Are Birth Records Public in Kansas?
No. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (Office of Vital Statistics), vital records including birth records, stillbirth records, death records, marriage records, and divorce records are not public records in Kansas. Certified copies of Kansas birth certificates may only be released to the person named on the record, their immediate family members, their legal representative, or anyone who can prove a direct interest in the record.
Persons who are qualified to view or inspect a birth record, may send a request to the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics. Kansas birth records do not become public birth records after a certain period of time, but remain inaccessible to the public forever.
What are Birth Records in Kansas?
Birth records in Kansas refer to the records of all births that occur within the state. The government collects information on births to help formulate policies that will aid equitable distribution of state resources. In Kansas, statewide recording of births began officially in 1911, but before then, some counties recorded birth events. The Kansas Statutes Annotated recommends a five-day window within which every new birth must be filed with the State Registrar. A registrant (person named on a record) is entitled to receive a certified copy of their birth record. A typical Kansas birth certificate contains the following information:
- The full name of the child
- Child’s gender
- Date of birth
- Place of birth (County)
- Mother’s full name (maiden name inclusive)
- Father’s full name
If the parents were married at the time of either birth or conception or any point in-between, the child’s birth certificate would bear the father’s name. If the parents are unmarried, the written consent of the mother is required to have the father’s name on the birth certificate. The father must also acknowledge the paternity of the child before the State Registrar can put their name on the birth certificate.
A Kansas birth record is required to process a driver’s license, a passport, and to obtain social security. It is also essential for enrolling in schools and qualifies holders for various government benefits. Obtaining birth records fraudulently in Kansas is a crime. The state deems it a security level 8, non-person felony punishable by a jail term of up to 11 months.
Where to Find Public Birth Records in Kansas
In Kansas, birth certificates are not public records. However, persons may officially view or inspect older birth records for some counties, dating from 1885 to 1911. To access these public birth records, or any other publicly available vital records, applicants should visit the Kansas Historical Society and find out if the birth record they are looking for is publicly available. Some third-party sites similarly provide older birth records searches for records around the same time period.
How to Find and Request Birth Records Online in Kansas
Members of the public can only look up some Kansas birth records registered between 1885 and 1911 online. The birth records are available on microfilm at the Kansas Historical Society (KHS). However, they are being digitized by third-party genealogy service providers and may be accessed by interested persons online.
Post-1911 Kansas birth records are not public records and are, therefore, not available online. While accessing these records online is impossible, eligible requesters can file applications online to obtain certified copies of birth records. Kansas developed a mobile app, IKAN, which enables interested persons to order certified copies of birth records. Additionally, eligible applicants can also submit applications to obtain birth certificates through authorized third-party vital records service providers.
Considered open to citizens of the United States, public records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:
- The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
- The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.
While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government-sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.
How to Get Birth Records in Kansas
Pre-1911 Birth Records
Interested persons can view birth records registered in Kansas before 1911 at the Kansas Historical Society (KHS). The availability of a person’s record of interest can be confirmed using the County Records on Microfilm index. The KHS only accepts walk-in visitors by appointment. Requesters can book appointments by calling (785) 272 - 8681 or via email. Members of the public seeking to obtain archived birth records for research purposes should send their applications by mail to:
Kansas Historical Society
6425 Southwest 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66615-1099
Post-1911 Birth Records
In Kansas, the agency responsible for maintaining and issuing birth certificates is the Office of Vital Statistics, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Eligible applicants should complete the Application for Certified Copy of Kansas Birth Certificate to obtain certified copies of birth records of live births. The KDHE also issues certificates for stillbirths. Kansas Statutes define stillbirth as any expulsion of the product of human conception from the mother that does not result in a live birth. Requesters seeking to obtain birth certificates for stillbirths are required to complete the Application for Certificate of Stillbirth.
