Kansas Vital Records

Kansas Birth, Marriage and Death Records
Introduction to Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Kansas Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Kansas Statewide Indexes and Collections at the Family History Library.

Kansas Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online
The following is a list of online resources useful for locating Kansas Vital Records which consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. Most online resources for Kansas Vital Records are indexes. After locating a person in an index always consult the original record to confirm the information in the index.


 * Kansas Databases Rootsweb Free
 * USGenWeb.org Kansas Site- Free
 * Search for Kansas Collections on FamilySearch.org - Free
 * The Vital Records Search and Information Directory for Kansas- Free/$
 * Wee Monster Links for Kansas Birth &amp; Marriage and Death Records - Free/$
 * Linkpendium Links for Kansas Genealogy and History, including individual Counties - Free/$
 * Search the Kansas Birth, Marriage &amp; Death Records at Ancestry.com - $
 * Order Kansas Certificates online - $
 * The Kansas Department of Public Health has copies of marriage records from July 1880. They have an index to records after 1916.
 * Kansas Death Records &amp; Indexes (deathindexes.com)
 * Kansas, County Marriages, 1855-1911 Free/Unindexed images.
 * at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1811-1940 - at FamilySearch, index — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1811-1940 - at FamilySearch, index — index - How to Use this Collection

Birth Records
Early - 1911

City and County Records of Births

A few counties in Kansas began keeping records of births in 1885. These records may be obtained from the office of the county clerk.

Birth records are also available from many of the cities in the state. The beginning dates of these records vary from about 1910 to 1940. You can write to the city clerk for further information.

The Family History Library is presently acquiring copies of pre-1912 birth records at the county courthouses in southeastern Kansas. The library also has a few files from mortuaries and funeral homes.

1911 - Present

State Records of Births

Statewide registration of births and deaths began in July 1911. Delayed registrations of births started in 1937. Copies of the state records may be obtained from:

Office of Vital Statistics Kansas Department of Health and Environment 900 Jackson Street Topeka, KS 66612-1290 Telephone: 913-296-1400 Internet: Kansas Vital Records

The current fees for obtaining copies of the state's records can be found in the following resources:


 * National Center for Health Statistics. Where to Write for Vital Records
 * VitalRecords.com {commercial site}

Online Records


 * 1885-1911 - at FamilySearch — index and images — index - How to Use this Collection

Marriage Records
Early - 1913

County clerks and clerks of probate courts have been keeping records of marriages since the creation of each county in the state. Some date from the mid-1850s. You can write to the clerk's office in the county where the license was issued. The Family History Library is presently acquiring copies of pre-1920 Kansas marriage records. Kansas Historical Society has copies of some county and city vital records on microfilm. Check their website for what is available for each county.

Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 is an ongoing voluteer effort by the Kansas State Historical Society to index early Kansas marriages. The searchable database includes only part of the counties so far.

Kansas County Marriages is an unindexed FamilySearch collection for county marriages from 1855-1911. It can be browsed here. The collection includes records from the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Coffey, Crawford, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Linn, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson.

1913 - Present

Marriage records since July 1913 have also been kept by the state. These may be obtained from the Office of Vital Statistics (see address above).

Online Records
 * 1800 - 1946 United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 ($) index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 at FamilySearch — index — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1811 - 1911 Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry, ($), Index and images
 * 1855 - 1911 at FamilySearch — index — index - How to Use this Collection

Divorce Records

The district court in each county has had jurisdiction over divorces. Divorce information is interfiled with other court records. You can write to the clerk of the court for information. Since July 1951 a copy of the proceedings has been filed with the Bureau of Registration and Health Statistics.

Death Records
A few counties in Kansas began keeping records of deaths in 1885. These records may be obtained from the office of the county clerk.

Death records are also available from many of the cities in the state. The beginning dates of these records vary from about 1910 to 1940. You can write to the city clerk for further information.

Death certificates began being filed with the state Office of Vital Statistics on July 1, 1911. Because of the rise in identity theft, the office does not make vital record indexes available to the public. Currently, the Office of Vital Statistics does allow requests for genealogical research. Pre-1940 records may be requested by an individual related as at least a cousin. Post-1940 records must be requested by an immediate family member. The requestor must meet eligibility requirements and must provide proof of identification.

The Family History Library is presently acquiring copies of pre-1912 death records at the county courthouses in southeastern Kansas. The library also has a few files from mortuaries and funeral homes.

Fetal Deaths Only parents may request a copy of a "Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth."

Cause of Death

 * Causes of Death - use this resource when trying to interpret a disease or medical condition listed on a death record or certificate

Lost or Missing Records
When record loss occurs often records are reconstructed; land records are reconstructed to establish clear or legal title and for taxation purposes.

Counties with records loss:

Douglas (1863 Quantril's raid), and Elk (1906),

Substitute Records

 * Kansas Church Records
 * Kansas Cemetery Records
 * Kansas Census Records
 * Kansas History
 * Kansas Military Records
 * Kansas Newspapers
 * Kansas Obituaries
 * Kansas Periodicals

Tips

 * Information listed on vital records is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) to the subject(s) for the record.  The closer the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) and whether or not the informant was present at the time of the event can help determine the accuracy of the information found on the record.
 * If you are unable to locate vital records recorded by government, search for church records of christening, marriage, death or burial. A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages, and deaths.
 * Privacy laws may restrict your access to some vital records. Copies of some vital records recorded in the last 100 years may be unavailable to anyone except a direct relative.
 * Search for Vital Records in the FamilySearch Catalog by using a Place Search and then choosing Vital Records. Search for Kansas to locate records filed by the State and then search the name of the county to locate records kept by the county.

Archives, Libraries and Societies

 * Kansas Archives and Libraries
 * Kansas Societies

Miscellaneous Records
1879--On the Lineage website there is an Index to Kansas Settlers living in 1879. Many of the records give birth date and place.

Guide to Vital Records
A description of the history and availability of Kansas records is Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Kansas.