Kansas ranks 10th out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#27 (tie)of 51
Speed#6of 51
Ease of ordering#3 (tie)of 51
Birth certificates #9 of 51
Cost
$20 first copy, $20 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3–5 business days; mail: 7–10 business days; in person: same day, about 15–20 minutes
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from July 1911
Marriage records #10 of 51
Cost
$20 first copy, $20 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3–5 business days; mail: 7–10 business days; in person: same day, about 15–20 minutes
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from May 1913
Divorce records #11 of 51
Cost
$20 first copy, $20 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3–5 business days; mail: 7–10 business days; in person: same day, about 15–20 minutes
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from July 1951; full decrees from the Clerk of the District Court
Death certificates #11 of 51
Cost
$20 first copy, $20 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3–5 business days; mail: 7–10 business days; in person: same day, about 15–20 minutes
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2–3 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state
Records available
State records from July 1911
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order Kansas birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a Kansas birth certificate?
A certified Kansas birth certificate costs $20 per copy from the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka. Walk-in service takes about 15–20 minutes; mail orders take 7–10 business days, and VitalChek orders 3–5 business days after they arrive.
Kansas birth records: ordering details
Who can order
Kansas vital records aren’t public records. Certified copies go to the person named on the record, immediate family, a legal representative, or someone who can prove a direct interest, such as a named beneficiary or a joint owner of property with the person named. The record must be needed to determine personal or property rights. Anyone other than the person named or immediate family must send proof of legal representation, direct interest or written authorization. For genealogy, records from before 1940 may be requested by contacting the office; records from 1940 on must be requested by an immediate family member.
Fee
$20 per certified copy, including each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time. By state law, the first $20 is a five-year record search fee: one copy is issued if the record is found, and the fee is kept if it isn’t. Each additional five-year search span costs another $20. Through VitalChek (online or phone), add a $15 expedited service fee, plus UPS charges if you choose UPS. Through the iKan state app, add a $5 processing fee (one copy per order).
How to order
In person: Office of Vital Statistics, Curtis State Office Building, 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 120, Topeka, KS 66612-2221 (enter off 10th and Jackson), 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday. Use the lobby kiosk; pay by cash, check, money order or credit card. Online:VitalChek, KDHE’s credit card contractor. The card must be in your name, and you’ll be asked for your Social Security or driver’s license number. By phone: 877-305-8315, 24 hours a day (credit card; Spanish interpreters available). Mobile app: the iKan – State of Kansas app (credit card or ACH), mailed to you or held for Will Call pickup in Topeka by the applicant only, with a current government photo ID. By mail: the Birth Application (or a signed letter with the same details), a copy of your ID, a check or money order payable to “Kansas Vital Statistics” (no cash), and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope for each different record, to the Office of Vital Statistics at the address above. For priority return, enclose a prepaid self-addressed priority mail envelope.
ID needed
A current government-issued photo ID (U.S. or your country of residence), such as a driver’s license, state ID card, passport or visa, or military ID; send a photocopy by mail. Without one, send any two of: your Social Security number, a bank statement, car registration or title, or utility bill with your current address, or a pay stub with your name, Social Security number and the employer’s name and address.
Processing time
Walk-in: around 15–20 minutes if the record is easy to find. VitalChek or phone: within 3–5 business days after the office receives the order (KDHE’s Internet page says within three business days). iKan app: Will Call is usually ready the same or next business day (wait for the email before coming in); app orders by regular mail take 7–10 business days. Mail: 7–10 business days, depending on request volume. Estimate: about 2–3 weeks by mail, including mail time both ways.
Older and local records
Birth certificates have been filed with the Office since July 1, 1911. Some Delayed Certificates of Birth go back to the 1860s; if you give a birth date between the late 1860s and July 1, 1911, the Office searches for one. For other pre-1911 births, see the Kansas Historical Society.
Tip: Registered Kansas voter born in Kansas with no photo ID? You may qualify for a birth certificate at no cost to get a nondriver ID card by sending Form BCA and Form DE-VID1. The certificate is stamped “For voting purposes only.”
A certified Kansas death certificate costs $20 per copy from the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka. Walk-in service takes about 15–20 minutes; mail orders take 7–10 business days, and VitalChek orders 3–5 business days after they arrive.
Kansas death records: ordering details
Who can order
Kansas vital records aren’t public records. Certified copies go to the person named on the record, immediate family, a legal representative, or someone who can prove a direct interest, such as a named beneficiary or a joint owner of property with the person named. The record must be needed to determine personal or property rights. Anyone other than the person named or immediate family must send proof of legal representation, direct interest or written authorization. For genealogy, records from before 1940 may be requested by contacting the office; records from 1940 on must be requested by an immediate family member.
