Iowa Vital Records Search

Only the subject of the inquiry, immediate family, or a legal representative may request official birth records. Certified birth records are confidential, however anyone may inspect copies of records by visiting the County Recorder's Office.

Certified copies of birth records are available for $15, plus additional fees for using the VitalChek site. VitalChek starts at $9.00.

Only certified records of birth certificates are available through the IDPH. IDPH can provide certified copies of birth records from 1880 to current.

Anyone has the right to inspect birth records held by the County Registrar. County records of births may include records from 1880 onward. Most county records stop in the 1920's or 1930's. Birth records must be more than 75 years old to be accessible to the public. County recorders also have certified copies of records from 1988 to present.

County Recorder's Offices will not have single-parent births before 1995, any adoption records, or physical records of births occurring between 1921-1941.

The staff at IDPH can't search for the existence of records without a completed application request form and the appropriate fee.  

Fees collected by the IDPH are not refunded, even if a record is not found. Fees are collected for the purposes of paying for research time.

There are several ways you can request a birth record. The IDPH contracts with VitalChek.com for online records requests. VitalChek can also be contacted by phone at (866) 809-0290. VitalChek charges a fee that starts at $9.00. Notarized application forms can be mailed to the IDPH with a check or money order for $15.00. The address is online. Records may also be requested in person.

Historical birth records are available from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Records will be more than 75 years old. Iowa offers several options for individuals conducting genealogical research. The IDCA can assist with finding birth records dating to at least 1880 in Iowa.

You can correct errors on your birth certificate, such as misspellings or incomplete information. The IDPH provides an online form that you fill out. Specific forms of identification are required and are listed online with instructions for filling out and filing the form.

The IDPH does not have an online process for checking the status of a request. Online records requests are processed by a third-party website.

There are several ways that the Iowa Department of Public Health makes it easy for people to request records. Iowa uses VitalChek.com for all records searches online. Records can be requested by phone by calling (866) 809-0290. VitalChek charges a fee that starts at $9.00. Notarized application forms can be mailed to the IDPH with a check or money order for $15.00. The address is online. Records may also be requested in person at the County Recorder's Office.

Iowa law restricts access to certified, official death records to certain individuals. Only the spouse of the deceased, the children or parents of the deceased, or a legal representative may obtain official records. Records can be inspected by any member of the public by visiting the County Recorder's office that holds the record.

Iowa death records cost $15.00 for a certified copy. Records are requested through VitalChek.com, with charges starting at $9.00 plus the $15.00 search fee.

The fees charged by VitalChek.com and the IDPH are not refundable. The certificate fee is intended to offset the cost of researching for records. Fees charged by VitalChek.com are not refundable.

VitalChek.com and the IDPH are not able to perform a verification search without having a completed request form and full payment.

The IDPH has on file records of deaths dating to 1896. Records that are older than 75 years are publically available. You can also search the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for historical and genealogical records.

You can correct errors of spelling or incomplete records on a death certificate. You will need to contact the IDPH and provide other vital records to verify the error.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) utilizes several options for individuals to receive copies of records. Online requests for certified copies are handled through the third-party website VitalChek.com. Records can be requested by phone by calling (866) 809-0290. Notarized request forms can be mailed to the IDPH with a check or money order for $15.00. The address is online. Records may also be requested in person at the County Recorder's Office.

Iowa restricts access to certified records of deaths in the state to the spouse, children or parents, or a legal representative. Records can be inspected by the public at the County Recorder's Office for a fee that is determined by the individual office.

The IDPH holds all records that are on file for marriages in Iowa. Records older than 75 years are also available through the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. IDCA can assist with genealogical or historical records searches.

A certified marriage record incurs a fee of $15.00 per copy. If you are requesting a marriage record online, you will be required to use the VitalChek.com site. Additional fees for use of the site begin at $9.00.

Fees charged by IDPH and VitalChek.com are not refundable, even when no record is found.

Records requests processed through the IDPH may take four to five weeks to process. Faster processing can be had for an additional fee through VitalChek.com, which provides expedited shipping for one or two day service.

Corrections to spelling errors or missing information can be made through the IDPH. You will need to pay $15 for the amended record.

The IDPH is the statewide repository for all vital records, but the County Recorder's hold marriage records as well. You may request records from the County directly, which may have less of a processing time. A $15.00 fee is required along with the completed application for records.

Records are held by the courts. The Iowa Courts provide online access to case searches that will include divorce records. The information provided online will be seriously limited, and will only indicate the existence of a record. You will need to visit the Superior Court that issued the ruling to access the full record. You can request records through the Clerk of the Court.

Notarized, official records of divorces are available through the Clerk of the Court that issued the divorce. A per-page copy fee will be charged, along with a charge for notarization.

Divorce proceedings are a legal matter that is resolved in the courts, therefore the courts hold ultimate responsibility for retaining the records. You will need to contact the court that issued the ruling to get records of divorces in the state.

Records are retained by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for divorces between 1838 and 1940. Records more recent than 1940 will be retained by the Superior Court that issued the divorce.