Iowa genealogy records

Birth records

From 1880 to 1897, births were written in ledgers that give the child's name, sex, race, and date and place of birth; the father's name, age, occupation, birthplace, and nationality; and the mother's maiden name, age, and residence. In 1898 a much shorter return asked only for the child's name, sex, date and place of birth, and the parents' names. A full birth certificate form arrived in 1904, adding the parents' ages, birthplaces, occupations, and residence and the name of the medical attendant.

Watch for one gap. Between July 1, 1904 and June 30, 1906, births were recorded only by the state, not by the county, so they are not on the county microfilm. State birth certificates from 1909 to 1921 are covered by a statewide index, and as of 2024 the State Historical Society said these were not online; you can request copies of indexed certificates.

Delayed birth certificates, filed years after the birth, cover 1852 to 1940. There are nearly 35,000 for births before 1880 and another 500,000 for births from 1881 to 1940. Each one names the sources of documentation offered as proof and the date of recording, which can lead you to other records.

Death records

From 1880 to 1904, deaths were entered in county ledgers giving name, sex, color, age, occupation, marital status, nationality, birthplace, place of death, cause of death, and place of burial. In 1904 the death certificate began, adding the date of birth and the names and birthplaces of the parents, which makes post-1904 certificates far more useful for going back a generation.

An index to state death certificates from 1904 to 1916 is at the Research Center reference desk in Des Moines. For deaths from 1880 to 1895, Iowa HHS will search a specific county and year if you give both, for a fee of 20 dollars per county and year as listed on its current page.

Marriages and divorces

Marriages were recorded at the county level even before Iowa became a territory, but early entries usually give only the names of the bride and groom, the date, and the officiant. From 1880 the record expanded to include each person's residence and birthplace, the groom's age and occupation, and the names of both sets of parents, including the mothers' maiden names. After 1900 the county copy is sometimes a shortened version of the state record, so if a county entry lacks parents' names, ask for the state record too.

State divorce records are on microfilm at the Research Center for 1906 to 1937. Divorce statistics less than 75 years old are only available from Iowa HHS, and the court file itself is with the clerk of court in the county where the case was filed.

Who can see or order Iowa vital records

Iowa law requires that birth, marriage, and divorce records in the custody of the State Archives be 75 years or older, and death and fetal death records 50 years or older, before they are open to the public. The State Archives has partnered with FamilySearch and Ancestry to put records in its custody online; FamilySearch is free at home, and both are free to use at the Des Moines and Iowa City Research Centers.

Newer records, and all certified copies, come from Iowa HHS Vital Records or the recorder in the county where the event occurred. Requests must be in writing, completely identify the record, and show entitlement. Entitled persons include the person named and that person's spouse, children, legal parents, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, or legal representative or guardian. County recorders do not hold birth, death, and marriage records from 1921 to 1941, so ask the state for those years.

Federal and state censuses

The first federal census for Iowa was taken in 1840, when it was still a territory, and lists only heads of household; later federal censuses name everyone. The 1890 census for Iowa no longer exists.

Iowa's state censuses fill the gaps. The State Historical Society lists state censuses for 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925, all searchable online through FamilySearch and Ancestry. The 1905 census is on individual cards, and the 1925 census has two to three pages per person. The originals are in the State Archives. Special censuses taken at a city's or county's request survive for some places from 1836 to 1897, usually listing only heads of household.

Federal mortality schedules for 1850 to 1880 record deaths in the year before each census, which helps for the decades before 1880 registration. Agricultural, industrial, and social statistics schedules for the same years are also online.

Land records

Iowa is a public land state, so the first sale of most land went from the federal government to a private owner. The National Archives holds the land entry case files, filed as military bounty land warrants, pre-1908 general land entries, or post-1908 entries, and the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office records website lets you search patents by name. That site includes only patented land, so if your ancestor is not there, contact the National Archives with the township and range; the claim may have been a cash entry, military bounty, or other type of entry.