Enter a name to search for Iowa birth certificates. This website was created to provide genealogists with access to Iowa birth certificates.. Additional information on how to obtain Iowa birth certificates is available below.
Return to Birth Certificates home page.
Birth certificates contain information about a person's birth, including the date of birth, place of birth, sometimes the names of the mother and father, and even the physician who attended the birth. Birth certificates issued by state and local governments will often include the place of residence, and the mother's maiden name.
Birth certificates can be used to establish a person's date and place of birth. Most birth certificates provide the mother's maiden name. Birth certificates are often required to obtain other documents, licenses or to prove eligibility.
This webpage gives you access to all of the online databases containing Iowa birth records, Iowa birth ceritificates, Iowa birth notices, Iowa birth indexes, and other related Iowa genealogy records.
Birth records have long been used to help with genealogy research. They are considered to be "primary source" records, because the information is recorded by an eye witness, at the time the birth takes place. The Internet has allowed people to store birth records into various online archives. This has brought access to online birth records much more easier for genealogy researchers.
Newspapers frequently publish notices of births, and in addition to birth certificates, are a popular source of research by genealogists. Newspapers typically do not announce the names of the newborn, but list the sex of the child, the names of the parents, the place and date of birth.
On this page you will find the most comprehensive databases containing birth records of Iowa. We also suggest searching for "Iowa birth records" using Google.com, which will yield all such databases.
Search Iowa Birth Certificates
How to Obtain Iowa Birth Certificates
Iowa is one of the few states, aside from New England, to successfully implement vital records registration prior to the 20th century. For birth and marriage records after 1 July 1880, and death records after 1891, write:
Iowa Department of Public Health
Vital Records Bureau
Lucas State Office Bldg, 4th Floor
321 East 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0075
Personal check or money order should be made payable to Iowa Department of Public Health. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (515) 281-4944. This will be a recorded message. Information on how to obtain certified copies is also available via the internet at http://www.idph.state.ia.us/
For prior records, contact the clerk of the county in question.
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