How to Get a Death Certificate in Kansas
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Kansas. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In Kansas, certified death certificates are issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka, which has death records back to July 1, 1911. Kansas charges $20 for each certified copy, with no lower price for extras. The first $20 is a five-year record search fee, so it is kept if no record is found. Some ordering methods add a $15 expedited service fee, and the state's online portal adds a $5 processing fee. Older guides that say $15 are out of date.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Kansas, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Kansas.
Who issues death certificates in Kansas?
Certified copies come from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka, which has death records back to July 1, 1911. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.
How much does a certified copy cost in Kansas?
Kansas charges $20 for each certified copy, with no lower price for extras. The first $20 is a five-year record search fee, so it is kept if no record is found. Some ordering methods add a $15 expedited service fee, and the state’s online portal adds a $5 processing fee. Older guides that say $15 are out of date.
Who can order a copy in Kansas?
Kansas limits who can receive a certified copy, and the office asks for photo ID. It may ask for proof of your relationship or interest, so confirm the current rules on its page.
How do I order more copies in Kansas?
- Walk-in: at the Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka (Curtis State Office Building), 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office says it usually takes 15 to 20 minutes if the record is easy to find.
- By mail: with the application and a check or money order.
- Online with pickup: through the state’s IKan portal ($20 plus a $5 processing fee, one certified copy per order). Only the applicant can pick it up, with a government photo ID, after an email says it is ready.
- Questions: (785) 296-1400.
What else should I know before I order?
Because the first $20 is a search fee, it is not refunded if the office can’t find the record, so check the spelling and date of death before you order.
What should I do next?
Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Kansas and our general guide to death certificates.
Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.
Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics before you send payment.
Sources
About this review
Everendium Editorial Team · last reviewed October 17, 2026.
Fees, eligibility rules, and ordering options were checked on October 17, 2026 against the state's own published fee information, application forms, and county government pages listed in the sources. Death certificate fees change often, and some official pages were read only as search extracts, so the current fee should be confirmed on the agency's page before paying. Recommended for periodic re-verification. This is general information, not legal advice
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