Fee
$20 per certified copy, including each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time. By state law, the first $20 is a five-year record search fee: one copy is issued if the record is found, and the fee is kept if it isn’t. Each additional five-year search span costs another $20. Through VitalChek (online or phone), add a $15 expedited service fee, plus UPS charges if you choose UPS. Through the iKan state app, add a $5 processing fee (one copy per order).
How to order
In person: Office of Vital Statistics, Curtis State Office Building, 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 120, Topeka, KS 66612-2221 (enter off 10th and Jackson), 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday. Use the lobby kiosk; pay by cash, check, money order or credit card. Online:VitalChek, KDHE’s credit card contractor. The card must be in your name, and you’ll be asked for your Social Security or driver’s license number. By phone: 877-305-8315, 24 hours a day (credit card; Spanish interpreters available). Mobile app: the iKan – State of Kansas app (credit card or ACH), mailed to you or held for Will Call pickup in Topeka by the applicant only, with a current government photo ID. By mail: the Death Application (or a signed letter with the same details), a copy of your ID, a check or money order payable to “Kansas Vital Statistics” (no cash), and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope for each different record, to the Office of Vital Statistics at the address above. For priority return, enclose a prepaid self-addressed priority mail envelope.
ID needed
A current government-issued photo ID (U.S. or your country of residence), such as a driver’s license, state ID card, passport or visa, or military ID; send a photocopy by mail. Without one, send any two of: your Social Security number, a bank statement, car registration or title, or utility bill with your current address, or a pay stub with your name, Social Security number and the employer’s name and address.
Processing time
Walk-in: around 15–20 minutes if the record is easy to find. VitalChek or phone: within 3–5 business days after the office receives the order (KDHE’s Internet page says within three business days). iKan app: Will Call is usually ready the same or next business day (wait for the email before coming in); app orders by regular mail take 7–10 business days. Mail: 7–10 business days, depending on request volume. Estimate: about 2–3 weeks by mail, including mail time both ways.
Older and local records
Death certificates have been filed with the Office since July 1, 1911; it has none for earlier deaths. Some county clerk offices kept older ledgers, but some didn’t. See the Kansas Historical Society for pre-1911 records.
Tip: Need it today? Walk in to the Topeka office between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on a weekday. Copies are usually ready in about 15–20 minutes.
A certified Kansas marriage certificate costs $20 per copy from the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka, for marriages since May 1, 1913. Walk-in service takes about 15–20 minutes; mail orders take 7–10 business days. Completed licenses are also on file with the Clerk of the District Court in the county that issued the license.
Kansas marriage records: ordering details
Who can order
Kansas vital records aren’t public records. Certified copies go to the person named on the record, immediate family, a legal representative, or someone who can prove a direct interest, such as a named beneficiary or a joint owner of property with the person named. The record must be needed to determine personal or property rights. Anyone other than the person named or immediate family must send proof of legal representation, direct interest or written authorization. Marriage information is open to the public at the county district court level.
Fee
$20 per certified copy, including each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time. By state law, the first $20 is a five-year record search fee: one copy is issued if the record is found, and the fee is kept if it isn’t. Each additional five-year search span costs another $20. Through VitalChek (online or phone), add a $15 expedited service fee, plus UPS charges if you choose UPS. Through the iKan state app, add a $5 processing fee (one copy per order). County copies: contact the Clerk of the District Court.
How to order
In person: Office of Vital Statistics, Curtis State Office Building, 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 120, Topeka, KS 66612-2221 (enter off 10th and Jackson), 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday. Use the lobby kiosk; pay by cash, check, money order or credit card. Online:VitalChek, KDHE’s credit card contractor. The card must be in your name, and you’ll be asked for your Social Security or driver’s license number. By phone: 877-305-8315, 24 hours a day (credit card; Spanish interpreters available). Mobile app: the iKan – State of Kansas app (credit card or ACH), mailed to you or held for Will Call pickup in Topeka by the applicant only, with a current government photo ID. By mail: the Marriage Application (or a signed letter with the same details), a copy of your ID, a check or money order payable to “Kansas Vital Statistics” (no cash), and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope for each different record, to the Office of Vital Statistics at the address above. For priority return, enclose a prepaid self-addressed priority mail envelope. County: completed licenses are first filed with the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the license was issued. Find the court through the Kansas Judicial Branch.
ID needed
A current government-issued photo ID (U.S. or your country of residence), such as a driver’s license, state ID card, passport or visa, or military ID; send a photocopy by mail. Without one, send any two of: your Social Security number, a bank statement, car registration or title, or utility bill with your current address, or a pay stub with your name, Social Security number and the employer’s name and address.
