May 29, 2026
Birth and death certificates are some of my favorite genealogical records. They contain all kinds of sometimes hard-to-find information. This can include exactly where someone was born or died, his or her parents’ names (including the mother’s maiden name) and more. However, birth and death certificates do not always exist or are difficult to access.
Birth and death records are generally kept at the state level. The first step to obtaining a record is determining the state where the birth or death occurred. Every state has its own rules and regulations governing how records can be accessed.
Before beginning research, it’s important to know what these regulations are. A good starting point is the Family Search Research Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page ). Search for the state name plus “vital records.” This will lead you to links to any digitized records for that state as well as information about ordering offline records.
The Wiki will also give the date when civil registration began in the state. The United States did not begin keeping civil registration records until relatively late. For example, Colorado required civil registration in 1907. Many other states began around the same time. However, some southern states did not require civil registration until the 1930s.
In some states, counties recorded births and deaths before the date of statewide civil registration. For example, Minnesota required birth and death registrations starting in 1900. However, Minnesota counties began keeping records of births and deaths in 1870. Some of these records can be found online, but many of them are only available from the local county courthouse.
One of my family lines settled in Meeker County, Minnesota in 1872. They only stayed for about a decade, but there were many births and deaths in the extended family during those years. The records of these events were recorded in large ledgers kept at the Meeker County Courthouse. The records have not been microfilmed or digitized, so I had to visit Minnesota to access them.
State civil registration records are increasingly available online. Family Search is a good place to search for them. State archive websites are another place to search for digitized civil registration records. Ordering the certificates from state vital statistics offices is another possibility.
Before spending time searching for records, familiarize yourself with privacy restrictions governing access. Restrictions vary by state, but 100 years is common for birth certificates. Death certificates typically are restricted for 50 or more years. Newer records are usually only available to direct descendants who can prove their descent.
Birth and death certificates contain valuable information for genealogists. However, they are not available for every ancestor. Searching for records that don’t exist or that are sealed is a waste of time. Be prepared before you begin your search.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society