Bureau of Vital Records | Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Father’s Information on a Certificate of Live Birth
In Missouri, fathers are added to a birth certificate as outlined in state law. When a mother is married to the father of the child, the father’s name is added to the birth certificate at the time of the registration of birth. In other instances, the father may be added after the registration of the birth certificate by various methods, such as completing paternity affidavits. Please leave the father’s information blank on pages 1 and 2 of the Certificate of Live Birth when the father of the child and the mother are not married to each other. On January 1st, 2026, the Bureau of Vital Records will need page 1 and page 2 redone without the father’s information if the father’s information was included on the Certificate of Live Birth paperwork and the father of the child and the mother are not married to each other. As always, if desired, the father’s information may be added to the birth certificate after registration by the paternity acknowledgment process. If parents need assistance completing paternity affidavits, contact the Bureau of Vital Records at (573)751-6387, option 2 to speak with the Amendment Unit. If you have any questions when registering a Certificate of Live Birth, please contact the Bureau of Vital Records at 573-751-6387, option 3. If necessary, review same sex couple guidance.

New Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity Forms
The Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity series (Father’s Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity; Husband’s Denial of Paternity; Mother’s Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity; and the Rescission of Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity) has been updated as of October 2024. These new revisions should be used effective immediately and are located here: Paternity Applications & Forms (Prior versions of these forms will still be accepted.)

Changes to Accessing and Registering Vital Records
The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records is designing a brand-new Missouri Electronic Vital Records (MoEVR 2.0) system with a phased implementation period occurring over the fall of 2025 to the summer of 2027. Additional correspondence and detailed information on the conversion process will be sent to all currently registered MoEVR users prior to go-live. Note: If you look up or receive vital records data (PROD) via the Mainframe/TN 3270 Plus, the way you access vital records data will change and you may need to sign-up for MoEVR 2.0 in 2026. Contact 573-751-6387, opt. 4 for more details.
Phase I – Death Registration (Spring 2026) | Phase II – Birth and Fetal Death Registration (Spring 2027) | Phase III – LPHA Issuance (Summer 2027)

New Certificate of Decree of Adoption
In July 2023, the Certificate of Decree of Adoption (08-04) was updated with a new revision: The Certificate of Decree of Adoption (7-2023). Begin using this new form when completing adoption related actions in Missouri. After 01/31/2024, the old form may still be accepted for adoption processes but new Certificates of Live Birth will not be issued without an affixed Application for Missouri Vital Record. Applications may be sent with in with the Certificate of Decree of Adoption or sent in separately. If sent in separately, to ensure the application gets processed correctly, indicated in the "purpose for certificate request" portion of the application: "To obtain post-adoptive birth certificate".

Victim of Domestic Violence or Abuse Fee Exempt Certified Copy of Birth Certificate Form
Effective, August 28th, 2023, pursuant to 193.265, RSMo, no fee shall be required or collected for a certification of birth if the request is made by a victim of domestic violence or abuse, as those terms are defined in section 455.010, and the victim provides documentation signed by a(n) employee, agent, or volunteer of a victim service provider, an attorney, or a health care or mental health professional, from whom the victim has sought assistance relating to the domestic violence or abuse. Such documentation shall state that, under penalty of perjury, the employee, agent, or volunteer of a victim service provider, the attorney, or the health care or mental health professional believes the victim has been involved in an incident of domestic violence or abuse. A victim may be eligible only one time for a fee waiver. For more details, view the Victim of Domestic Violence or Abuse Fee Exempt Certified Copy of Birth Certificate Form.

Certificate of Death Registration and Issuance Updates (193.145, RSMo and 193.265 RSMo)
SB 157 (2023) repealed provisions of current law permitting a medical certifier to medically certify a Certificate of Death outside of the Missouri Electronic Vital Records (MoEVR) system. This procedure was known as the “Drop to Paper (DTP)” process. Effective, August 28th, 2023, the DTP process will no longer be permitted by law. As a result, all medical certifiers not yet using the Missouri Electronic Vital Records (MoEVR) system must do so to successfully medically certify a Certificate of Death. Any currently existing DTP Certificates of Death must be medically certified prior to August 28th, 2023 to be accepted by the Bureau of Vital Records in the DTP format. Otherwise, the death record should be electronically reassigned to the medical certifier in MoEVR.

SB 157 (2023) also repealed the local issuance of a DTP Certificate of Death prior to acceptance and registration with the Missouri State Registrar. Effective, August 28th, 2023, a certified copy of a death record can only be issued after acceptance and registration with the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records. Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs) should not issue any DTP Certificates of Death received on or after August 28th, 2023 and should directly forward any certificates to the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records for review.

If you have any questions about this recent statutory change to the death registration and issuance process, please contact the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records at 573-751-6387, opt. 4.

Archived News and Updates

Statewide Vital Records System to be Replaced
Missouri's current vital records disparate systems and workflow to be replaced with sweeping, statewide upgrade: The Bureau of Vital Record is re-designing and consolidating the myriad of systems that have been built over the last 112 years into one fully-electronic, comprehensive system.

Exemptions from Vital Records Requirements
The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri (RSMo) and the Missouri Code of State Regulations (CSR) specifically outline how the statewide operation of the vital records system shall operate, the dollar amounts of the statutorily required search fees for a vital record and who must pay them, along with the requirement to submit a correctly completed application and, if applicable, tangible interest documentation. Unless Missouri state law specifically exempts you or your agency from the statutorily required search fee, a fee must be submitted with an application for a vital record—regardless of the reason or need for the vital record. All subpoenas, summonses, warrants, et al. [NEEDS LINK] must still comply with state law and cannot exempt requestors from statutory requirements and regulations. An application must always be submitted to obtain a copy of a vital record. The applicant’s relationship to the registrant and/or reason for the request will determine whether tangible interest documentation shall accompany the application. All mail-in applications must be notarized regardless of the requestor or the reason or need for the vital record.

