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How to order an Iowa death certificate

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

Last checked against official sources on .

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

Fee

$20 per certified copy/search.1

Who may order

Same entitlement as birth (registrant's spouse, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, legal representative).2

Who may order and what is restricted

Public access
Non-fetal death records at county registrars are open to inspection under ch. 22; State Archives death records open at 50 years.3

Older records and indexes

Years available
Statewide death searches from July 1, 1904; 1880-1895 deaths require county and year ($20 per year and county).4
Birth certificates: 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
Birth certificates: 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
Probate: who holds it
Iowa District Court sitting in probate; files kept by the Clerk of District Court in the county.5
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.4

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).3
  • 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.3
  • County recorders lack 1921-1941 birth, death and marriage records (and several other categories); order those from Iowa HHS.2

Death 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 / Registrar6—$20 each7
Dallas CountyDallas County Recorder8—$20 each9
Dubuque CountyDubuque County Recorder10—$20 per certified copy10
Johnson CountyJohnson County Recorder - Vital Records11—$20 per certified copy from July 1, 202612
Linn CountyLinn County Recorder, Vital Records13—$20 per certified copy13
Polk CountyPolk County Recorder14—$20.00 per certified copy since July 1, 202614
Pottawattamie CountyPottawattamie County Recorder15—$20.00 per certified copy; $5.00 cash photocopy16
Story CountyStory County Recorder17—$20 per record search, with a copy issued if one is found; not refundable18
Woodbury CountyRecorder - Vital Records19—Certified copy fee: $20.00 each20

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: death 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. Iowa Code ch. 144 Vital StatisticsIowa Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  4. Genealogy Search Guidelines & RequirementsIowa Department of Health and Human Serviceschecked November 4, 2026
  5. Iowa Code ch. 633 Probate CodeIowa Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  6. RecorderBlack Hawk Countychecked November 4, 2026
  7. Vital RecordsBlack Hawk County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  8. Site MapDallas Countychecked November 4, 2026
  9. Vital RecordsDallas Countychecked November 4, 2026
  10. Birth, Death, & Marriage CertificatesDubuque County, Iowachecked November 7, 2026
  11. Recorder's OfficeJohnson County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  12. Birth RecordsJohnson County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  13. Vital RecordsLinn County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Marriage RecordsPolk County Recorderarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  15. Birth RecordsPottawattamie County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  16. Death RecordsPottawattamie County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Site MapStory County, Iowachecked November 7, 2026
  18. County Vital Records RequestsStory County, Iowachecked November 7, 2026
  19. RecorderWoodbury County, Iowachecked November 4, 2026
  20. Death RecordsWoodbury County, Iowachecked November 4, 2026