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The End of Life Plannerby Valoren

General information · not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.

Free · general informationMissouri

Death certificates in Missouri

What a certified copy of the death certificate costs in Missouri and how one is ordered, in the official words. No figure on this page is ours; each is the office’s or the statute’s, with the date it was checked.

  • Every fact dated, in the official words
  • Each state’s own law

Every quotation checked October 24, 2026

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Every quotation on this page is the official body’s own words, as they stood on the day we read them. The date is beside each one.

Filing the death certificate: who files it, and how soon

A certificate of death for each death which occurs in this state shall be filed with the local registrar, or as otherwise directed by the state registrar, within five days after death and shall be registered if such certificate has been completed and filed pursuant to this section.

4. The funeral director or person in charge of final disposition of the dead body shall file the certificate of death.

within seventy-two hours after death

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · RSMo §193.145.1, .4, .5

What the first copy costs, and each additional copy, from the state or a local registrar

For the issuance of a certification or copy of a death record, the applicant shall pay a fee of fourteen dollars for the first certification or copy and a fee of eleven dollars for each additional copy ordered at that time.

For the issuance of a certification of a death record by the local registrar, the applicant shall pay a fee of fourteen dollars for the first certification or copy and a fee of eleven dollars for each additional copy ordered at that time.

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · RSMo §193.265.1, .2 (A.L. 2025 H.B. 199)

Who may order, and how widely the family is drawn

All family members, genealogists representing a family member, and professionally recognized genealogists are eligible to receive copies of death certificates. All family members includes in-laws and cousins and great and step relationships for the following: brother, sister, mother, father, son, daughter, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, or uncle.

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · DHSS Bureau of Vital Records (19 CSR 10-10)

Ordering locally, by mail with a notary, or online, and how long mail takes

Usually, the fastest way to obtain a copy of a vital record is to request it locally.

To request a birth or death certificate locally, contact your nearest local public health agency.

Local level – Births: 1920-present. Death: 1980-present. (Short form versions)

Requesting certified copies by mail … Signed application which must be notarized by a notary public and search fee.

Mail-in requests to Jefferson City can be processed within approximately 4-8 weeks

The Bureau of Vital Records contracts with VitalChek to process vital record requests online or over the phone.

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · DHSS Bureau of Vital Records

The same page for other states

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FAQ

Common questions

For the issuance of a certification or copy of a death record, the applicant shall pay a fee of fourteen dollars for the first certification or copy and a fee of eleven dollars for each additional copy ordered at that time.

For the issuance of a certification of a death record by the local registrar, the applicant shall pay a fee of fourteen dollars for the first certification or copy and a fee of eleven dollars for each additional copy ordered at that time.

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · RSMo §193.265.1, .2 (A.L. 2025 H.B. 199)

An additional fee is charged by VitalChek for using this service.

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · DHSS Bureau of Vital Records

All family members, genealogists representing a family member, and professionally recognized genealogists are eligible to receive copies of death certificates. All family members includes in-laws and cousins and great and step relationships for the following: brother, sister, mother, father, son, daughter, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, or uncle.

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · DHSS Bureau of Vital Records (19 CSR 10-10)

Usually, the fastest way to obtain a copy of a vital record is to request it locally.

To request a birth or death certificate locally, contact your nearest local public health agency.

Local level – Births: 1920-present. Death: 1980-present. (Short form versions)

Requesting certified copies by mail … Signed application which must be notarized by a notary public and search fee.

Mail-in requests to Jefferson City can be processed within approximately 4-8 weeks

The Bureau of Vital Records contracts with VitalChek to process vital record requests online or over the phone.

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · DHSS Bureau of Vital Records

Usually, the fastest way to obtain a copy of a vital record is to request it locally.

To request a birth or death certificate locally, contact your nearest local public health agency.

Local level – Births: 1920-present. Death: 1980-present. (Short form versions)

Requesting certified copies by mail … Signed application which must be notarized by a notary public and search fee.

Mail-in requests to Jefferson City can be processed within approximately 4-8 weeks

The Bureau of Vital Records contracts with VitalChek to process vital record requests online or over the phone.

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · DHSS Bureau of Vital Records

A certificate of death for each death which occurs in this state shall be filed with the local registrar, or as otherwise directed by the state registrar, within five days after death and shall be registered if such certificate has been completed and filed pursuant to this section.

4. The funeral director or person in charge of final disposition of the dead body shall file the certificate of death.

within seventy-two hours after death

Missouri · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · RSMo §193.145.1, .4, .5

For anyone who would rather their family found it all in one place than went looking.

A couple. A parent. An adult child and a parent, doing it together. One sitting starts it; keep it current, and tell someone where it is.

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