To get a certified birth, death, or marriage certificate in Iowa, you fill out one document: the Iowa vital records request form, officially the Application for a Certified Copy of an Iowa Vital Record. You can download it from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website or pick one up at any county recorder’s office. It goes to the Bureau of Health Statistics in Des Moines or to the recorder in the county where the event happened, with a copy of your photo ID and a $15 fee per copy.
Who Can Request a Copy
Iowa restricts certified copies to people with a direct and tangible interest in the record. Under Iowa Administrative Code 641-95.8, that includes the person named on the record (once they’ve reached the age of majority or are emancipated), a current or surviving spouse, children, a parent listed on a birth certificate, an adult sibling, and maternal or paternal grandparents. Paternal grandparents qualify only if the father is listed on the birth certificate. A step-parent or step-child qualifies only if the legal parent and step-parent are currently married, or the step-parent is the surviving spouse of the legal parent and has not remarried.
Attorneys, court-appointed guardians, foster parents, legal executors, and funeral directors acting within one year of a death also qualify, as does anyone who can show the copy is needed to protect a personal or property interest and that the request benefits the registrant. Biological parents and family members of an adopted person cannot get certified copies without a court order, and commercial firms requesting bulk lists are excluded.1Iowa Legislature. Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 641-95 – Section 95.8
How to Fill Out the Form
The application handles birth, death, and marriage requests on a single page. Check the box at the top for the type of record you need, then complete the fields below:
- Full legal name on the record (first, middle, last).
- Date of the event.
- City and county in Iowa where it occurred.
- First parent’s full name prior to any marriage. This means the birth surname, not a married name.2Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Iowa Vital Records Request Form
- Second parent’s full name (first, middle, last).
- Your relationship to the registrant: self, parent, spouse, child, sibling, legal representative, or other qualifying relationship.
- Reason for the request, briefly stated. Examples: passport application, Social Security benefits, estate settlement.
- Your name, mailing address, phone number, and email.
Be careful with the parent-name fields. If the Bureau cannot match what you wrote to what’s on the original certificate, the search comes back empty and you’ve spent the fee for nothing. Give as much identifying detail as you can, and note in the margin if anything is uncertain.
Photo ID
Every request has to include a clear copy of your current government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, state ID, or passport all work.3Iowa Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
Notarization for Mail Requests
If you’re mailing the form, your signature has to be notarized. The Bureau will reject an unnotarized mail-in application.2Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Iowa Vital Records Request Form Banks, UPS stores, and shipping centers commonly offer notary services. If you file in person at the Des Moines office, you sign in front of a staff member instead, so no separate notary visit is needed.
What It Costs
The current fee is $15 per certified copy, whether you order from the state office or a county recorder. Starting July 1, 2026, the fee rises to $20 per certified copy for birth, death, and marriage certificates.4Polk County Iowa. New Fees for Vital Certified Copies Starting July 1st, 2026
For mail requests, pay by check or money order made out to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Some county offices accept cash at the counter. If you order online through VitalChek, the state’s authorized vendor, you can pay by credit card, but VitalChek adds its own service fee starting at $14 on top of the state fee.3Iowa Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
How to Submit the Form
Three routes, with real differences in speed and cost.
By Mail
Send the completed, notarized application, a copy of your photo ID, and your check or money order to:
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Bureau of Health Statistics
Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor
321 E. 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-00753Iowa Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
You can also mail the form to the county recorder’s office in the county where the event happened. County offices sometimes process local records faster because they hold direct custody of events filed in their jurisdiction. Completed certificates come back by standard mail either way.
In Person
The Des Moines office takes walk-in requests Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays. Submit before 2:00 p.m. and you can walk out with your certified copy in about two hours, which is by far the fastest option. You sign the application in front of a staff member, so no notary needed. Bring your government-issued photo ID.5Iowa.gov. Get Marriage, Birth, and Death Records
County recorder offices also take in-person requests for events in their county. Hours vary, so call ahead.
Online Through VitalChek
The Iowa HHS website links to VitalChek for online orders. You complete the application digitally, upload your ID, and pay by credit card. The convenience fee starts at $14 per order on top of the state fee, making this the most expensive route. Processing and shipping depend on the options you pick at checkout, with expedited shipping available at extra cost.3Iowa Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
If You Need the Record for Use Abroad
A certified copy alone usually isn’t enough for use in another country. You’ll also need an apostille from the Iowa Secretary of State, which costs $5 per document and is requested separately after you have the certified copy in hand.6Iowa Secretary of State. Apostille or Certification Request Form
If You’re Doing Genealogy
This form is for recent records. Iowa birth and marriage records become open to the public once they’re at least 75 years old, and death records after 50 years, and those older records are held by the State Historical Society of Iowa rather than the Bureau of Health Statistics.7State Historical Society of Iowa. Vital Records For family history research inside those windows, the Historical Society’s Ancestry.com partnership is usually faster and cheaper than the certified-copy process.