A certified copy of an Iowa birth certificate costs $15 and is issued by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). You can order one online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at the state Bureau of Health Statistics in Des Moines or at a county recorder’s office. Every request needs a government-issued photo ID, and mailed applications must be notarized. Here is how to get an Iowa birth certificate without paying more than you need to or waiting longer than you have to.
Who Can Request One
Iowa does not release certified birth records to the general public. You qualify only if you are:
- The person named on the certificate, if you are at least 18
- A legal parent listed on the certificate
- The spouse, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the person named
- A legal guardian or authorized legal representative
Guardians and legal representatives have to submit paperwork proving that role before the state will release the record.1Iowa.gov. How Do I Get Marriage, Birth, and Death Records If the person named on the certificate is under 18, a parent listed on the record makes the request.
What to Gather Before You Apply
Three things go with every application, regardless of how you send it in.
The application form. Download it free from the Iowa HHS website or pick one up at any county recorder’s office. Third-party sites sometimes charge for what the state provides at no cost.2Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
Details about the birth. The form asks for the full name on the record, the date and place of birth, both parents’ full names including the mother’s name before any marriage, and whether the mother was married at the time of birth.3Polk County Iowa. Application for an Iowa Vital Record
A current government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, state ID, or passport works. If you’re mailing the application or ordering online, include a clear photocopy.1Iowa.gov. How Do I Get Marriage, Birth, and Death Records
Notary or Witnessed Signature
A mailed application must be notarized. The state rejects mailed applications that arrive without a notary’s stamp and seal.2Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record Walk in to the state office and you can skip the notary, but you must sign the form in front of vital records staff. Iowa sets no maximum notary fee, so the cost varies. Banks and shipping stores often offer the service.
The Three Ways to Order
Online Through VitalChek
VitalChek is the only online vendor Iowa HHS authorizes for birth certificate orders.2Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record You upload your ID, complete the application through their portal, and pay by credit card. Other websites that show up in search results are not state-authorized and often charge inflated fees for a form the state gives away.
By Mail
Send the completed and notarized application, a photocopy of your ID, and payment 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 50319-00752Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
Pay by check or money order made out to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Don’t send cash.
In Person
The state vital records office in Des Moines accepts walk-ins Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except state holidays.2Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record County recorder offices around the state also handle walk-in requests, though their records have gaps described below. Cash, checks, and money orders are accepted in person, and some county offices take credit cards.
What It Costs
Each certified copy is $15, whether it comes from the state office or a county recorder.4Iowa Administrative Code. 641 Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 95 – Fees If the bureau searches its records and finds no match, the $15 is not refunded.
VitalChek adds a processing fee starting at $13 per order on top of the state’s $15.1Iowa.gov. How Do I Get Marriage, Birth, and Death Records Expedited shipping adds more. A single online copy delivered quickly usually runs around $30 or higher. Ordering by mail or in person avoids the surcharge entirely.
How Long It Takes
Speed depends on the channel:
- In person at the state office: Applications submitted by 2:00 p.m. are processed within two hours. Arrive after 2:00 p.m. and you may need to come back the next business day.2Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
- In person at a county recorder: Varies. Some offices issue copies while you wait, others take a day or two.
- VitalChek online: Expedited orders arrive in roughly 2 to 5 business days. Standard shipping runs closer to a couple of weeks.2Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
- By mail: Plan on 4 to 6 weeks from the day you send the application to the day the certificate lands in your mailbox.2Health & Human Services. How to Request a Certified Record
If you need the certificate for a passport, a new job, or school enrollment, the Des Moines walk-in window is the fastest route. Mail works fine when nothing is on a deadline, but the six-week outer edge surprises people who assumed a week or two.
When a County Office Cannot Help You
County recorders can issue many Iowa birth records, but not all. You have to go through the state Bureau of Health Statistics if your record falls into any of these categories:
- Births from 1921 through 1941
- Single-parent births before July 1, 1995
- Adoption records
- Birth records after a legal name change under Iowa Code chapter 674
- Delayed registrations filed more than one year after the birth
- Any record sealed by court order
Births from 1986 to the present that fall outside these exceptions are generally on file at the county level.5Health & Human Services. Vital Records Call the recorder’s office in the county of birth before making the trip if you’re not sure they hold the record.
Adoptees Requesting the Original Birth Certificate
Iowa allows adult adoptees who are 18 or older to request a noncertified copy of their original pre-adoption birth certificate. The option came in under Iowa Code section 144.24A, effective January 1, 2022.6Health & Human Services. Open Adoption Records and Original Birth Certificates
The original certificate lists the biological parents. Biological parents can also file contact preference forms and medical history forms with the Bureau of Health Statistics, and those are released to the adoptee on request. If the adoptee has died, an entitled family member (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild) can make the request instead.6Health & Human Services. Open Adoption Records and Original Birth Certificates
These applications go by mail or in person to the Bureau of Health Statistics in Des Moines only. VitalChek does not process them, and neither do county recorders. Expect to submit proof of identity and proof of entitlement before the record is released.