The Iowa vital records system originated on 1 July 1880, with legislation establishing a State Board of Health. A few events, primarily marriages, were recorded in the counties prior to 1880, but little information is included in those records. Early birth records contain only minimal data—name, date, place, and names of parents. Death certificates prior to 1904 do not include the names of the parents of the deceased.
It is estimated that between 1880 and 1921 only about 50 percent of the births and deaths were registered. However, because of a provision for delayed birth registration, almost 470,000 delayed birth records have been filed with the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Marriage record registration began in many areas with the organization of the county.
All county vital records in Iowa are accessible to the public by personal inspection or by a written request to the clerk of the district court in the county where the event occurred. State vital records are not open to the public. Copies of certificates, however, are issued to grandparents, parents, children, a spouse, brothers or sisters, legal guardians or respective legal representatives. An applicant must have a direct and tangible interest in any specified record and must have the ability to present a direct lineal relationship to the registrant. The purpose for which a certificate is needed should also be indicated. A fee of $15 is required for each record search conducted by the state office, and one copy of a located certificate is provided. The fee is not refundable. If the exact name, date, and place of an event are not known, you must use an index schedule of rates. For the proper forms and the index schedule, contact the Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Records/Statistics, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319.
The State Historical Society of Iowa, in cooperation with the Genealogical Society of Utah, is involved in a state-wide county records microfilming project. Records included in this project are vital statistics, probate, and land. Copies of these microfilms, with an index to records filmed in each county, are available for use at the State Historical Society's libraries and many are now in the FHL. Contact the State Historical Society of Iowa for current status on individual counties. State vital records, 75 years old or older, are now available, with some limitations, at the State Archives, a division of the State Historical Society of Iowa.
Many of the local chapters of the Iowa Genealogical Society have publications of vital records in their respective counties. A state-wide publication listing, with ordering information, is available through the state society.
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Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor, 321 East 12th Street,
Des Moines, IA 50319, (515) 281-4944 recording, Iowa prefers you get all Vital Records from the State Office in Des Moines and NOT at the County Clerk's office.
They have the following records:
- Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates:In Iowa, official registration of births, deaths, and marriages began July 1, 1880. All original records that have been registered are on file with the Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
- Cost: $15.00 per birth certificate & $10.00 per death certificate.
- Processing Time: Filled requests take 30-45 days, depending on seasonal
demands and mail service. Genealogy requests take least 60 days. When ordered by mail (Application) or 2-5 Days when you order online
- Divorces: Divorces on file are Brief statistical records only since 1906.
Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek
Local registrars are located in county recorders offices and maintain records of birth, death and marriages that have occurred in that county. County registrars do not have code authority to have Birth, death, and marriage records between the years 1921 to 1941.
These databases below are online at Ancestry.com
- Iowa Marriages to 1850: Database of Iowa marriages to 1850
- Iowa Marriages, 1851-1900: This database contains marriage information from various counties in the U.S. state of Iowa from 1851-1900. Information that may be found in this database for each individual includes their name, spouse's name, marriage date, and marriage county.
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Search All U.S and Foriegn Birth, Marriage and Death Records or Find Iowa Birth Record Books at Amazon.com
Most early birth records contain very little biographical information. Typical early New England town and church records, for example, give little information beyond the name of the child, date and place of birth, and parents’ names. Some localities listed only the name of the father.
While early birth records can be discouragingly lacking in information, by the mid-nineteenth century birth records in the United States began to include more information. Even though births were not widely recorded during the early years of America’s existence, the records that do exist may be the only source of a birth date for an individual and should always be consulted.
Delayed births are also important vital registrations that you should consider for obtaining biographical information. When Social Security benefits were instituted in 1937, individuals claiming benefits had to document their birth even if the state of their birth did not require registration when they were born. Individuals who were not registered with state or county agencies at the time of their birth often applied for a delayed birth registration. Obtaining passports, insurance, and other benefits also required proof of age. Applications were accompanied with full name, address, and date and place of birth; father’s name, race, and place of birth; and evidence to support the facts presented. The evidence could be in the form of a baptismal certificate, Bible record, school record, affidavit from the attending physician or midwife, application for an insurance policy, birth certificate of a child, or an affidavit from a person having definite knowledge of the facts. Delayed birth records are usually filed and indexed separately from regular birth registrations, and it may be necessary to request a separate search for them.
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Find Iowa Marriage Record Books at Amazon.com or Search U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
Because of the importance of the legal distribution and control of property, most states and counties began to record marriages before births and deaths. The recording of a marriage is a two-step process. Traditionally, couples apply for a license to marry, and the applications are usually filed loose among other applications or in bound volumes. Marriage returns are filed once the marriage has taken place. The latter document is the proof of a marriage (not the license application).
Marriage applications are often filled out by both the bride and groom and typically contain a significant amount of genealogical information. They may list full names of the bride and groom, their residences, races, ages, dates and places of birth, previous marriages, occupations, and their parents’ names, places of birth, and occupations.
Marriage certificates are issued by counties after the marriage ceremony is completed, and these are usually found among family items. While the certificates tend to have less biographical data than the application, the name of the individual officiating at the wedding may lead you to religious records by revealing the denomination. The religious records, in turn, may reveal the names of witnesses and other useful information.
Early American records sometimes include marriage bonds, which served as a protection for the future children of the marriage. A bond obligated a prospective groom to pay the bond if he were discovered to be a bigamist or imposter or otherwise ineligible to contract a valid marriage. As long as the marriage was legal, the bond was void. Bonds generally include the groom’s name, name of the surety, the sum, and the date of the agreement.
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Searth the Social Security Death Index, Obituary Collection, or the Find Iowa Death Record Books at Amazon.com
Early death records in the United States provide little more than the name of the deceased, the date of death, and the place of death. Obituaries and cemetery, court, and other records often provide more information about the deceased than do most official death records created before the last quarter of the 1800s.
By 1900 death records included more details. They often include the name of the deceased; date, place, and cause of death; age at the time of death; place of birth; parents’ names; occupation; name of spouse; name of the person giving the information; the informant’s relationship to the deceased; the name and address of the funeral director; and the place of burial. Race is listed in some records, and modern death certificates generally include a Social Security number.
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