoard Matters. Learn what happens when a clinician declines to register a death, or doesn’t do it properly.
Listen to the episode
here.
