How Do I Get Marriage, Birth, and Death Records?

The State of Iowa calls marriage, birth, and death records Vital Records.

You may request certified copies of records by telephone, in-person, online, or through the postal service.

Certified copies of vital records are only provided to entitled individuals: The person named on the record; or that person’s spouse, children, legal parents listed on the record, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, or legal representative or guardian. Entitled individuals may need to provide proof of entitlement.

Due to the increase of vital record requests for the purpose of obtaining a REAL ID, customers should plan ahead and order in advance. Do not wait until the last minute to order as processing times are approximate and not guaranteed service times.

The following certified copies are available at county registrar offices:

• Births from 1987 to present.
• Deaths from 1954 to present.
• Marriages from 1954 to present.

For events that occur before these dates:

• Certified copies of birth records may be ordered from the county in which the event occurred.
• Certified copies of marriage records may be ordered from the county where the application occurred.
• Certified copies of death records may be ordered from the county of residence or the county where the death occurred.

Cost for a Vital Record

• Each copy of a certified record costs $15.00.
• If you order online, there is an additional fee from VitalChek; fees start at $13.00 per order.
• If you order by phone, there is an additional fee from VitalChek; feesstart at $9.00 per order.
• There is a fee for shipping. Prices will vary. Please see the VitalChek website for details.

VitalChek is the only third-party vendor authorized by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Service to accept phone and online orders for Iowa Vital Records.

If the record is not located, the applicant will receive a notification of the unsuccessful record search. The $15.00 fee will be retained for the search.