Idaho Vital Records

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Marriage Records Death/Will Records
Western States 1911 - 1937

also


Idaho Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online

Births

Marriages

Deaths

Divorce


Birth Records

Early - 1911

The first government recorded birth records in Idaho were kept in the 1870s by midwives who sent their reports to county clerks. These are very limited in scope and numbers. Occasionally, delayed birth certificates were issued by the State of Idaho.

The counties were officially required to keep registers of births from 1907 to 1911. The Idaho State Historical Society (PARL) in Boise and the FamilySearch Library have acquired microfilm copies of most of the county recordings from all counties.

1911 - Present

Statewide registration of births began in 1911, and was generally complied with in the western part of Idaho by the early 1920s. Eastern and northern Idaho were much later in compliance. Delayed birth certificates were occasionally issued to satisfy passport, Social Security and other requirements.

Marriage Records

Early - 1947

1947 - Present

The county recorders have marriage records since the date each county was organized. In addition to the registers most counties will also have the original marriage applications. These are especially valuable if one or both marriage parties are under legal age as permission from the parent or guardian is included. The FamilySearch Library has microfilmed most of the pre-1950's registers

Brigham Young University-Idaho McKay Library and the Idaho Falls Regional FamilySearch Center has compiled a Western States Marriage Index which is available online. Marriage records from all counties in Idaho, as well as bordering states, are included in this index. See: Western States Marriage Index Wiki Page.

Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho served eloping couples from Idaho, and Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana. In Coeur d'Alene, there was no paper work or waiting period between the time of issuing a license and the performance of the marriage. Some Idaho couples may have run away to West Wendover, Elko County, Nevada.

Deaths

Early - 1911

The counties were officially required to keep registers of deaths from 1907 to 1911. The Idaho State Archives in Boise and the FamilySearch Library have acquired microfilm copies of most of the county recordings from all counties. Generally, deaths were recorded less frequently than births.

1911 - Present

After 1911, deaths occurring in Idaho are included in a state wide registration program operated by the State. These records are restricted for a period of fifty years from the time of the individual's death. Close family members may obtain copies of certificates for more recent years as per state access restrictions.

Official copies of these records are available from:

Idaho Department of Vital Statistics and Health Statistics
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, Idaho 83720-0036
Telephone: 208-334-5988
Fax: 208-389-9096
Web page: Birth, Death, Stillbirth, Marriage, Divorce Certificates

State your relationship to the individual you want information about and the reason you want the information. Only family members can obtain the information in these files. Fees and restrictions on providing copies are available on their website.

1911-1954 Death certificates, 1911-1954; microfilmed and located at the Idaho State Archives in Boise, the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, BYU-Idaho University Library in Rexburg, Idaho and several other locations.

A valuable non-government listing of death related events in eastern Idaho is the Eastern Idaho Deaths at Brigham Young University-Idaho).


Fetal Deaths
A "Certificate of Stillbirth" is confidential for 50 years. Immediate family member or their legal representative may request a copy of a "Fetal Death Record" and you must prove your relationship to the fetus.[1]


Information in Idaho 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


research

& complete

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

Divorce Records

Divorce records are available from the clerk of the district court in the county where the decree was granted. Decrees may be located in the Judgment or the Miscellaneous register series.


Substitute Records

Tips

  • Information listed on vital records is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of 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 governments, 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 relation.
  • Search for Vital Records in the FamilySearch Catalog by using a Place Search and then choosing Vital Records. Search for Idaho 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

  • Idaho Archives and Libraries
  • Idaho Societies

Inventory of Vital Records

You can learn more about the history and the availability of vital records in Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records In Idaho, State and County. [2]or from their website above.

References

  1. “United States Fetal Death Records,” Lake Superior Roots, v 29, no 2. (Marquette, Michigan: Marquette County Genealogical Society, 2016), 11.
  2. Boise, Idaho: Historical Records Survey, 1942. FamilySearch Library book 979.6 V2h; film 1036585 item 8.