Get a certified Kansas Death Certificate

A certified copy of a Kansas death certificate costs $15 from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Additional copies ordered at the same time are also $15 each. Expedited processing is available for an additional fee.

Yes, you can order a Kansas death certificate online through an approved service provider. You may also apply by mail or in person at the KDHE Office of Vital Statistics in Topeka.

In Kansas, eligible requesters include the surviving spouse, a parent, an adult child, a sibling, the executor of the estate, or a legal representative. If you need to request a death certificate on behalf of an eligible person, you may submit a notarized Power of Attorney (PoA) or signed affidavit from the authorized person.

Kansas death certificates are considered public records. However, certain personal information such as Social Security numbers may be redacted. You can request certified copies from the KDHE or from the county where the death occurred.

An officially certified death certificate from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Social Services (KDHE) will have unique security features to ensure its authenticity. The appearance of an official death certificate may vary depending on the year of issue, but it will contain essential details confirming the individual's identity at the time of death. Official death certificates from Kansas typically feature the state seal, the individual's name, the date and place of death, and the state registrar’s signature. They are printed on secure, tamper-resistant paper with watermarks and other security elements. The KDHE issues these certificates to state guidelines, and all counties follow these secure issuance procedures.

• Full Name of the Decedent: The full legal name of the person whose death is being recorded.
• Date of Death: The exact date and time of death of the individual.
• Place of Death: The city, county, and state where the death occurred, along with the specific facility or location.
• Cause of Death: The immediate and underlying causes of death, as certified by the attending physician or medical examiner.
• Medical Certification Information: Includes details about who certified the death, such as the attending physician or coroner, and any contributing medical factors.
• Demographic Information: The deceased's age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, education level, and occupation.
• Disposition Details: Information about the method of disposition (burial, cremation, etc.), the date and place of disposition, and the funeral home or director responsible.
• Informant Information: The name and relationship of the person providing personal details of the deceased.
• Social Security Number: The Social Security number of the deceased.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment only a funeral director can amend "personal" information on a death certificate can be amended within one year of filing the original certificate. After one year, any changes require a court order. If you are a family member who needs to correct a death certificate, contact the funeral home that filed the certificate to request the amendment.

Requests to amend the medical certification data can only be made by the attending physician who signed the original certificate or by the coroner in whose jurisdiction the death occurred.

Fees: There is no charge for amending a death certificate or stillbirth certificate if the amendment request is within the first three months after filing the original certificate.

After three months, the fee to amend either a death certificate or a stillbirth certificate is $20.00 unless the requested amendment involves changing the medical certification data, in which case, there is no charge. The fee does not include the cost of a certified copy.

Apostilles may be ordered from the Kansas Secretary of State by mail or online with VRO.

You need an apostille when you file documents with a foreign government. It is a special certificate that verifies the authenticity of vital records for international use and is acceptable in countries that are part of the Hague Convention.

Vital Records Online (VRO) offers comprehensive apostille services for death certificates across all 50 US states. Governments and organizations acknowledge the service, which is legally valid in over 100 countries. VRO’s service comes with expert support, costs $149 (plus government fees), and can be accomplished online in just three steps.

If you are manually submitting a request for an apostille to the Kansas Secretary of State's Office, you will need to provide the following items:

1. The certified copy of your death certificate, with the original signature and seal of the current Kansas State Registrar;
2. A completed Request for Document Certification form (specify the country you will submit the document to); and
3. A payment of $7.50 per document – checks and money orders should be made payable to the "Kansas Secretary of State," or you can provide your credit card information.
   Submit your request to the Kansas Secretary of State at the following addresses:

By mail (standard or express courier):