Processing time
Walk-in: around 15–20 minutes if the record is easy to find. VitalChek or phone: within 3–5 business days after the office receives the order (KDHE’s Internet page says within three business days). iKan app: Will Call is usually ready the same or next business day (wait for the email before coming in); app orders by regular mail take 7–10 business days. Mail: 7–10 business days, depending on request volume. Estimate: about 2–3 weeks by mail, including mail time both ways.
Older records
Marriage licenses have been filed with the Office since May 1, 1913; it has none for earlier marriages. For older records, see the Kansas Historical Society or contact the county.
Tip: Need proof you’re not married in Kansas? KDHE also issues a Verification of No Marriage letter.
A certified Kansas divorce certificate costs $20 per copy from the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka, for divorces since July 1, 1951. For the full divorce decree, contact the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the divorce was filed.
Kansas divorce records: ordering details
Certificate vs. decree
The divorce certificate is completed by the plaintiff’s attorney and has only basic facts, such as both names and the dates of marriage and divorce. The decree is the court document detailing the settlement. KDHE doesn’t have decrees; certified copies come from the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the divorce was filed.
Who can order
Kansas vital records aren’t public records. Certified copies go to the person named on the record, immediate family, a legal representative, or someone who can prove a direct interest, such as a named beneficiary or a joint owner of property with the person named. The record must be needed to determine personal or property rights. Anyone other than the person named or immediate family must send proof of legal representation, direct interest or written authorization. Divorce information is open to the public at the county district court level.
Fee
$20 per certified copy, including each extra copy of the same record ordered at the same time. By state law, the first $20 is a five-year record search fee: one copy is issued if the record is found, and the fee is kept if it isn’t. Each additional five-year search span costs another $20. Through VitalChek (online or phone), add a $15 expedited service fee, plus UPS charges if you choose UPS. Through the iKan state app, add a $5 processing fee (one copy per order). Decree copies: set by the district court; contact the clerk.
How to order
In person: Office of Vital Statistics, Curtis State Office Building, 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 120, Topeka, KS 66612-2221 (enter off 10th and Jackson), 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday. Use the lobby kiosk; pay by cash, check, money order or credit card. Online:VitalChek, KDHE’s credit card contractor. The card must be in your name, and you’ll be asked for your Social Security or driver’s license number. By phone: 877-305-8315, 24 hours a day (credit card; Spanish interpreters available). Mobile app: the iKan – State of Kansas app (credit card or ACH), mailed to you or held for Will Call pickup in Topeka by the applicant only, with a current government photo ID. By mail: the Divorce Application (or a signed letter with the same details), a copy of your ID, a check or money order payable to “Kansas Vital Statistics” (no cash), and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope for each different record, to the Office of Vital Statistics at the address above. For priority return, enclose a prepaid self-addressed priority mail envelope. Decree: contact the Clerk of the District Court; find the court through the Kansas Judicial Branch.
ID needed
A current government-issued photo ID (U.S. or your country of residence), such as a driver’s license, state ID card, passport or visa, or military ID; send a photocopy by mail. Without one, send any two of: your Social Security number, a bank statement, car registration or title, or utility bill with your current address, or a pay stub with your name, Social Security number and the employer’s name and address.
Processing time
Walk-in: around 15–20 minutes if the record is easy to find. VitalChek or phone: within 3–5 business days after the office receives the order (KDHE’s Internet page says within three business days). iKan app: Will Call is usually ready the same or next business day (wait for the email before coming in); app orders by regular mail take 7–10 business days. Mail: 7–10 business days, depending on request volume. Estimate: about 2–3 weeks by mail, including mail time both ways. Decree copies: varies by court.
Older records
Divorce certificates have been filed with the Office since July 1, 1951; it has none for earlier divorces. For older records, contact the district court or see the Kansas Historical Society.
Tip: The state certificate shows only basic facts. If you need the terms of the divorce, order the decree from the county district court instead.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other Kansas records people search for
Official Kansas sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About Kansas public records
Certificate Information
Vital records in Kansas are not considered public records and don't have an unlock date after a certain time period like other
states. Birth and death records are available from July 1 of 1911 to present for a $15 dollar search fee.
Kansas Department of Health and Enviroment
Office of Vital Statistics
1000 SW Jackson St # 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221
(785) 296-1400
Marriage records are availabe from the state for occurances filed on or after May 1, 1913 while divorce decrees are only available
from July 1, 1951 to present. Each search and certified copy is $15 dollars.
Like the other vital records in Kansas, state law mandates that all preadoption records become sealed and confidential. A court
order to open the original records is required of the adult age adoptee. Uncertified copies are available with a notarized request.
Adoption Clerk
1000 SW Jackson St # 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221
(785) 296-1436
lbelisle@kdheks.gov
The local appraiser's office in conjunction with the GIS department has online maps of parcels for tax appraisal as well as
having sales records, property history, and parcel sizes.
