Kansas, vital records
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of Vital Statistics, keeps and issues Kansas birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates from its Topeka office.
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Vital records
KDHE office that receives and preserves Kansas births, stillbirths, deaths, marriages and divorces, more than 10 million records, and issues certified copies.
Open official site Kansas Office of Vital StatisticsVital records
Kansas birth certificates filed with the state since July 1, 1911, with how to order online, by phone or in person at the Topeka office.
Open official site Kansas birth certificatesVital records
The $20 fee for a certified Kansas divorce certificate pays for a five year record search, and one certified copy is issued if the record is found.
Open official site Kansas divorce certificatesVital records
Library of Congress timeline for Kansas records: the state holds births and deaths from July 1, 1911, marriages from May 1, 1913 and divorces from July 1, 1951; earlier divorces are at district courts.
Open official site Library of Congress, Kansas vital records guideState agencies
The Secretary of State issues apostilles and authentications that verify the seal and signature of a Kansas public official or notary for use in another country.
Open official site Kansas Secretary of State, apostillesPolice & jail
Office of Vital Statistics steps to amend or correct Kansas birth, marriage and divorce certificates, with the forms and court order rules for each.
Open official site Kansas amendments and correctionsVital records
National Center for Health Statistics links to every state and territory vital records office, with fees and mailing addresses. The federal government itself issues no certificates.
Open official site CDC, Where to Write for Vital RecordsVital records
National Center for Health Statistics data on births and deaths in the United States, such as leading causes of death and life tables. It publishes statistics, not copies of records.
Open official site CDC, National Vital Statistics SystemFederal
Social Security Administration form to apply for an original or replacement card or to correct your record. It generally asks for your birth certificate as proof of age.
Open official site SSA, Form SS-5, Social Security card applicationGuide
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of Vital Statistics, issues divorce certificates for divorces filed with the Office since July 1, 1951. The certificate carries basic information only and costs $20 per certified copy. Certified copies of the divorce decree, with the property division and support terms, are obtained from the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the divorce was filed. The Office's page is at kdhe.ks.gov.
Guide
Record guide
At a glance
More Kansas records on this site: Kansas public records, Free Background Checks.
Straight answers
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No. The CDC is explicit: 'The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records.' Every U.S. vital record is kept by the state where the event occurred.
A certified copy has a raised seal and is accepted by SSA, passport offices, and courts. An informational copy is marked 'Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity' and cannot be used for legal ID.
It varies by state, but a mail order to a state vital records office is typically 4, 8 weeks. Walk-in county clerk requests can be same-day. Online orders through VitalChek add a separate processing time on top of the state's.
Most states limit certified copies to the registrant, immediate family, and legal representatives. Informational copies are generally available to anyone after a waiting period defined by state law.
You should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, form FS-240). Replacements come from the U.S. Department of State, not from a state vital records office.
All states
Every state page lists that state's official vital record sources, each opened and verified.