Birth Records
Saint Louis County, Missouri Register of Births (1883-1895) and Stillbirths (1883-1908)
The State of Missouri first passed legislation for county-by-county recording of births and deaths in 1883, but records are incomplete as recording wasn't mandatory. Although the legislation was repealed in 1893, St. Louis County continued to record births and deaths until 1910 when new legislation made records compulsory. From 1883 to 1895, more than 3,300 births were recorded for St. Louis County, with the first birth listed on September 28, 1883. From 1883 until 1908, more than 200 stillbirths were recorded.
Photocopies of indexed articles may be requested by email from the History and Genealogy Department. Limit of three searches per request. Submit a request online.
St. Louis City, Record of Births (1850-1910) Guide
A user’s guide was created based on a microfilm set of birth registers (1850–1910) and indexes to births (1910–Dec 1929) for the City of St. Louis. This set is now available on FamilySearch: MO, St. Louis City, Record of Births, 1850–1910
Missouri Birth Index (1920-2015)
Reclaim the Records has acquired and made publicly available the Missouri Birth and Death Index from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Researchers can search index entries from 1920 - 2015 on the website: www.missouribirthindex.com.
In Missouri, only the registrant (the person named on the birth certificate), a member of his/her family, his/her guardian, or one of their official representatives shall be considered to have a direct and tangible interest and may be issued a certified copy of a vital record such as a birth certificate. Immediate family members can include those family members and in-laws in the direct line of descent up to, but not including, cousins. Official representatives can include an attorney, physician, or other authorized agent acting on behalf of the registrant or his/her family. Official representatives need to demonstrate a link between themselves and the registrant on the vital record or qualified family member.
Read the Missouri Code of State Regulations - 19 CSR 10-10 or check out the detailed examples on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) website for more information.
Pre-1910 Birth Registers
The Missouri State Archives maintains a Pre-1910 Birth and Death database. Missouri did not begin issuing Birth and Death Certificates until 1910 - so any records of Birth or Death were kept by the local county.
The Missouri Birth and Death database can be found in the lower left-hand corner of the search screen. As Civil Registration was not require prior to 1910, many individuals will not be found in the Pre-1910 Birth Registers.