Daviess County Death Index Records

Daviess County death index records are maintained by the Daviess County Health Department in Gallatin and by the Missouri State Archives for certificates from 1910 through 1975. This guide covers the local office, the state Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City, the free Archives database, and older pre-1910 sources so you can find Daviess County death records without wasting time.

Daviess County Health Department Death Records

The Daviess County Health Department in Gallatin is the local office for death certificates covering deaths that occurred in Daviess County. The department holds records from 1980 to the present. For any death that took place in the county from 1980 onward, this is the fastest place to get a certified copy. The fee is $13 per certified copy. Walk-in requests are typically processed the same day. Mail requests take longer but are also accepted. You can find current contact information and service details at daviesscountyhealth.org.

When you visit the Gallatin office in person, bring a completed Application for Missouri Vital Record and a valid photo ID. Acceptable primary IDs include a state driver's license, state-issued ID card, U.S. military ID, U.S. passport, school ID, or work ID. If you lack a photo ID, two alternate forms work in its place. These can include government agency letters, W-2 forms, Social Security cards, court-certified adoption papers, insurance policies, Medicare or Medicaid cards, payroll stubs, cancelled checks, or utility bills. Having your documents ready before you arrive speeds up the process at the counter.

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records website provides the standard ordering process that applies to Daviess County requests submitted to the state office.

This page covers the application form, fee schedule, and mail submission instructions for any Missouri county including Daviess.

For mail requests to the local department, include a notarized application, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order payable to the Daviess County Health Department. Notarization is required for mail orders but not for in-person visits. The local office is generally faster than the state Bureau in Jefferson City, which can take 4 to 8 weeks. If time matters, go local or use VitalChek. Under RSMo 193.265, the fee structure for certified copies is set by state statute and applies uniformly across Missouri county health departments.

Missouri Bureau of Vital Records and Daviess County Death Certificates

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City holds Daviess County death records from January 1, 1910, through the present. The Bureau is at 930 Wildwood Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109. Phone is 573-751-6387. Lobby hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The Bureau covers all deaths in Missouri going back over a century, so for deaths before 1980 the state office is usually a better place to start than the local county department. Appointments are recommended for walk-in visits.

The fee at the state Bureau is $14 for the first certified copy and $11 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. That is one dollar more than the local Daviess County fee of $13. For many researchers the local office is both faster and slightly cheaper, so it makes sense to start there when looking for deaths from 1980 forward. The state Bureau, by contrast, covers the full span back to 1910 and is the only state-level office for pre-1980 Daviess County records.

VitalChek is the authorized online vendor for Missouri death certificates. Orders placed through VitalChek take 3 to 5 business days and do not require notarization. You can also call VitalChek toll-free at 1-877-817-7363. The service runs around the clock and accepts all major credit cards.

VitalChek is the state-approved third-party vendor for ordering certified Missouri death certificates online, including those from Daviess County.

Under RSMo 193.255, only those with a direct and tangible interest may receive certified copies of death certificates within the 50-year confidentiality window. Eligible requestors include spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Legal representatives, funeral directors, and people with documented property or estate interests also qualify. Under RSMo 193.225, records more than 50 years old transfer to the State Archives where they become public and free to anyone.

Daviess County Death Index in the Missouri State Archives

The Missouri State Archives holds over 2.5 million digitized death certificates from 1910 through 1975. Daviess County death records from this span are fully searchable at no cost through the Archives Death Certificates portal. You can search by first name, last name, county, and year or month of death. For deaths from 1954 through 1975, the database also supports searches by the name of a surviving spouse, father, or mother. Each digitized certificate shows the full name, date and place of death, date and state of birth, both parents' names, spouse's name, occupation, cause of death, attending physician, funeral home details, and burial location. This is a free resource that requires no account or registration to use.

Daviess County was organized in 1836, which gives it a long history before statewide death registration began around 1883. The gap between county formation and consistent state registration means that many early deaths went unrecorded at the state level. For deaths before 1910, the Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 covers the 1883 to 1893 microfilm period and is worth checking. Probate court records at the Daviess County Courthouse in Gallatin also note deaths in the context of estate proceedings. Cemetery transcriptions and church records fill in additional gaps from the 19th century.

The FamilySearch Daviess County genealogy page lists available online and microfilm resources for the county, including probate files, cemetery records, and church registers. FamilySearch provides free access to many of these digitized Daviess County collections and can point researchers toward records that predate the state Archives database. The combination of the Archives portal and FamilySearch covers most of what you need for Daviess County family history research.

What Daviess County Death Records Contain

A certified Daviess County death certificate includes the decedent's full legal name, date and place of death, date and state of birth, sex, race, occupation, and parents' full names including the mother's maiden name. The certificate also names the surviving spouse, lists the cause of death and any contributing conditions, identifies the attending physician, and provides funeral home details and burial location. The informant who gave the data at time of registration is also listed. These details make death certificates one of the most useful records in genealogy research and are often needed for estate settlement, insurance claims, and Social Security matters.

Long form certificates, which include extended medical certification language, are available only from the state Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City. If you need the long form, mark that on your application when you submit to the state office. Standard certified copies are available from both the state Bureau and the local Daviess County Health Department.

Death records from the 1910 to 1975 period in the Archives database contain the same core fields, though older certificates may have fewer details. Medical terms on older certificates can be hard to read. The Archives publishes a medical terminology guide and a list of supporting conditions to help researchers understand older cause-of-death language. Modern records filed after 2000 go through Missouri's MoEVR electronic registration system under RSMo 193.145.

Nearby Counties

Daviess County borders several counties in northwest Missouri. If you need death records for someone who lived near the county line, check the offices in the adjacent counties below.