Iowa Vital Records

Iowa did not require births or deaths to be recorded until July 1880. There was probably not complete compliance until circa World War I. There are also very few birth and death records available at the county level between 1904-1906. Also by state law, county registrars do not have vital records for the period 1921-1941. Records older than 75 years are available to the public at the Archives of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Records are available for public viewing in the county the event occurred. Check the catalog for the State Historical Society or the Family History Library to see what records have been microfilmed. Certified copies are available to qualified persons. A qualified person would include the person named on the record, a spouse, parent, grandparent, child or sibling. Certified copies can be requested from the Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Records/Statistics.

On April 17, 2018 Governor Reynolds signed an act relating to public records in the custody of the State Archivist and County Registrar. Part of the revision dealt with IA Code section 144.43, subsection 3 regarding vital records. Effective July 1, 2018 the closure period for state death records in the custody of the State Archivist is reduced from 75 to 50 years. Also state fetal death records, which were permanently closed, are now open for public inspection after 50 years.

Index to Birth Records

Index to Marriage Records

Index to Death Records