Applicants who are unable to complete the necessary forms required to process their requests may write letters and provide the following information:
- Specify that they seek to obtain certified copies of birth records
- Indicate the number of certified copies requested
- Full name (as listed on birth records)
- Date of birth (month, day, year)
- Gender
- Place of birth (city, county)
- Mother's maiden name
- Father's full name
- Relationship to the person named on the birth certificate
- The reason they are requesting the certificate
- Day time phone number
- Mailing address
Applicants are required to submit copies of valid photo identification documents such as:
- Driver's license
- State ID card
- Passport or visa
- Military ID
Where requesters are unable to provide valid photo identification documents, providing at least two of the following will suffice:
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Bank statement containing current address
- Car registration with current address
- Utility bill of current address
- Payslip (must include the applicant’s name, social security number, or name and address of business)
Having fulfilled all these requirements, applicants may submit their applications in person or by mail. In-person requests are usually processed faster, provided the applications are valid.
Where Can I Find Birth Records in Kansas?
The Office of Vital Statistics of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) receives and fulfills birth records requests from eligible applicants. It issues certified copies of birth records.
Kansas Birth Record Walk-In Request
Interested persons can order certified copies of Kansas birth records by submitting completed applications, with supporting documents, and payment proof in person to:
Kansas Office of Vital Statistics
1000 Southwest Jackson Suite 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221
The Office of Vital Statistics attends to walk-in requests between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For further inquiries on walk-in service, requesters may call the Office of Vital Statistics on (785) 296-1400.
Kansas Birth Record Mail-in Request
The Office of Vital Statistics of the KDHE also processes birth records requests sent by mail. Requesters should enclose with their applications, required documents, self-addressed stamped envelopes, and payment proof and mail them to:
Office of Vital Statistics
Curtis State Office Building
1000 Southwest Jackson Suite 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221
Requesters may patronize any priority mail service vendor of their choice for expedited applications.
Can Anyone Get a Copy of a Birth Certificate in Kansas?
In Kansas, certified copies of birth records registered before 1911 are available and archived at the Kansas Historical Society (KHS) and may be accessed by anyone. However, when Kansas began the statewide recording of births in 1911, it sealed birth records and placed restrictions on public access. Birth records in Kansas only become public records after 100 years of the events have passed. Although not public records, Kansas birth records may be accessed the following persons:
- A person named on the record age 18 years and above (Registrant)
- Members of the registrant immediate family (Spouses, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews).
- Legal representatives who must provide written authorization
- A person who can prove a direct interest, such as a named beneficiary or someone who jointly owns properties with the person named on the record. The record requested must be vital to the determination of personal or property rights with proof of direct interest shown
How Much Does a Birth Certificate Cost in Kansas?
Members of the public can view the available birth records archived at the Kansas Historical Society (KHS) at no cost. However, the KHS charges $0.35 per page of copies of birth records made by staff. The certification fee is $3 per certified document, while microfilm photocopies are available at the cost of $0.25 per page. The KHS charges other fees depending on requesters’ demands.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) charges varying fees for birth certificates. The cost is determined by the medium through which applicants make their requests. Walk-in request for a Kansas birth certificate at the Office of Vital Statistics costs $15 per copy. Applicants submitting live birth records requests through the IKAN mobile app can only request one certificate per order. Each order on this app attracts a cost of $15 and another $5 to cover the processing fee. Requesters can make payments via credit cards.
Mail-in requests attract a $15 fee for each certified copy issued. Payments should be made through checks or money orders made payable to Kansas Vital Statistics. Stillbirth certificate requests submitted through the IKAN mobile app costs $15 per certificate. It costs $15 to amend a birth certificate. When unsure of the exact year of birth for persons of interest, requesters may ask the KDHE to search a five-year range. Search for every five years costs $15.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Birth Certificate in Kansas?
Walk-in requesters at the Office of Vital Statistics usually obtain Kansas birth certificates on the same day of application. However, errors in the applications, non-eligibility of applicants, and non-availability of records on file may cause delays.
Orders for certified copies of live birth records in Kansas on the IKAN mobile app can be delivered in two ways. One is the “WILL CALL YOU” option. If applicants opt for this delivery method, they will be notified when the time is right to pick up requested birth certificates at the KDHE office. Such notifications are usually received on the same day or the next business day. The other option available to mobile app applicants is to take delivery of the requested birth certificate via regular mail. Typically, this takes between seven to ten business days after the receipt of applications.
