How to Request a Certified Long Form Death Certificate in Missouri

A Missouri long-form death certificate is a certified copy of the full death record, including details like time of death that the short version leaves off. You order one from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, by mail to Jefferson City, in person at a local registrar, or online through the state’s authorized vendor, VitalChek. The fee is $14 for the first certified copy and $11 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.¹ Most people need the long form for insurance claims, probate filings, or legal proceedings where the full record is required.

Who Can Order One

Missouri limits vital records to people with a “direct and tangible interest” in the document, but the pool for death certificates is broader than for births. Any family member of the deceased qualifies, not just a spouse, parent, or child. The regulation reaches family members and in-laws in the direct line of descent up to but not including cousins.²

Attorneys, physicians, and funeral directors acting for the family count as official representatives. Any other agent needs a signed statement from a family member authorizing release. Professional genealogists and genealogists working for a family member can also obtain death certificates.² Anyone else who needs the record to protect a personal or property right, such as a creditor or beneficiary with a pending claim, can establish eligibility by explaining that interest on the application.³

What You Need Before You Apply

The state’s application is titled “Application for Missouri Vital Record – Birth/Death.” It asks for the decedent’s full legal name, sex, date of death, and the place of death as city, county, and state. There are fields for the spouse’s full name and both parents’ names, which help the Bureau pull the right record when names are common.⁴

You can download the PDF from the Department of Health and Senior Services or pick one up at a local health department office.⁵ If you are not the person named on the record or immediate family, attach documentation of your relationship to the deceased or a notarized authorization from a family member.¹

How to Submit the Application

You have three options. Each has different ID requirements, turnaround, and cost.

By Mail

Every mail-in application has to be notarized, no matter who is requesting it or why.¹ Fill out the application, get it notarized, and include a check or money order payable to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return mailing.⁴

Mail the package to:

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Bureau of Vital Records
930 Wildwood
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570⁶

Mail processing currently runs roughly eight to twelve weeks depending on the Bureau’s workload. If you need the certificate sooner, go in person or order online with expedited shipping.

In Person at a Local Registrar

Many county health departments and local registrar offices issue death certificates on the same day for walk-in applicants. Bring valid ID. The application says proper ID is required without specifying a document type.⁴ A driver’s license, state ID, or passport should work. The notarization requirement applies only to mail-in requests, so in-person applicants skip that step.

Local registrars can only issue certificates for deaths recorded in their jurisdiction. If the death happened in another county, contact that county’s registrar or send the request to the central Bureau in Jefferson City.

Online Through VitalChek

Missouri uses VitalChek, a third-party vendor, for online orders. VitalChek adds its own service fee on top of the state fee. Based on Columbia/Boone County’s published pricing, a death certificate ordered online runs about $27, which is the $14 state fee plus a $13 handling fee, before any expedited shipping.⁷ Overnight UPS delivery costs more, though VitalChek has discounted rates compared to retail shipping.⁸

Online orders include an identity verification step. This method works well when you can’t visit a local office and don’t want to wait weeks for a mail-in request.

Fees and Ordering Multiple Copies

Missouri charges $14 for the first certified copy and $11 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.¹ The fee pays for the search, not just the certificate itself. If the Bureau cannot locate the record, the fee is non-refundable and the state issues a “no record found” statement instead.⁴

Order several at once if you expect to need them. Insurance companies, banks, courts, and government agencies usually require their own certified copy rather than a photocopy. Ordering multiples upfront at $11 each after the first is cheaper than paying $14 each time you come back for another.

How Long It Takes

In-person requests at a local registrar are often handled the same day. Mail-in applications to Jefferson City take considerably longer, usually eight to twelve weeks depending on backlog, and come back by standard USPS. Online orders through VitalChek process faster than paper mail. VitalChek also offers express overnight shipping with tracking, which is worth the extra cost if you are up against a probate or insurance deadline.⁸

When You Actually Need the Long Form

The Bureau of Vital Records notes that the long-form death certificate is “typically not required for most purposes.”⁹ The short form handles most transactions. Certain situations do call for the full version:

Life insurance claims where the carrier wants cause and manner of death, especially on larger policies that require an original certified copy rather than a photocopy.
Contested estates, wrongful death suits, disputes over accidental-death riders, and other litigation where the circumstances of death are relevant.
Federal survivor benefits claims. The Social Security Administration can confirm what it needs at 1-800-772-1213.¹⁰
Veterans Affairs benefits, where the VA may request a long-form certificate for burial benefits or dependency and indemnity compensation.

For routine tasks like closing a bank account, transferring a vehicle title, or updating a property deed, a short-form certificate is almost always enough. Ask the institution what they want before you order.

If You Need the Certificate for Use Abroad

A Missouri death certificate used in another country usually needs an apostille, a certificate from the Missouri Secretary of State authenticating the document for international use. The fee is $10 per apostille. Mail the certified death certificate, a completed Apostille/Authentication Cover Letter, your payment, and a prepaid return envelope to:¹¹

Commissions
Secretary of State’s Office
600 West Main, Room 322
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention need a further authentication from the U.S. State Department’s Office of Authentications after Missouri processes the document. Check with the receiving country’s consulate first to confirm which type of authentication they accept.

1
Health and Senior Services. Order a Copy of a Vital Record
2
Cornell Law. 19 CSR 10-10.090 – Access to Vital Records
3
Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 193.255 – Certified Copies of Vital Records, Issuance
4
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Application for Missouri Vital Record – Birth/Death
5
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Bureau of Vital Records
6
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Missouri
7
Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services. Vital Records – Birth and Death Certificates
8
VitalChek. Express Shipping Services
9
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Frequently Asked Questions – Bureau of Vital Records
10
Social Security Administration. What to Do When Someone Dies
11
Missouri Secretary of State. Apostille/Authentication Cover Letter