The paperwork · Missouri
Almost everything that comes after a death, from the bank to the life insurance company, asks for a certified copy. Here is what a copy costs in Missouri, where to order it, and how many to get.
Order about 10 certified copies at the start. It costs less to buy them together than to come back for more later, and nearly every office will want an original, not a photocopy.
From the state vital records office
Cost of a certified copy: $14.00
Mail requests to: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Vital Records 930 Wildwood P.O. Box 570 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570
State office has records since January 1910. Certified copies of most Missouri birth and death records are also available from local county health department or the Recorder of Deeds in St. Louis City. For details, please contact these offices directly. If event occurred in St. Louis (City), St. Louis County, or Kansas City before 1910, write to the city or county Health Department. Copies of these records are $14.00 each. Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $11.00. Personal check or money order should be made payable to Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Please include a legal size self-addressed stamped envelope. To verify current fees on birth and death records, the telephone number is (573) 751-6387. Information on how to obtain certified copies is also available via the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Vital Records website. A valid photo ID is required for walk-in applicants. A signature is required. Notarized requests are required for mail-in orders. Notary date must be the same as the date of application.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Vital Records website
If the family cannot afford a funeral, call the county burial assistance program before signing anything with a funeral home. Find your county on the Missouri help page, and see what else is owed to you in the first 48 hours checklist.
Questions families ask
The state vital records office lists the cost of a certified copy as: $14.00 Fees can change, so confirm on the official site before you send payment.
Most families need about 10. Banks, life insurance, Social Security, the vehicle title office, retirement accounts, and property transfers each tend to want an original certified copy, and many will not accept a photocopy.
Yes. Funeral homes file the death record for you and can usually order certified copies at the same time. If you are using a county burial program instead, ask the caseworker how copies are ordered.
Eligibility rules are set by Missouri. Spouses, children, parents, and the executor named in the will are commonly eligible, and you may be asked for photo ID and proof of your relationship. The state office confirms the exact rules.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Costs and rules come from the official Missouri vital records listing and can change; confirm with the office before you send payment.
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Reviewed by the Final Steps Help research team.
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