Birth Records
Birth Records
Appointments are needed to request Vital Records in person at the Marion County Recorder's Office. You may call our office 641-828-2211 for an appointment or click the link above to schedule online.
Each certified copy is $15.00. Those requesting certified copies must prove entitlement (immediate family) before acquiring a copy.
There are some instances where the record may not be available at the County level and Vital Clerks may need to forward application to the State of Iowa for processing.
Iowa births from 1986 to the current date are available electronically in all counties in Iowa, regardless of where the event occurred. If you were born from 1986-2023 in the State of Iowa you can go to the closest Recorder's Office to you.
Marion County births between 1880 to 1985 are available at the Marion County Recorder’s office. If you are looking for a birth record from 1880-1985, you would have to go to the specific county where the birth took place or the State of Iowa. Marion County Vitals Clerks can forward applications to the State of Iowa for processing. Forwarding may take 3-4 weeks for the state to process.
When requesting a certified birth record by mail, all completed applications must be notarized and a photocopy of the applicant's valid driver's license or other government-issued picture ID is required. We also request a check, postal money order (or bank certified check) made payable to the Marion County Recorder. All certified copies are $15 per copy.
Please mail your completed application to:
Marion County Recorder
214 E Main Street
Knoxville, IA 50138
Marion County has limited records from 1921 to 1941. An application may be brought into the Marion County Recorder's office by appointment for ordering. If record is not found locally, Vital Clerks may forward the request for you to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services for processing.
To order a birth record via phone through the Iowa HHS, please follow the instructions on the back of the Vital Record Application or on their website with the link below. Please note this process will take 3-4 weeks to receive your certified copy.
Request a Record from Iowa HHS
