Kansas Vital Records

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U.S. Vital Records

Kansas

Vital Records

Birth Records Marriage Records Death/Will Records Statewide from 1911 Statewide from 1913

Kansas Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online

Births

• 1811-1940 Kansas Births and Baptisms, 1811-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1818-1936 Kansas Births and Christenings, 1818-1936 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1854-2009 Kansas Vital Record Abstracts, 1854-2009 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1885-1911 Kansas County Birth Records, 1885-1911 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images ($)
• 1885-1911 Kansas Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry — index ($)

Marriages

• 1600s-1900s US Marriages – Kansas at Findmypast — index & images ($)
• 1811-1911 Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry($)
• 1840-1935 Kansas Marriages, 1840-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1854-1861 Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 at Kansas Historical Society — index
• 1854-1873 Kansas Compiled Marriage Index from Select Counties, 1854-1873 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1854-2009 Kansas Vital Record Abstracts, 1854-2009 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1855-1911 Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images ($)

Deaths

• 1811-1911 Kansas County Marriage Records, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1811-1940 Kansas Deaths 1811-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1854-2009 Kansas Vital Record Abstracts, 1854-2009 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1885-1930 Kansas Deaths and Burials, 1885-1930 at FamilySearch — index; Also at: Ancestry($)

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 FamilySearch 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}

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 FamilySearch 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 Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911. 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).

Information in Kansas Marriage Records

Types of Information	early - 1913	1913 - present
Name of Bride/Groom
Date of Marriage
Location of Marriage
Presiding Official
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Residence at Time of Marriage

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 FamilySearch 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

Information in Kansas Death Records

Types of Information	before - 1911	1911 - present
Name of Deceased
Date of Death
Place of Death
Date of Birth/Age
Place of Birth
Place of Burial
Parents' Names/Maiden
Occupation of Deceased
Marital Status

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

Guide to Vital Records

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

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

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