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How to order a Missouri death certificate

Who holds it: DHSS Bureau of Vital Records (1910-present); local public health agencies (1980-present, short form); death certificates over 50 years old are transferred to the Missouri State Archives (no certified copies there).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 Missouri
  4. How Missouri handles it
  5. Death certificates in Missouri counties with a full guide
  6. Official warnings
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Fee

$14 first certified copy, $11 each additional copy ordered at the same time (state or local registrar).2

Who may order

All family members (including in-laws, cousins, great and step relationships), genealogists representing a family member, professionally recognized genealogists, official representatives, and others with tangible interest; death records over 50 years old may be disclosed on request.3

Processing time

Mail about 4-8 weeks; VitalChek 5-7 business days.4

Who may order and what is restricted

Restrictions
Not open to the general public (except records over 50 years old); ID and notarized mail application required as for births.3

Older records and indexes

Index
Missouri Death Certificates 1910-1975 searchable free with images at the State Archives.5
Birth certificates: who holds it
DHSS Bureau of Vital Records (state registrar), births 1910-present (some delayed certificates earlier); local public health agencies (115 locations) issue short-form births 1920-present. Pre-1910 records (1883-1893 county registrations) are at the State Archives.3
Birth certificates: fee
$15 per certified copy (state or local); VitalChek online/phone adds its own processing fee (amount not stated on DHSS page). Each fee covers a 5-year search.2
Probate: who holds it
Probate division of the circuit court (clerk) in each county.6
Older records: vital record indexes
Death certificates 1910-1975 (free images); pre-1910 birth & death records database; birth records only through DHSS.5

How Missouri handles it

  • City of St. Louis is an independent city (not within a county) with its own recorder fee statute (RSMo 59.313) and a combined "Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar".7
  • Death records over 50 years old move to the State Archives and are open on request; DHSS certifies only.1

Death certificates in Missouri 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
Greene CountyDHSS 1910 to present; local public health agencies 1980 to present (short form)8—$14 first certified copy, $11 each additional copy at the same time9
Jackson CountyJackson County Public Health - Vital Records10—$14.00 first certified copy, $11.00 each additional at the same visit11
St. Charles CountySt. Charles County Department of Public Health, Vital Records12—$14 first copy, $11 each additional copy ordered at the same time12
St. Louis CityRecorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar13—$14.00 first copy; $11.00 each additional copy of the same record14
St. Louis CountySaint Louis County Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records15—$14 first copy, $11 each additional copy ordered at the same time (state statute)16

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

Official warnings

  • Unofficial online vital-record ordering sites (Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records)17

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 Missouri 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 Missouri: Missouri 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. Missouri Vital Records (Research Room)Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of Statechecked November 4, 2026
  2. RSMo 193.265 Fees for vital records certificationMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 4, 2026
  3. Order a Copy of a Vital RecordMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  4. Vital Records Frequently Asked QuestionsMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  5. Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1975Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of Statechecked November 4, 2026
  6. RSMo 474.510 Deposit of will in court in testator's lifetimeMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 4, 2026
  7. RSMo 59.313 Recorder's fees (St. Louis City)Missouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 4, 2026
  8. Order a Copy of a Vital RecordMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Recordschecked November 7, 2026
  9. RSMo 193.265 Fees for vital records certificationMissouri Revisor of Statutes (Missouri General Assembly)checked November 7, 2026
  10. Jackson County Public Health (home)Jackson County Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Death CertificatesJackson County Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  12. Birth and Death Certificates/Vital RecordsSt. Charles County Department of Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  13. St. Louis City, MO: Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records RegistrarCity of St. Louis (stlouis-mo.gov)checked November 8, 2026
  14. St. Louis City, MO: Recorder of Deeds: DeathRecorder of Deeds, City of St. Louischecked November 8, 2026
  15. Birth and Death RecordsSt. Louis County Department of Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  16. RSMo 193.265Missouri Revisor of Statuteschecked November 4, 2026
  17. Consumer Alert - Ordering a Vital Record OnlineMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026