View more on how to obtain a vital record

Missouri Birth Certificate and Mother’s Worksheet Revisions
--Attention: Birth Registration Users--

The Bureau of Vital Records has released a newly revised Missouri Certificate of Live Birth and Mother’s Worksheet for use in the registration of live births in Missouri. At the same time, the Missouri Electronic Vital Records (MoEVR) system was updated to also reflect these changes effective Friday, December 30, 2022.

What are the main changes?

The Missouri Birth Certificate Mother’s Worksheet has been updated to more effectively collect information related to the mother’s name prior to first marriage (maiden) and mother’s legal name. Specifically, the order of these two fields has been switched and the box indicating “same as current legal name” was removed from the worksheet. (The box will remain in the MoEVR system for the ease of data entry personnel). All mothers completing the new worksheet should complete both Line 2: regarding their name prior to first marriage (maiden) and Line 3: regarding their legal name. This will avoid any discrepancies or errors relating to these two fields when registering birth records. An email was sent with this new form on 12/13/22 to all birth registration users registered in MoEVR.

The new form should be used starting on Friday, December 30, 2022.
The official, original (long-form) Certificate of Live Birth has been updated to display/print “Mother/Co-Parent” and “Father/Co-Parent” labels to match the existing labels already displayed in the MoEVR system. This change is being communicated for awareness purposes and will not impact any electronic data entry of births into MoEVR. (Effective on all records registered on or after January 1st, 2023.)

Additional notes: The current Spanish reference version of the Mother’s Worksheet is in the process of being updated to reflect these changes as well and will be uploaded to the Bureau of Vital Records website when completed in Q1 of 2023.
Links: As always, make sure to frequently check out the links below for the most current vital records information:

Applications and Forms [NEEDS LINK]
Missouri Hospital Training Guide
News and Updates

If you have any questions about these changes, reach out to your MoEVR field representative team at 573-751-6387, opt. 4. Thank you.

Form Revision – Request for Search of Putative Father Registry
The current "Request for Search of Putative Father Registry (1-2022)" form must be used to request a search of the Putative Father Registry. Any prior versions are not acceptable and will be rejected.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us at 573-751-6387.

New Vital Records Certificate Paper – Registrar Update
Effective Monday, November 1st, 2021, all vital records certificate paper bearing the name of "Kenneth J. Palermo, State Registrar" will no longer be valid and should not be issued in any properly disposed of by documenting the remaining beginning and ending paper ranges using the control numbers printed on the bottom back of a certificate and then securely shredding all remaining certificates. Please do not return any certificates to the Bureau of Vital Records.

Missouri Electronic Vital Records (MoEVR) DTP Death Certificate Process
On January 1st, 2022, a funeral director will not be able to assign a case to an unlisted physician. The funeral director should notify the Bureau of Vital Records that the physician is not yet listed. The Bureau of Vital Records will then contact the medical certifier to assist the certifier in gaining access to the MoEVR system, so the funeral director can electronically assign the death record to the physician. In the rare circumstance a medical certifier is not able to become electronic, the Bureau of Vital Records can designate the record “drop to paper”. The funeral director can then proceed in obtaining medical certification and submitting the record for registration.

With the electronic death registration method, processes will be streamlined with fewer errors and rejections, decreased lag times, and enhanced security. This will result in families receiving accurate, legal, and useful certificates in a timely manner. As always, once a death record is registered electronically, a copy may be picked up at the local level. To further enhance the ability to obtain death certificates at the local level, the frequency of when records are downloaded from the state to local public health agencies for issuance has been increased from twice daily to four times daily: 7 AM, 10 AM, 1 PM, and 4 PM. This will help to ensure the likelihood of a certificate being available for issuance at the local level the same day it was registered electronically.

Birth Registration Process Change
The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records has updated the process for entering and registering birth certificates in instances when children are born out of wedlock or when the mother is married but not married to the father of the baby. Effective February 01, 2021, in these instances, you will no longer add the father to the record in the Missouri Electronic Vital Records (MoEVR) system. You will register the record without the father and send in paternity affidavits and/or husband’s denial, if applicable, after registration. The father then will be amended onto the record after registration in accordance with state law. In other instances, such as when the mother is married to the father of the child, there is no change in policy, and the father’s information will be added in MoEVR as normal.

All paternity related documents can be accessed on our website [NEEDS LINK]. The Bureau of Vital Records has redesigned the Mother’s Worksheet and Facility Worksheet. Please ensure only these new versions (2021) are utilized.
Co-parents, in certain situations, can be added to the birth record in place of the father. The new Mother’s Worksheet outlines this process in the marital status question. You may also see additional guidance about co-parents (same-sex couples) in the Hospital Training Guide. As always, if you need assistance or have any questions with these new processes, contact the Bureau of Vital Records: MoEVRsupport@health.mo.gov or 573-751-6387, Option 4.

Electronic and Remote Online Notarization (RON) Now Accepted
In Missouri, traditional, electronic, and remote online notarization (RON) of applications/documents, including correction affidavits, are accepted by the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records. The electronically notarized document must be mailed, and if necessary, along with applicable fees and documentation to the Bureau of Vital Records at 930 Wildwood Dr., Jefferson City, MO 65109.

While electronic and remote notarization is acceptable, other standard requirements still apply in completing the application process and the correction affidavit process. For more information on submitting electronic or remote notarizations, email: VitalRecordsInfo@health.mo.gov or call 573-751-6387.