Livingston County Death Index Records

Livingston County death index records are filed with the Livingston County Health Center in Chillicothe and with the Missouri State Archives for deaths from 1910 through 1975. One important note: genealogy requests for Livingston County death records must go to the Missouri Department of Health rather than to the local health center. This guide explains the difference and covers how to request a certified copy or search historical records at no cost.

Livingston County Health Center Death Certificates

The Livingston County Health Center in Chillicothe is the local contact for Livingston County death certificates. The office is at 800 Adam Drive, P.O. Box 973, Chillicothe, MO 64601. Phone is (660) 646-5506. The fee is $13 per certified copy. The health center accepts in-person and mail requests. More information is at livcohealthcenter.com. One key distinction for Livingston County: genealogy requests, meaning requests for historical family research rather than for legal use, must be submitted to the Missouri Department of Health rather than to the local health center. If your request is for a legal purpose such as estate or insurance, the local office can help directly.

The Livingston County Health Center website provides contact details and information about the local vital records process, including what identification is required and how to submit a mail request.

Check this page before visiting the Chillicothe office to confirm current hours and whether your specific type of request can be processed locally.

For in-person requests at the Livingston County Health Center, bring a completed Application for Missouri Vital Record and a valid photo ID. Acceptable 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 are accepted, such as 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.

Mail requests require a notarized application, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment by check or money order payable to the Livingston County Health Center. Notarization is only required for mail requests. In-person requests are processed the same day in most cases. For genealogy requests, send those to the Missouri Department of Health in Jefferson City rather than to the local office.

Note: Genealogy requests for Livingston County death records go to the state Department of Health, not to the local health center. This is specific to Livingston County and differs from the standard process in most other Missouri counties.

Missouri Bureau of Vital Records and Livingston County Deaths

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records at 930 Wildwood Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109 holds Livingston County death records from January 1, 1910, through the present. Phone is 573-751-6387. Lobby hours are 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 of the same record requested at the same time, under RSMo 193.265. For Livingston County deaths before 1980, the state Bureau is the right source. For genealogy requests at any time period, the state is the appropriate office.

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records ordering page explains how to request a certified Livingston County death certificate by mail or through the state's authorized online vendor.

This page has the downloadable application, the fee schedule, and the full instructions for submitting a mail request for any Missouri county including Livingston.

Under RSMo 193.255, only those with a direct and tangible interest may receive certified copies within the 50-year confidentiality window. 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 more than 50 years old transfer to the State Archives and become free public records.

VitalChek is the authorized online vendor for Missouri death certificates. Orders through VitalChek arrive in 3 to 5 business days and do not require notarization. Call 1-877-817-7363 or order online at any time. All major credit cards are accepted.

Livingston County Death Index in the Missouri State Archives

The Missouri State Archives holds over 2.5 million digitized death certificates from 1910 through 1975. Livingston County death records from this period are freely searchable through the Archives Death Certificates portal. Search by first name, last name, county, and year or month of death. For deaths from 1954 through 1975, the database also allows 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. This free database is the best starting point for genealogical research on Livingston County deaths before 1976.

Livingston County was organized in 1837. For deaths before 1910, the Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 indexes microfilmed records from the 1883 to 1893 period. Records before 1883 are not formally collected anywhere. Probate records at the Livingston County Courthouse in Chillicothe, church registers from local congregations, cemetery transcriptions, and newspaper archives from the Chillicothe area can supplement the official databases for this early period. Chillicothe and the surrounding area have active local history organizations that have compiled genealogical material over many years.

The FamilySearch Livingston County genealogy page lists available collections for the county, including digitized and microfilm records beyond what the State Archives holds. FamilySearch is free and adds new Livingston County records regularly.

Under RSMo 193.145, all current Missouri death certificates are filed electronically through the MoEVR system. Any Livingston County death registered recently is processed through this centralized statewide electronic filing system before it is accessible.

What Livingston County Death Records Contain

A certified Livingston 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. It also lists the name of the surviving spouse, the primary cause of death and any contributing conditions, the attending physician, funeral home details, and burial location. The informant who provided information at registration is named on the form. Long form certificates with extended medical certification language are only available from the Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City. Note that option on your application if that is the version you need.

Older records from the 1910 to 1975 Archives window contain the same core fields, but earlier certificates from the 1910s and 1920s may have fewer details because forms were simpler in those decades. Medical cause-of-death language on old records can be hard to interpret. The Archives provides a medical terminology guide to assist. If a Livingston County record cannot be found, consider that the death may have been registered in a neighboring county. Livingston County borders Grundy, Daviess, Carroll, Ray, and Linn counties, and deaths near those lines may appear in an adjacent county's records.

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

Nearby Counties

Livingston County borders several counties in north-central Missouri. If the death you are researching occurred near a county line, the adjacent county offices below may also have relevant records.