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How to order an Iowa birth certificate

Who holds it: Iowa HHS Bureau of Health Statistics (state registrar, Des Moines) and the County Recorder of each county (local registrar). County recorders can issue certified copies of births from 1986 to present statewide; earlier births from the county where the birth occurred.1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. How to search and order
  2. Who may order and what is restricted
  3. Older records and indexes
  4. Related records in Iowa
  5. How Iowa handles it
  6. Birth certificates in Iowa counties with a full guide
  7. Official warnings
  8. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  9. Sources

Fee

$20 per certified copy (also the non-refundable search fee if no record is found); VitalChek online orders add a fee starting at $14 ($9 by phone).1

Who may order

Only entitled persons: the registrant, spouse, children, legal parents, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, legal representative or guardian (guardians, representatives and siblings need extra proof). Valid government photo ID required; mail applications must be notarized.2

How to search and order

How to order
Online or phone via VitalChek (only authorized vendor), by mail with notarized application, or in person at the Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines (requests by 2 p.m. processed in 2 hours), or at a county recorder.1

Who may order and what is restricted

Restrictions
State records are closed. County birth records are open to inspection under ch. 22, but county registrars do not hold: single-parent births before July 1, 1995, adoptions, legal name changes, delayed records, sealed records, and records from 1921-1941.2

Older records and indexes

Years available
Statewide registration began July 1, 1880.3
Death certificates: who holds it
Iowa HHS Bureau of Health Statistics and County Recorders; county recorders can issue deaths from 1954 to present; earlier deaths from the county of residence or of death.1
Death certificates: fee
$20 per certified copy/search.1
Older records: genealogy vital
HHS genealogy searches: $20 per search; pre-statewide-index requests must name county, year and first/last name; genealogy requests are mailed, not same-day.3

How Iowa handles it

  • County Recorder is the hub: it records deeds, is the local vital records registrar (birth, death, marriage), issues marriage licenses and records trade names (DBAs).4
  • County-level birth, marriage, divorce and (non-fetal) death records are open to inspection as of right under ch. 22, while the state file is closed; certified copies still require entitlement.4
  • County recorders lack 1921-1941 birth, death and marriage records (and several other categories); order those from Iowa HHS.2

Birth certificates in Iowa counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Black Hawk CountyCounty Recorder / Registrar5—$20 per certified copy (from July 1, 2026)6
Dallas CountyDallas County Recorder7—$20 per certified copy; cash, check or money order to Dallas County Recorder; card in office only (processing fees)8
Dubuque CountyDubuque County Recorder9—$20 per certified copy; mailed requests need a notarized signature9
Johnson CountyJohnson County Recorder - Vital Records10——
Linn CountyLinn County Recorder, Vital Records11—$20 per certified copy (from July 1, 2026)11
Polk CountyPolk County Recorder12—$20.00 per certified copy since July 1, 202612
Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County Recorder13—$20.00 per certified copy to entitled persons (effective July 1, 2026); $5.00 cash uncertified photocopy ("Not for Legal Purposes")13
Story CountyStory County Recorder14—$20 per record search, with a copy issued if one is found; not refundable15
Woodbury CountyRecorder - Vital Records16—Certified copy fee: $20.00 each17

For any other county, see the county list on the Iowa guide.

Official warnings

  • Iowa vital records: VitalChek is the only authorized third-party vendor; other online sellers are not authorized by Iowa HHS.1

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Iowa office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: birth certificates in every state. Everything else in Iowa: Iowa public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. How to Request a Certified RecordIowa Department of Health and Human Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  2. Vital Records (Marriage, Birth, or Death Certificates)Iowa Department of Health and Human Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  3. Genealogy Search Guidelines & RequirementsIowa Department of Health and Human Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  4. Iowa Code ch. 144 Vital StatisticsIowa Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  5. RecorderBlack Hawk Countychecked November 4, 2026
  6. Vital RecordsBlack Hawk County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  7. Site MapDallas Countychecked November 4, 2026
  8. Vital RecordsDallas Countychecked November 4, 2026
  9. Birth, Death, & Marriage CertificatesDubuque County, Iowachecked November 7, 2026
  10. Recorder's OfficeJohnson County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Vital RecordsLinn County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  12. Marriage RecordsPolk County Recorderarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  13. Birth RecordsPottawattamie County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Site MapStory County, Iowachecked November 7, 2026
  15. County Vital Records RequestsStory County, Iowachecked November 7, 2026
  16. RecorderWoodbury County, Iowachecked November 4, 2026
  17. Birth RecordsWoodbury County, Iowachecked November 4, 2026