Iowa Death Records

Iowa death records are legal documents containing detailed information regarding people's deaths in the state. They are one of the vital records kept by relevant government agencies in the state. Official statewide recording of death events in Iowa started July 1, 1810, alongside other types of vital records following the establishment of the state's Board of Health.

Currently, the state registers an estimated 100,000 vital events annually, which include approximately 33,081 deaths. This indicates a mortality rate of 785.1 per 100,000 residents, which is slightly lower than the United States average of 793.7 deaths per 100,000 total population.

The primary death record in Iowa is the death certificate. A typical death certificate has the details of a person's death, including the time of death, the place of death, the date of death, the cause of death, and the deceased's personal information. Once a person dies in Iowa, the original death certificate must be signed by the funeral director and medical certifier and then filed with the state's Vital Records Office, which is located in the Bureau of Health Statistics.

Per Section 144.28 of the state's Code, different people may be required to provide medical certification for a death event, depending on the cause of the death, which may either be natural causes or non-natural causes. Medical certification is typically done through the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS). Any eligible person may obtain a certified copy of an original death certificate already filed with the Vital Records Office. The original death certificate generally remains in the file of the Vital Records Office.

How Do I Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate in Iowa?

Certified copies of Iowa death certificates for deaths recorded from July 1, 1880, to the present are on file with the state's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They are accessible through the Bureau of Health Statistics in any of the following ways:

• Get a Certified Copy of an Iowa Death Certificate by Mail - The following steps are needed to obtain a certified copy of a death certificate in Iowa by mail:

  • Fill out the Application to Order an Iowa Vital Record Form. Make sure to select "death" as the event type when completing the form. The application must also be notarized.
  • Make a clear photocopy of a current, valid government-issued ID.
  • Pay a $15 fee for each copy of a certified death certificate. Check or money order should be made payable to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Submit the completed application form, fee, and all other required documentation by mail to the HHS at:

    Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

    Bureau of Health Statistics

    Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor

    321 E. 12th Street

    Des Moines, IA 50319-0075

    It takes the Bureau of Health Statistics between 4 and 6 weeks to process a mailed application for a certified copy of an Iowa death certificate.

• Get a Certified Copy of an Iowa Death Certificate by Mail - It is also possible to request certified copies of an Iowa death certificate from the Bureau of Health Statistics in person. The state's Vital Records Office accepts walk-in requests between 7:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (state-observed holidays excluded).

An applicant must complete the application form (notarized) and submit it alongside the appropriate fee and a copy of their valid ID in person at the Bureau of Health Statistics Office. If submitting a written application, the requester must write the application and sign it in the presence of Vital Records staff. Most in-person applications for certified copies of Iowa death certificates are processed after 2 hours of submission. However, it may take up to 6 weeks if the requester opts to receive the requested certificates by mail.

Are Iowa Death Records Public?

Access to Iowa death records maintained by the Bureau of Health Statistics is limited to protect the integrity of such records and ensure proper use. Per Section 144.43 of the state's Code, death records in the custody of a county registrar may be copied or inspected as of right under the state's Open Records Law.

However, death records in the custody of the state registrar may not be copied or inspected by the public unless they are at least 50 years old or upon providing proof of entitlement to the records. In other words, only individuals with a direct and tangible entitlement to an Iowa death record under 50 years may access certified copies of the record.

Who Can Request an Original Death Certificate in Iowa?

Original death certificates are not available to the public in Iowa and may not be issued to anyone. Rather, they are maintained permanently at the Vital Records Office of the state's Bureau of Health Statistics, where eligible persons may obtain certified copies. Only individuals with a direct or tangible interest in a death certificate or those with a lineal relationship to the deceased may request certified copies of the certificate. These include the decedent's spouse, legal parent, sibling, child, grandparent, legal guardian, and legal representative. Siblings, legal representatives, and legal guardians must provide additional proof of entitlement to be able to request certified copies of an Iowa death certificate.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in Iowa?

Depending on the circumstances around a death event and the method of request, a person can get a certified copy of an Iowa death certificate in as little as a few hours and as late as several weeks. Typically, a death certificate that is already on file with the Vital Records Office may be obtained the same day if requested in person or anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks for a mail-in request. However, in certain cases, filing original death certificates with the state's Bureau of Health Statistics may take several weeks because of the nature of such death events.

When someone dies under a suspicious or unusual circumstance in Iowa, an autopsy may be required to find out the cause and nature of death. In this case, the final death certificate will not be prepared until the autopsy is completed and there is a final result. In typical cases, the completion of autopsy reports in Iowa takes anywhere from 60 to 90 days, but may be extended if the forensic pathologist orders additional testing, particularly in complex cases. This ultimately impacts how long it takes for anyone to be able to get a certified copy of the death certificate after the event date, which may run into several months.

Can I view Iowa Death Records online for free?

Yes, some historic death records are available online through the Iowa State Archives. The State Archives partners with Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org to make historic death records in its files available online to members of the public. While Ancestry.com may require a subscription (small fee), FamilySearch.org is free to use. However, interested persons may use both online resources free of charge at the Iowa City and Des Moines Research Centers.

Third-party sites like Iowapublicrecords.us are also repositories for publicly available death records in the state, although usage attracts a nominal fee. Users will generally be able to search death records with information like a decedent's name, date of death (or range), and the place of death. The companies operating these websites collate the records from official sources and upload them to their databases, where they are never erased.

Furthermore, interested parties may find information about death events in Iowa for free by checking substitute records. Records such as obituaries, newspapers, tax records, census, cemetery records, probate records, church records, family bible records, and city directories are possible sources to access information regarding death events, particularly those with no official records.

When Would You Require A Death Certificate in Iowa?

An Iowa death certificate is generally needed to prove that the person named on it has passed away, and a copy is needed to pursue certain legal and administrative matters. Typically, a certified copy of a death certificate is needed for the following purposes in the state:

• Notifying certain government agencies and private institutions that a loved one has died. These agencies include the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, and insurance providers.
• Canceling a decedent's subscription services ot phone bill or transferring their bills to another person.
• Transferring a deceased person's property title, including real estate and vehicles.
• Closing a decedent's bank accounts, settling their credit cards, and settling their debts. This can potentially prevent fraud as the deceased will no longer be able to protect themself from identity theft.
• Disposition of the deceased person.
• Filing and pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit.
• Filing life insurance claims and receiving other benefits like pension, Medicaid benefits, veterans benefits, and a few other retirement benefits.
• Getting married if the surviving spouse needs to legally prove that their previous partner has died.

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in Iowa?

While the actual number of copies of the death certificate needed in Iowa differs based on the specific situation, it is often recommended to get between 8 and 12 copies. When deciding how many copies to obtain, consider the number of government agencies and private organizations that will require certified copies of the death certificate for legal and administrative purposes. Creating a checklist of these agencies and other critical transactions to execute will certainly help in determining how many copies of an Iowa death certificate are needed following the passing of a loved one.