Obtain Birth Certificate or Record

The Vital Records Department provides assistance in obtaining birth or death certificates recorded anywhere within the State of Missouri.

Certified transcripts can be obtained for Individuals born before 1910 in the City of St. Louis, or if St. Louis was listed as the parents residence at the time of birth.

A long form copy of the original vital record is available only from the Missouri Health Department's Vital Records Bureau in Jefferson City, Missouri.

The following information will help you prepare to apply for a copy of a Missouri Birth Certificate in person:

• Read the information on this page carefully.
• Consider how many copies you will need.
• Gather the registrant’s information needed for the application.
• You will need to know, the registrant’s full name (first, middle, last name), sex; race; place of birth; date of birth; father’s full name (first, middle, last), Mother’s full name (first, middle, maiden name, or name prior to marriage).  
• Download the appropriate form from the instructions section below.
• If submitting your request for the birth certificate by mail, know where to notarize the form document.
• Notary services are often offered by banks and UPS Stores.
  • Call a local store or institution to confirm services and times available.
• If requesting the birth certificate copy in person, have a valid driver’s license, state identification card, or other acceptable government issued photo identification. Your address on photo identification and your address on the application (copy request form) must match.   

If requesting a Certified Genealogy Copy of a Birth Certificate, it can only be obtained from the Missouri Health Department's Vital Records Bureau in Jefferson City, Missouri. Separate instructions are included below.

State and Federal Law requires that a valid form of ID be required if the request is submitted in person — or that a notarized signature be require if submitted by mail. 

Once you have the necessary information, you are ready to begin your application form. The following steps outline instructions to apply in person,  by mail, and online.

In Person

• Download the appropriate form:
  • 1920 - Present:  Birth Certificate Request
  • Pre-1910 Birth Transcript Request
• Complete and print the Application form.
• Have a valid driver’s license, state identification card, or other acceptable government issued photo identification. Your address on photo identification and your address on the application (copy request form) must match.
• Bring your form to the Birth Records Department between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (Except Holidays) at:

Birth Records Department | St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar
City Hall, Room 127, 1200 Market Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63103

By Mail

• Download the appropriate form:
  • 1920 - Present:  Birth Certificate Request
  • 1920 - Present:  Original Missouri Birth Certificate Form (read section below for this type of request)
  • Pre-1910 Birth Transcript Request
• Complete and print the Application form.
• When submitting by mail, certify the application by getting it notarized by a Notary Public
• Provide a Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope with your application or add 50¢ to your payment for return mail.
• Mail the form to:

Birth Records Department | St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar
City Hall, Room 127, 1200 Market Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63103

Guidelines for Obtain Certified Genealogy Copies

• A Certified Genealogy Copy of a Birth Certificate is available only from the Missouri Health Department's Vital Records Bureau in Jefferson City, Missouri.
• Find and download the appropriate form at https://health.mo.gov/data/vitalrecords/
• Important: In the form, under "PURPOSE FOR CERTIFICATE REQUEST," you must write your specific request at the top of the form as described below:
  • "Duplicate of Original for Genealogy Purposes" in red ink, OR
  • "Duplicate of Original for Genealogy Purposes" in black ink with yellow highlighter.

Missouri Department of Health | Bureau of Vital Records
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102

Online

Order online through VitalCheck. Start with the "Begin Online" button.

Begin online

Accepted Forms of Payment:

• Credit cards MasterCard and Visa
• Electronic checks
• Cash (in-person transactions only)

Document Search Fees:

• Non-Refundable $15.00 for each copy request.
• Mail-In Customers Add 55¢ for return mail if you do not provide Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope.
• When a record is found, your payment is used as a Copy Fee and you will be issued one computer generated Certified Copy of the record.
• When a record is not found, your payment is used as a Search Fee.

Payment Methods and Fees:

• A minimum fee of $1.50 is charged for any credit card payment under $52. For amounts over $52, the fee is calculated at 2.95% of the total payment amount.   
• The service fee for electronic checks will be set at $1.50. This includes the ability to process payments via “Forte.”  Forte electronic check payment system:  
  • Validates the saving and checking account number real time.
  • Validates positive funds in the banks account at the time of the payment.
  • The product called ‘ATM Verify’ validates 95% of all US banks.
  • The City of St. Louis will received $.050 per transaction (to be deposited to the city's designated bank account on a monthly basis.)
• No cash back on any payments (debit card, credit card or check).

• In person requests for copies of Birth Certificates from 1920-Present will be provided before you leave the office.

• Original Birth Certificate registration ledgers prior to 1920 may be too fragile to photocopy depending upon the age and condition of the original record. Therefore, a transcribed copy may be provided by the clerk.

• Mail-in requests typically take up to 14 business days.

Changing, Correcting, or Amending a Missouri Birth Certificate

The St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar is prohibited from changing, correcting, or amending a Missouri Birth Certificate. Please contact the appropriate office:

Change or Correct a Birth Certificate Contact Vital Records Bureau
P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102
573.751.6387

Add Father's Name to a Birth Certificate Contact Vital Records Bureau
P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102
573.751.6216

File Notice of Intent to Claim Paternity
with Putative Father Registry
P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102
573.751.6378

Types of Records Searched

• Pre-1910 - St. Louis City Birth Register Transcripts: The St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar provides Certified Transcript services for Pre-1910 St. Louis City Birth Registers.
• Photocopying Birth Register originals for the public is not possible because many St. Louis City's Birth Registers are handwritten ledgers measuring up to 22 inches by 19 inches per page. Many have entries extending over two pages, very frail paper, or faded ink. Instead, Vital Records staff transcribe entries from the Registers and produce typed Certified facsimiles.
• 5-Year Search: 2 years before and 2 years after Date of Birth provided by customer on Application for the name provided by customer.