Search Hickory County Death Records

Hickory County death index records are kept by the Hickory County Health Department in Hermitage and by the Missouri State Archives for certificates from 1910 through 1975. This page explains where to get certified copies, what fees apply, and how to use the free online Archives database for older Hickory County death records.

Hickory County Health Department Death Certificates

The Hickory County Health Department in Hermitage is the local source for death certificates for deaths that occurred in Hickory County from 1980 to the present. The fee is $13 per certified copy. In-person requests are processed the same day. Call ahead or visit the website at hickorycountyhealth.org to confirm current office hours before driving to Hermitage. For mail requests, include a notarized application, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order payable to the Hickory County Health Department. Notarization is not required for in-person visits.

The Hickory County Health Department posts service details and contact information for vital records requests at its website.

The department's site covers current vital records services and what to bring when visiting the Hermitage office for a death certificate request.

Bring a completed Application for Missouri Vital Record and a valid photo ID to request a death certificate in person. Acceptable primary photo IDs include a state driver's license, state ID, U.S. military ID, U.S. passport, school ID, or work ID. If you don't have a primary photo ID, two secondary documents can replace it. Secondary documents include letters from government agencies, W-2 forms, Social Security cards, court-certified adoption papers, insurance policies, Medicare or Medicaid cards, payroll stubs, cancelled checks, or utility bills with your name and address on them.

Hickory County is a small rural county, so the local health department office in Hermitage may have limited staff. Calling ahead to confirm availability is a good idea before making the drive. The statewide fee structure under RSMo 193.265 sets the $13 per-copy rate at local offices. For deaths before 1980, you will need to contact the state Bureau of Vital Records or use the free State Archives database.

The following screenshot shows an additional state source for ordering Hickory County death certificates when the local office cannot fill a request.

This page at health.mo.gov covers the full ordering process for state-level requests, including the downloadable application form and current fee schedule for all Missouri counties including Hickory.

Missouri Bureau of Vital Records for Hickory County Deaths

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City holds Hickory County death certificates from January 1, 1910, through the present. The Bureau is at 930 Wildwood Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109. Phone is 573-751-6387 and walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Appointments are recommended. Send mail requests to P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The fee is $14 for the first certified copy and $11 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. For deaths between 1910 and 1979, the state Bureau is often a better starting point than the local Hickory County office because local records only go back to 1980.

Under RSMo 193.255, certified copies of death certificates within the 50-year confidentiality period are available only to those with a direct and tangible interest. Eligible requestors include the decedent's spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Legal representatives, funeral directors, and individuals with documented property or estate interests may also qualify. When a record is more than 50 years old, it transfers to the State Archives under RSMo 193.225 and becomes open to the public with no access restriction.

VitalChek handles online and phone orders for Missouri vital records. You can order a Hickory County death certificate at vitalchek.com any time, or call 1-877-817-7363. Delivery takes 3 to 5 business days. VitalChek accepts all major credit cards and does not require notarization, which makes it a convenient option when you can't visit an office in person and need a certified copy mailed to you.

Hickory County Death Index Records in the State Archives

The Missouri State Archives provides free access to over 2.5 million digitized death certificates spanning 1910 through 1975. Hickory County records in this range are searchable without charge through the Archives Death Certificates portal. You can search by first name, last name, county, and year or month of death. For certificates from 1954 through 1975, the portal also lets you search by surviving spouse's name, father's name, or mother's name. This is useful when you know a family member's name but not the name of the person who died. Each record shows the full name of the deceased, date and place of death, birth date and state, parents' names, spouse's name, occupation, cause of death, physician, funeral home, and burial location.

For deaths before 1910, the Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 covers microfilmed records from the 1883 to 1893 window. Hickory County was organized in 1845, so there are several decades of records before state registration began in earnest. Pre-1910 sources worth checking include the Hickory County Courthouse probate files, church registers, cemetery records, and old newspaper obituaries from the Hermitage area. The Archives and FamilySearch both hold microfilm collections that supplement what the digital database contains.

The FamilySearch Hickory County genealogy page lists available record sets including early vital records, church registers, and cemetery indexes. FamilySearch provides free online access to many of these collections. Combining the Archives portal with FamilySearch resources gives the broadest coverage for Hickory County death research across all time periods.

What Hickory County Death Records Include

A certified Hickory County death certificate lists the decedent's full legal name, date and place of death, date and state of birth, sex, race, and occupation. The record also names both parents including the mother's maiden name, the surviving spouse, cause of death and contributing conditions, the attending physician, funeral home details, and burial location. The informant who provided data at registration is named on the form as well. Long-form certificates that include extended medical certification language are only available from the state Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City. If you need the long form, mark that on your application at the time of submission.

Older Hickory County certificates from the 1910 to 1975 period in the Archives database share the same core fields, though early forms sometimes have less detail. Medical terminology on older records can be unfamiliar. The State Archives provides a medical terminology guide and a list of historical conditions to help researchers read cause-of-death entries on older certificates that used clinical language no longer in common use.

Access to recent Hickory County death records is restricted under RSMo 193.255. For deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago, the records are public and available for free through the Archives online portal with no relationship verification required.

Nearby Counties

Hickory County is located in central Missouri and shares borders with several surrounding counties. Check these adjacent county offices if you need death records for someone who lived near the county line.