Death certificates in Missouri
In Missouri, a certified copy of a death certificate costs $14 from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records. Each extra copy ordered at the same time costs $11. You can order online, by mail or in person. The funeral home can often order the first copies for you.
Last checked on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records site. General information, not legal advice. Fees change, so confirm before you pay.
How to order in Missouri
| Office | Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records |
|---|---|
| First certified copy | $14 |
| Each extra copy, same order | $11 Local public health agencies charge the same fees. VitalChek online and phone orders add a fee. |
| Who can order | Family members, including in-laws, cousins and step relatives, genealogists representing a family member, and official representatives such as an attorney or funeral director. Others need documents showing a direct and tangible interest. |
| ID you need | In person, one photo ID or two other forms of ID. Mail applications must be notarized. |
| Ways to order | Online, by mail or in person. The state takes online orders only through VitalChek, a private company, which adds its own fee. By mail or in person costs only the state fee. At local public health agencies for deaths from 1980 on, or at the Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City by appointment. |
| How long it takes | About 4 to 8 weeks for mail orders to Jefferson City |
Do funeral homes order the first copies?
Often, yes. The funeral director files the death certificate with the state, so ordering copies at the same time is common. The FTC lists death certificates among the cash advance items a funeral home may buy for you and add to its bill. Ask what it charges per copy.
A funeral director can order death certificates as an official representative, for example the funeral director listed on the record with matching ID.
For more copies later, order from the office above. How many copies do you need? Our calculator counts one for each bank, insurer and agency.
Questions people ask
- How much is a death certificate in Missouri?
- $14 for the first certified copy from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, and $11 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Local public health agencies charge the same fees. VitalChek online and phone orders add a fee.
- Who can order a death certificate in Missouri?
- Family members, including in-laws, cousins and step relatives, genealogists representing a family member, and official representatives such as an attorney or funeral director. Others need documents showing a direct and tangible interest.
- How do I order a death certificate in Missouri?
- You can order online, by mail or in person. Online orders go through VitalChek, a private company the state uses, which adds its own fee. In person, one photo ID or two other forms of ID. Mail applications must be notarized.
Sources
- Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records: health.mo.gov/vital-records-registries/vital-records/order-copy-vital-record
- CDC/NCHS: Funeral Directors' Handbook on Death Registration and Fetal Death Reporting, 2019
- FTC: Complying with the Funeral Rule (cash advance items)