Kansas Death Records

The Kansas age-adjusted mortality rate of 847 per 100,000 residents is higher than the national average death rate of 793.7 per 100,000 total United States population. Approximately 30,171 deaths are recorded in the state each year, and heart disease and cancer remain the leading causes of death. An estimated 169.5 out of 100,000 Kansas residents die of heart disease, while about 153 out of 100,000 die of cancer every year. Records of these events are known as death records, and they are a part of the over 100 million vital records preserved in the state.

While Kansas began keeping statewide records of deaths on July 1, 1911, some counties have death records as early as 1880, which may be accessed from the relevant county clerk's office. A typical death record in the state includes information such as the deceased's personal information, the location of death, the date of death, and the cause of death.

Per Section 65-2412 of the Kansas Statutes, the death certificate filed with the state registrar is a recognized and official death record in the state. Typically, an original death certificate for each death that occurs in the state must be completed and filed with the state registrar within three days after the death event. The funeral director is responsible for completing a death certificate and obtaining the medical certification of cause of death from a physician, after which the certificate is filed with the state registrar.

While an original death certificate is maintained permanently on file of the state registrar, eligible individuals may obtain certified copies of the certificate for various legal and administrative purposes. A certified copy of a Kansas death certificate is a copy of the original death certificate that has been verified by the relevant authority in the state.

How Do I Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate in Kansas?

The Office of Vital Statistics under the Kansas Division of Public Health maintains death certificates of death events from July 1, 1911, and issues certified copies of the certificates to eligible persons upon request. The following are some of the available methods of requesting a certified copy of a death certificate in the state:

• Mail-in Application - Anyone looking to request a certified copy of a death certificate by mail in Kansas should take the following steps:

  • Complete the Application for a Certified Copy of a Kansas Death Certificate.
  • Provide a photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a state ID card, driver's license, military ID, or passport (or visa). A requester who does not have a government-issued photo ID may use photocopies of any two alternative documents as proof of ID. These include bank statements with current address, utility bills with current address, Social Security number, pay stub, and car title or registration with current address.
  • Enclose a money order or check of $20 for the first copy of the requested certificate (also covers a 5-year record search) and $20 for each additional copy of the same certificate ordered in the same transaction. The check or money order should be made out to the Kansas Vital Statistics.
  • Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope (business size) in the application.

  • Mail the request, payment, and ID to the Division of Public Health at:

    Kansas Division of Public Health

    Office of Vital Statistics

    Curtis State Office Building

    1000 SW Jackson, Suite 120

    Topeka, KS 66612-2221

    Certified copies of a death certificate requested by mail in Kansas are typically processed within 7 to 10 business days, depending on the volume of requests received by the Office of Vital Statistics.

• Walk-in Application - The Customer Service lobby of the Vital Statistics Office located on the first floor of the Curtis State Office Building accepts walk-in requests for certified copies of death certificates from 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday (excluding state holidays). An applicant should visit the office with a completed application form, a valid ID, and payment, and proceed to the first available desk to submit their request.

  The cost of a certified copy is $20 for the first and $20 for each additional copy, payable by money order, credit card that bears the requester's name, check, or cash. If there is no difficulty in locating the original death certificate, a certified copy will be made available to the requester within 15 to 20 minutes of submitting their application.

• Mobile App Request - Interested and eligible persons may order certified copies of Kansas death certificates through the IKAN App. The App can be downloaded from a mobile device's app store (search for select IKan- State of Kansas). Applicants may choose regular mail or Will Call as the method of delivery.

If an applicant selects mail delivery, the certified copy of the requested death certificate will be delivered within 7 to 10 working days of the application. On the other hand, a requester who selects Will Call will receive a notification (typically the same day or the next working day to pick up the certified copies as requested. In addition to the $20 fee for the certified copy of the certificate, a requester will pay a $5 processing fee. Payment can be made by credit card bearing the applicant's name.

Are Kansas Death Records Public?

Death records are not public in Kansas. They are considered confidential documents or information. Per Section 65-2422d of the state's Revisor of Statutes, unless authorized by the Uniform Vital Statistics Acts, it is unlawful to disclose the data contained in vital statistical records, including a death record. Only certain individuals may access certified copies of death records in the state.

Who Can Request an Original Death Certificate in Kansas?

In Kansas, original death certificates are kept by the state's Office of Vital Statistics and are never issued to any member of the public. However, certified copies, which are duplicate versions of original death certificates, are issued to eligible persons. According to state law, the following individuals qualify to request certified copies of a Kansas death certificate:

• The deceased's immediate family members, including the surviving spouse, children, siblings, parents, and grandparents.
• Legal representatives of the deceased's immediate family.
• Persons who need the certificate for the determination of property or personal rights.
• Individuals who can prove that they have a direct interest in the death certificate. These include named beneficiaries and persons who jointly own property with the deceased individual.

Anyone requesting certified copies of a death certificate in Kansas from the Office of Vital Statistics, other than an immediate family member, must provide any of the following:

• Proof of direct interest
• Proof of legal representation
• Written authorization with valid and proper identification

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in Kansas?

Depending on several factors, getting a death certificate in Kansas can take anywhere from 20 minutes to about 10 business days or more. Typically, any eligible individual will get a certified copy of a death certificate already on file with the Office of Vital Statistics in about 20 minutes if requested in person or approximately 10 working days for a mail-in request. When an autopsy is needed to find out the cause of death in the state, then it may take a longer time before the original death certificate is filed with the Office of Vital Statistics. This generally impacts how long it takes for anyone to obtain a certified copy of that death certificate.

If the cause of death is not evident at the time of autopsy, additional testing (like microscopic analysis and toxicology testing) and investigation are usually required to further determine the cause and manner of death. In complex cases, this may take several months. Until this is determined, the final autopsy report will not be made available, which means further delay in preparing a final death certificate and filing it with the Kansas Office of Vital Records.

Can I View Kansas Death Records online for free?

While Kansas death records are not available online for free, resources like FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com have a large collection of databases of death information in varying forms, which may be accessed by paying a small fee. Such records are typically for death events that occurred a long time ago. Similarly, third-party sites like Kansaspublicrecords.us may provide access to such death records at a nominal cost to users.

Alternatively, interested individuals may consider exploring substitute records to look up information about death events in Kansas, particularly for deaths not officially registered with the Office of Vital Statistics. These alternative sources include obituaries, church records, newspapers, cemetery records, tax records, probate records, and the Social Security Index (SSDI).

When Would You Require A Death Certificate in Kansas?

A certified copy of a death certificate is often used for any of the following purposes in Kansas:

• Notifying government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) about someone's death.
• Making cremation or burial arrangements.
• Canceling the various subscriptions, utility services, and other services used by the decedent.
• Closing a decedent's bank accounts and other financial accounts and transferring the balances to an authorized beneficiary.
• Filing insurance claims and enjoying other benefits such as pension benefits, Medicaid benefits, social security benefits, veterans benefits, and other retirement or employer-related benefits.
• Notifying a decedent's creditors and mortgage lenders of the death event.
• Canceling a deceased's credit cards.
• Pursuing an unjust death lawsuit.
• Transferring the ownership of a deceased's real estate, vehicles, and other assets.

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in Kansas?

Eligible persons should consider requesting between 8 to 12 copies of death certificates in Kansas after the death of their loved ones. However, the actual number of copies anyone needs is determined by several factors. These include the size of the deceased's assets, the number of estate beneficiaries, and the number of government agencies or private institutions requiring copies of a death certificate. Also, it is good to always keep extra copies of a death certificate for future or urgent needs.