Depending on the volume of records requested, mail-in requests for live birth certificates are processed and fulfilled within seven to ten business days after the receipt of their valid applications. Orders for stillbirth certificates in Kansas from the Office of Vital Statistics are processed and delivered by regular mail within five to ten business days after the receipt of the application. Priority mail orders are fulfilled within three to five business days.
How to Get a New Birth Certificate in Kansas
Kansas’ Division of Public Health allows applicants to replace lost birth certificates, order new ones, or order additional copies. To get a new birth certificate in Kansas, an applicant may send a regular/priority mail request, place a phone order, use the agency’s mobile app provision, walk-in to the office of vital statistics, or use the online order option provided by the state for ordering birth certificates.
Can You Find Kansas Birth Certificates Online?
No. Kansas birth certificates cannot be found online by a public data search since they are not public records. However, persons can use the official state-approved channels to request for birth certificates online. Although some online vendors may claim to be able to provide persons with the services, it is safest to stick with the state agencies when trying to obtain birth certificates either online or offline.
How to Expunge Your Birth Records in Kansas
Expungement refers to the deletion or destruction of all or part of a person’s record. Upon expunging a record expungement, access to the content of such a document becomes restricted. Currently, Kansas does not have any provision for birth record expungement.
How to Seal Your Birth Records in Kansas
Birth records registered by some counties in Kansas before 1911 are sealed records. Generally, in Kansas, birth records are sealed for 100 years after birth events, and only specific persons can access them. Also, upon finalizing an adoption in the state, the court will issue an order to seal the adoption record. Records sealed in adoptions include original birth certificates and court proceedings. New birth certificates are usually issued to reflect the name of the adoptive parents after adoptions.
How to Unseal Your Birth Records in Kansas
Birth records sealed by adoptions in Kansas can be opened by court order or upon the request of adult adoptees. Kansas grants adult adoptees (over the age of 18 years) access to their sealed original birth certificates and adoption records upon request. Adult adoptees can obtain uncertified copies of original birth certificates by submitting written notarized requests to:
Adoption Clerk
Office of Vital Statistics
1000 Southwest Jackson Suite 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221
The court charges adoptees a $15 fee to obtain uncertified copies of their original birth records. Payments should be made by checks or money orders and made payable to Kansas Vital Statistics. For further inquiries on this process, interested adoptees should call the office of the Adoption Clerk at (785) 296-436.
Who Signs Birth and Death Certificates in Kansas?
According to Article 24 - Uniform Vital Statistics Act (65-2409a) under Kansas Legislature, the procedure for signing a birth certificate is that when a birth happens in an institution, any of the following persons may the person in charge of the institution or their designated representative will get all information required to prepare the birth certificate including personal data. Afterward the doctor that conducted the birth or any representative of the institution will certify the facts of birth, and then they will give the parents to sign and attest any personal information entered in the certificate.
According to the same legislative provision, for births that occur outside an institution, the certificate will be prepared and filed by one of the following in the indicated order of priority:
- The physician in attendance at or immediately after the birth
- In the absence of an attending physician, any other person in attendance at or immediately after the birth
- In the absence of such a person as described above, the father or mother may do so
- If any of the above mentioned persons are unable to do so, then the person in charge of the facility where the birth happened may prepare and file the certificate.
Afterwards, either parent of the baby will sign the certificate of live birth to confirm the accuracy of the personal data entered.
Furthermore, per (65-2412) of the uniform vital statistics act, a funeral director or any person that first assumes custody of a dead body or dead fetus will get personal data from the deceased’s next-of-kin, and secure medical certification of cause of death from the doctor who last attended to the deceased. The funeral director or anyone acting in that capacity will then use the above data to file the death certificate with the state registrar within three days after the death.
However, when a death happens without medical attendance or when there is need for postmortem examinations, the coroner will investigate the cause of death and shall complete and sign the medical certification.
What is a Kansas Birth Index?
A Kansas birth index is a database that contains indexes of birth records in the state. In Kansas, the Office of Vital Statistics receives and indexes vital records for events (births, stillbirth, deaths, marriages, and divorces) that occured in the state. Some third-party websites also provide indexed birth information to varying degrees, through genealogical tracking.
