Idaho, County Birth and Death Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1883-1929.

The collection consists of a database and images of county birth and death registers for the following counties (coverage varies between counties):


 * Ada
 * Bannock
 * Bingham
 * Blaine
 * Bonner
 * Bonneville
 * Boundary
 * Canyon
 * Cassia
 * Clearwater
 * Elmore
 * Fremont
 * Kootenai
 * Latah
 * Lemhi
 * Nez Perce
 * Owyhee
 * Shoshone
 * Twin Falls
 * Washington

Record Content
Information found in the Birth Registers may include the following:


 * Full birth date
 * Place of birth
 * Name of Child
 * Gender
 * Race or Color
 * No. in Family
 * Living or Stillborn
 * Names of Parents
 * Color of Parents
 * Occupation of Father
 * Birthplace of parents
 * Age of parents
 * Residence
 * Maiden Name of Mother
 * Is child legitimate

The information found in the Death Registers may include the following:


 * Death date with year
 * Place of death
 * Age at death
 * Gender
 * Race or color
 * Married or Single
 * Cause of Death
 * Birthplace
 * Duration of Illness
 * Name of Parents
 * Residence
 * Color of Parents

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it would be helpful to know the following:


 * Name of ancestor
 * County of residence at time of birth/death
 * Approximate year of birth/death

Search the Collection
To search the database, fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you are unable to locate your ancestor in the database, you may want to browse the collection by image. The first section of the images is a brief alphabetical index of names in the register listing page numbers where the full record can be found. This is followed by a more detailed chronological register of births or deaths: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'County' category ⇒ Select the 'Record Type, Date Range and Volume' category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them.

You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Make a photocopy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * A birth record may note the parents ages. Use the age to calculate their estimated birth years.
 * Use the names and relationships as a basis for compiling family groups.
 * Use the names, date, and residence or place to locate the individual or family in the census.
 * Use the names and places to locate additional records about the individual or family such as church and land records.
 * Use the estimated age at death or burial to calculate an approximate birth year.
 * Use the death or burial date to find other records that may provide more information on your ancestor. These include obituaries, grave markers, sexton’s records, or a civil or religious death records.
 * You may use the birth or death information from this index to obtain the original certificate for a fee from: Idaho, Department of Health and Welfare or Idaho Vital Records. Original records may contain more information than the index.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * If the record is a death record look for burial and probate records in the same location.
 * Try searching for the parents’ marriage record in the same locality as your ancestor’s birth place. A marriage record can provide more information about your family, especially the mother’s maiden name—which is frequently unknown.
 * Sometimes a person is buried in a city or town in which they did not die. Do not assume that a burial place is the same as a death place.
 * If a religion practiced infant baptism, the baptism usually took place within a few days or weeks of the birth. However, individuals could also be baptized later in childhood or adulthood.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Search for an index. Local historical and genealogical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they were born, then try searching the records of a nearby locality.
 * If you cannot find your ancestor in civil records of birth, try searching church records of baptisms. Oftentimes church records pre-date civil records.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Perhaps other records used to determine the birthdate or death of your ancestor were incorrect. Try searching several years before and after the supposed birth or death of your ancestor to locate the record.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Idaho, Birth Index Ancestry $
 * Idaho Births, Marriages, Deaths Ancestry $
 * Idaho Vital Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Idaho Genealogy
 * Idaho Vital Records
 * Idaho Births and Christenings (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Idaho Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Idaho Death Certificates (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation: Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation