How to Get a Death Certificate in Iowa

Iowa limits certified copies to close family and people with a legal or property interest. Under Iowa's rules and the Iowa HHS vital records page, these people can order:

• The surviving spouse
• Children of the person who died
• A mother or father listed on the person's birth certificate
• Adult siblings
• Grandparents (paternal grandparents only if the father is listed on the birth certificate). The Iowa HHS page and application form also list grandchildren
• A step-parent or step-child, in limited cases
• A legal representative, such as an executor, attorney, or court-appointed guardian
• The funeral director, for up to one year after the date of death
• Others who show the copy is needed to protect a personal or property interest that benefits the person named on the record

Every applicant must prove they are entitled to the record. Iowa HHS says siblings, legal guardians, and legal representatives (such as an executor) must provide additional proof. Iowa HHS does not list which documents it accepts as that proof, so contact the office to confirm before you apply.

Only deaths that happened in Iowa are on file here. For a death in another state, apply to that state.

County recorder offices (local)

Each of Iowa's 99 counties has a county recorder, who acts as the local registrar of vital records. Because recorders print from the statewide electronic system:

• For deaths from 1954 to the present, any county recorder in Iowa can issue a certified copy, no matter where in Iowa the death happened.
• For deaths before 1954, order from the county where the death happened or the county where the person lived.
• Deaths from 1921 to 1941, delayed records filed a year or more after the death, and court-sealed records are held only by the state.

Each county sets its own hours and payment methods. Iowa HHS notes that a county recorder may accept only cash or money orders in person, and money orders by mail. Find your recorder in the county recorder directory linked from the Iowa HHS application form, and contact the office to confirm hours and payment before you go.

State office: in person

Iowa HHS, Bureau of Health Statistics

Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor

321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0075

Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except state holidays

Phone: 515-281-4944

Requests received by 2:00 p.m. are processed in about 2 hours. You sign the application in front of staff and show your photo ID, so no notary is needed. The state office takes credit cards in person and does not take cash.

State office: by mail

Fill out Form 470-5451, Application to Order an Iowa Vital Record, have your signature notarized, and mail it with a photocopy of your photo ID and a check or money order payable to "Iowa Department of Health and Human Services" to the Des Moines address above. Most mail requests take about 4 to 6 weeks.

Online or by phone (VitalChek)

VitalChek is the only third-party vendor Iowa HHS authorizes. Order online or call 1-866-809-0290 (6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central, Monday to Friday, except holidays). VitalChek's fee starts at $14 per online order or $9 per phone order, on top of the $20 per copy. Iowa HHS lists average times by shipping choice:

• UPS overnight: 2 to 5 business days
• UPS 2-day: 5 to 10 business days
• Regular mail: 4 to 6 weeks

A VitalChek "Will Call" option lets you order online and pick up in Des Moines. It requires an Iowa address.

• Application: Form 470-5451. You check your relationship to the person (the form includes an "Executor" box) and state why you need the record.
• Photo ID: a current, unexpired, government-issued photo ID. Show it in person, or send a clear photocopy by mail. The name must match your current name.
• Notarized signature: required for mail applications only.
• Proof of entitlement: required from every applicant, and the state or county office may ask for more. Siblings and legal representatives must provide additional proof. Contact the office to confirm what it accepts.
• Payment: $20 per copy. If no record is found, the $20 is kept as a search fee and you receive a notice instead.

If you do not have a current photo ID, Iowa HHS's identity documents sheet for notaries allows copies of two to three other documents showing the same name and current address.

A certified copy is the official copy. Under Iowa law it is treated the same as the original, and it is what banks, insurers, courts, and agencies ask for.

Iowa does not sell a separate "informational" certified copy. County recorders can provide uncertified copies on plain paper stamped "not for legal purposes." These cannot be used for estate business. Certified copies issued for genealogy are marked "for genealogical purposes only."

The funeral director who first takes custody of the body files the death certificate in Iowa's electronic statewide system. The funeral director gathers personal details from the family and gets the cause of death from the doctor or medical examiner.

Iowa law requires the certificate to be filed within three days after the death and before burial or cremation. The doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner has 72 hours after receiving the certificate to complete the cause of death. If the cause is still under investigation, the certificate can be filed as "pending investigation" and updated later.

Iowa HHS does not publish how soon after filing copies can be ordered. Because funeral directors can order certified copies for up to one year after the death, many families get their first copies through the funeral home.

Banks, insurers, retirement plans, and the probate court often each want their own certified copy. In Iowa every copy costs the same $20, so there is no discount for ordering extras at once. See our guide on how many copies to estimate your count.

Only the state office (Iowa HHS) changes a death record, under Iowa's correction rules.

• Within the first year: minor errors can be corrected at no charge. The request can come from (in order of priority) the surviving spouse shown on the certificate, a parent shown on it, the informant shown on it, or the data provider for a data-entry error. It needs a notarized statement, a copy of current photo ID, and supporting evidence if asked.
• After one year: changes are made with the "Amendment to Certificate of Death or Fetal Death" form, documentary evidence, and a $15 administrative fee.
• Cause of death: only the doctor or medical examiner who signed the certificate can change it. After 12 months, a court order is required.

New certified copies of the corrected record cost $20 each. Call Iowa HHS at 515-281-4944 to confirm the steps for your situation.

In Iowa, certified death certificates are sold only through official channels:

• Any Iowa county recorder office
• The Iowa HHS Bureau of Health Statistics in Des Moines, in person or by mail
• VitalChek, the only third-party vendor Iowa HHS authorizes, linked from the Iowa HHS ordering page

Other websites may offer to "process" your order. These sites may add their own fees on top of the $20 state fee for an order you could place yourself. If a site is not one of the channels above, order directly instead.