Find Putnam County Death Index Records

Putnam County death index records are held by the Putnam County Health Department in Unionville and by the Missouri State Archives for deaths from 1910 through 1975. This guide covers each source, fees, how to request a certified copy, and where to search older records at no cost in this far-northern Missouri county near the Iowa border.

Putnam County Health Department Death Records

The Putnam County Health Department is the local source for death certificates covering deaths in the county. The office is at 103 N. 18th Street, Unionville, MO 63565. The mailing address is P.O. Box 354, Unionville, MO 63565. Phone is (660) 947-2429 and fax is 660-947-3870. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and the office stays open through the lunch hour. The department holds records from 1980 to the present. The fee is $14 for the first certified copy and $11 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time, per RSMo 193.265. Payment is accepted by Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, cash, check, or money order. More information is at putnamcountyhealth.org.

In-person requests take about 10 minutes to process. Walk-in visitors need a completed Application for Missouri Vital Record and a valid photo ID. A state driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, or military ID serves as primary identification. If you lack a photo ID, two alternate forms work in its place. Accepted alternates include W-2 forms, Social Security cards, utility bills, letters from government agencies, payroll stubs, court-certified adoption papers, insurance policies, or Medicare and Medicaid cards.

Mail requests require a notarized application, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order payable to the Putnam County Health Department. Notarization is required for mail orders but not for walk-in requests. Walk-in processing takes about 10 minutes, which makes in-person visits the fastest option when you need a certificate quickly. For deaths before 1980, contact the state Bureau of Vital Records or use the free State Archives database.

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records state page provides context on the Missouri vital records system and how local county offices like Putnam County's issue certified copies.

This state page describes the broader Missouri vital records framework, including how the Putnam County Health Department fits into the statewide process for issuing certified death certificates.

Missouri Bureau of Vital Records and Putnam County Deaths

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City holds Putnam County death records from January 1, 1910, to the present. The Bureau is at 930 Wildwood Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109. Phone is 573-751-6387. Lobby hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The fee is $14 for the first certified copy and $11 for each additional copy of the same record. For deaths from 1910 through 1979, the state Bureau is the right source since the local department holds records only from 1980 forward.

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records ordering page explains the full process for requesting a certified Putnam County death certificate by mail, including the downloadable application form and instructions for the Jefferson City office.

Under RSMo 193.255, certified copies of records within the 50-year window go only to those with a direct and tangible interest. Eligible parties include the spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and other close relatives of the deceased, plus legal representatives, funeral directors, and those with documented estate interests. Records more than 50 years old transfer to the State Archives under RSMo 193.225, where they become public records open to everyone.

VitalChek is Missouri's authorized online vendor. Orders through VitalChek take 3 to 5 business days and skip the notarization requirement. Phone orders go to 1-877-817-7363. All major credit cards are accepted and the service is available around the clock.

VitalChek handles online and phone orders for certified Putnam County death certificates, accepting credit cards without requiring a notarized application.

Putnam County Death Index in the Missouri State Archives

The Missouri State Archives holds more than 2.5 million digitized death certificates from 1910 through 1975. Putnam 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 records from 1954 through 1975, the database also supports searches by surviving spouse, father, or mother. Each certificate shows the decedent's full name, date and place of death, birth date and state, both parents' names, spouse's name, occupation, cause of death, attending physician, funeral home, and burial location.

Putnam County was organized in 1845 and sits in the far north of Missouri along the Iowa border. It is one of the less populous counties in the state, which means the Archives record set for the county is smaller and more manageable to search through. Narrowing your search by a five to ten year window and the county name usually surfaces the right result quickly.

For deaths before 1910, the Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre-1910 covers microfilmed records from roughly 1883 to 1893. Putnam County records from the early registration period are sparse, as was common in rural northern Missouri counties. Probate records at the Putnam County Courthouse, cemetery transcriptions, and church registers from early Unionville congregations are the main sources for pre-1910 deaths. Local newspapers from the county carry death notices and obituaries that fill in some gaps.

Under RSMo 193.145, all current Missouri death certificates are filed electronically through the MoEVR system. Every recent Putnam County death is registered centrally and accessible through the state Bureau and the local health department once the record is complete.

The FamilySearch Putnam County genealogy page lists available record collections for the county including probate filings, census data, and early vital records indexes. Many are free online through FamilySearch and provide a useful complement to the State Archives database.

Note: Missouri Digital Heritage at sos.mo.gov provides free access to Putnam County death certificates from 1910 through 1975 through the same Archives portal linked above.

What Putnam County Death Records Include

A certified Putnam County death certificate shows the decedent's full legal name, date and place of death, date and state of birth, sex, race, and occupation. Both parents are named, including the mother's maiden name. The surviving spouse is listed, along with the cause of death and contributing conditions, the attending physician, the funeral home, and the burial location. The informant who provided data at registration is also identified. Long form certificates with extended medical certification are available only through the Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City. Note the long form option on your application if you need it.

Records in the State Archives from 1910 through 1975 include the same core fields. Earlier forms are simpler and some entries may be incomplete or use outdated terms. The Archives medical terminology guide is helpful for interpreting cause-of-death language from the 1910s and 1920s. For a small county like Putnam, the older records can be particularly valuable for genealogical research since family lines often trace back several generations in the same rural community.

Access to recent Putnam County death certificates is restricted under RSMo 193.255. Only those with a direct and tangible interest may receive certified copies within the 50-year window. For deaths more than 50 years ago, records are open to the public and free to search through the State Archives without any proof of relationship.

Nearby Counties

Putnam County is in far north Missouri near the Iowa border. If the person you are researching lived close to a county line, check these neighboring county offices.