Bureau of Vital Records
The Bureau of Vital Records, within the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, provides services including:
- Maintaining a central registry of Missouri births, deaths, and fetal deaths reported from Jan. 1, 1910 to the present 1
- Preparing new certificates for adoptions and legitimations
- Maintaining a central registry of Missouri marriages and divorces (since July 1, 1948)
- Correcting or amending vital records as authorized by state law
- Issuing certified copies of vital records
- Maintaining the Putative Father Registry
More About Vital Records:
- While vital record keeping began in 1910, some delayed certificates may be available before 1910. However, there is no guarantee of a record’s existence either before or after 1910. You may also consider visiting the Secretary of State’s Missouri Digital Heritage website.