Vital Records Program

Vital Records is a statewide program through local health departments. It is the recording of births and deaths in the state of Missouri. These documents provide information that is used for several agencies and bureaus. The Bureau of Vital Statistics collects information from birth and death certificates in order to share data for communities to improve public health, safety and funding.

Deaths which occur in Barry County are first recorded at the health department. The death certificate is registered, and certified copies of the original document are issued, if requested.

Birth certificates filed at the health department are home births.

Print a birth certificate or death certificate application.

Aplicacion para Certificados de Nacimiento o Defuncion

Birth Certificates

The Barry County Health Department can provide certified copies of Missouri birth certificates for $15.00 each. Birth certificates are available for births from 1920 to the present. The average wait time is 5-10 minutes.

Birth certificates will only be issued to the registrant; relatives up to, a legal guardian of the child; a step-parent; or other legally authorized individuals as determined by Missouri Department of Health rules relating to access to vital records. This does not include, cousins.

Please be prepared to provide the child's full (maiden) name and the date and city of birth, as well as the mother's full name. You may be asked to show a picture ID of yourself in order to receive the birth certificate. Other information may be required such as county of birth and hospital.

Death Certificates

Certified copies of Missouri death certificates can be purchased by qualified individuals for $13.00 for the first copy and $10.00 for subsequent copies for the same person in the same visit. Death certificates are available for deaths occurring from 1980 to the present. The average wait time to receive your certificate is 5-10 minutes.
Death certificates may be issued to relatives or to third parties with a legal need. Please be ready to provide the deceased person's full name and date of death. If you are a third party, you may also be asked to fill out additional paperwork in order to receive the death certificate.
Out-of-State Certificates Certificates for births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that took place outside the state of Missouri can be obtained by visiting the National Center for Health Statistics web site or Vitalchek Express web site. Fees and delivery times may vary by state and by document.