MISSOURI STATE ARCHIVES
Missouri Birth & Death Records Database
Missouri Post-1910 Death Records:
Frequently Asked Questions
What records are included in the Missouri Post-1910 Death Records database?
The records included in the Missouri Post-1910 Death Records Project are those death certificates created according to Missouri law after 1910, and more than fifty years old. These records are now in the legal and physical custody of the Missouri State Archives, and will be subject to the access and research policies prescribed by the Archives. There are over 2.5 million individual certificates of death and additional records are made available each year.
Additional Sources
How did the Missouri State Archives acquire these death records?
House Bill 1634 (2004) made changes to RSMo 193.225 and 193.245 (4), the Missouri statutes that govern the reproduction of vital records and the information contained in them. The legislation, effective August 28, 2004, states that death records over fifty years old will be transferred to the Missouri State Archives and copies of death records over fifty years old may be disclosed upon request.
How can I search for death certificate records?
The post-1910 death certificates have a searchable database with viewable images online. See the Missouri Death Certificates
How can I request a copy of a death certificate?
Certified copies of death records must be obtained from the Bureau of Vital Records. Patrons requiring this service should contact Vital Records for payment information at (573) 751-6387 or www.vitalcheck.com
Why are some images not available?
There are a small number of records within the range of scanned certificates in which no image is currently available. We are actively working to manually link these images and will complete this project as soon as possible
How do I report when the web page is not working?
Due to the overwhelming interest in our online death certificate search, requests may take a few minutes to complete. Thank you for your patience.
What are some tips for searching the database?
When you are not able to find a record in your search, you might consider broadening your search by searching on only the surname and maybe the year or county or by using the Advanced Search page.
How do I report corrections?
The Missouri State Archives strives to ensure accuracy of the information found in this database. We realize that misspellings and errors have and will occur during the indexing of the records. Quality control of the data and images remains a continuous task. We ask for your help so that we can continue to provide accurate information.
Please report spelling discrepancies or image linking corrections to [email protected] by providing:
- Full name of the record to be corrected
- Date of death
- Certificate number
- Corrected information
Archives staff will review the certificate and update the database if necessary. Corrections to the database will be made as soon as possible. The Missouri State Archives cannot change information found on the certificate. Corrections to the official record can be filed at the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records.