Search Lewis County Death Records

Lewis County death index records are held by the Lewis County Health Department in Monticello and by the Missouri State Archives for deaths from 1910 through 1975. Lewis County was organized in 1833, giving it a long record history that reaches well before statewide death registration began. This page explains where to find records for each time period and how to request a certified copy or search the free online database.

Lewis County Health Department Death Certificates

The Lewis County Health Department in Monticello is the local office for death certificate requests covering deaths that occurred in Lewis County from 1980 forward. The fee is $13 per certified copy. Contact details and service information are available through the county government site at lewiscountymo.com/health-department. Before visiting Monticello, check the site for current office hours and whether an appointment is needed. Lewis County is a small, rural county, and office staffing may be limited on some days.

The Lewis County Health Department page covers local vital records services, including what to bring for an in-person request and how to submit by mail.

To request a Lewis County death certificate in person, bring a completed Application for Missouri Vital Record and a valid photo ID. Acceptable photo IDs include a state driver's license, state ID card, U.S. military ID, U.S. passport, school ID, or work ID. If no photo ID is available, two alternate forms of identification are accepted. Acceptable alternates 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 the right ID ready prevents delays on the day of your visit.

Mail requests to the Lewis County Health Department must include a notarized application, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment by check or money order payable to the department. Notarization is needed only for mail requests, not for in-person visits. For most people, walking in during business hours is faster than mailing. The $13 local fee is slightly lower than the $14 the state Bureau charges.

Missouri Bureau of Vital Records and Lewis County Deaths

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City holds Lewis 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, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Appointments are recommended. The state fee is $14 for the first certified copy and $11 for each additional copy requested at the same time, as established by RSMo 193.265. For Lewis County deaths before 1980, the state Bureau is the right office to contact since the local health department may not have records going that far back.

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records ordering page covers the full process for requesting a certified Lewis County death certificate by mail or through the state's authorized online vendor.

This page has the downloadable application, current fee schedule, and instructions for submitting a mail request to Jefferson City for Lewis County or any other Missouri county.

Under RSMo 193.255, only those with a direct and tangible interest may receive certified copies within the 50-year confidentiality period. Eligible requestors include the spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and other close relatives, as well as legal representatives, funeral directors, and those with documented estate or property interests. Under RSMo 193.225, records over 50 years old transfer to the State Archives where they become free public records.

VitalChek is Missouri's authorized online vendor for vital records. Orders through VitalChek take 3 to 5 business days and do not require notarization. Call 1-877-817-7363 or order online at any time.

VitalChek accepts all major credit cards and can process death certificate orders for Lewis County and any other Missouri county in the state's holdings.

Lewis County Death Index in the Missouri State Archives

The Missouri State Archives maintains over 2.5 million digitized death certificates from 1910 through 1975. Lewis County records from this period 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 typically includes the full name of the deceased, date and place of death, date and state of birth, both parents' names, spouse's name, occupation, cause of death, attending physician, funeral home, and burial location.

Lewis County was organized in 1833, making it among the oldest counties in Missouri. That means there are roughly five decades of county history before Missouri began requiring death registration in 1883. For deaths before 1910, the Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 indexes microfilmed records from 1883 to 1893. Records from before 1883 are not systematically collected. Probate records at the Lewis County Courthouse in Monticello, church registers from local congregations, cemetery transcriptions, and newspaper archives from the area can all help fill gaps in the pre-registration period. Lewis County has a notable connection to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and local historical collections may hold genealogical material compiled over many decades.

The FamilySearch Lewis County genealogy page lists available collections including digitized and microfilm records that supplement the State Archives holdings. Many Lewis County vital records are indexed and freely searchable on FamilySearch.

Under RSMo 193.145, all current Missouri death certificates are filed electronically through the MoEVR system. Any Lewis County death registered in recent years flows through this centralized state electronic filing process before becoming accessible.

What Lewis County Death Records Contain

A certified Lewis County death certificate includes the decedent's full legal name, date and place of death, date and state of birth, sex, race, occupation, and both parents' full names including the mother's maiden name. The certificate also names the surviving spouse, lists the primary cause of death and any contributing conditions, identifies the attending physician, and provides funeral home details and burial location. The informant who supplied information at the time of registration is also listed. Long form certificates with extended medical certification language are available only from the Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City. Mark that option on the application if you need it.

Older records from the 1910 to 1975 Archives window contain the same core fields, though earlier certificates may be less complete due to simpler registration forms. Historical cause-of-death terms can be hard to interpret. The Archives provides a medical terminology dictionary as a reference. If a Lewis County record cannot be located, consider that the death may have been registered in a neighboring county. Lewis County borders Clark, Knox, Shelby, Marion, Ralls, and Monroe counties, and border-area deaths were sometimes filed on the neighboring side.

Certified copies of recent Lewis County death certificates are restricted to those with a direct and tangible interest under RSMo 193.255. For genealogical research on deaths more than 50 years old, the records are free online through the State Archives and no proof of relationship is required.

Nearby Counties

Lewis County borders several counties in northeast Missouri. If the person died near a county boundary, the offices below may also hold relevant records.